Granting that priests do have the power to forgive sins
in the name of God, what advantage does confessing one's
sins to a priest have over confessing directly to God in private
prayer?
I. Catholics see several advantages in confessing their sins to a priest
in the Sacrament of Penance.
a) First, there is the Church's guarantee of forgiveness, which private
confessions do not provide;
b) secondly, there is the sacramental grace which private confessions
do not provide; and
c) thirdly, there is the expert spiritual counseling which private
confessions do not provide.
II. With the Apostles, Catholics recognize that the Church is, in a
mysterious way, the Body of Christ still living in the world
(Col 1:18);
a) therefore they recognize that God will receive their pleas for
1) mercy and
2) forgiveness
b) with far greater compassion if
1) their pleas are voiced within the Church,
2) in union with the Mystical Body of His Divine Son
than if :
3) they are voiced privately,
4) independent of the Mystical Body of His Divine Son.
Taken from: The Catholic Church has the Answer (pp 36-37)
Authored by: Paul Whitcomb
Imprimatur: Timothy Manning, Vicar General, Los Angeles
Published by: www.TanBooks.com
Copyright: Original 1961
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