Confessions: Unforgivable Sins In The Catholic Church

The Bible teaches that a priest has the power to forgive sins. However, the Bible also states that only God forgives sins. This has led to some confusion among Christians, with some arguing that they can confess their sins directly to God, while others believe that confession to a priest is necessary for forgiveness. The question then arises: are there any sins that a priest cannot absolve?

Confession to a priest is biblical

The Bible teaches that confession to a priest is necessary for the forgiveness of serious or mortal sins committed after baptism. In the Old Testament, people had to go to the priest to be forgiven and to become clean. For instance, Leviticus 5:1-10 states:

> "And if a soul sin... when he shall be guilty in one of these things... he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing... And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, for his sin which he hath sinned... And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first... and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him."

The New Testament also teaches that confession to a priest is necessary for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins, as seen in John 20:21-23:

> "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

Jesus emphasised the importance of this teaching by repeating it in Matthew 18:18:

> "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

The apostles could only determine which sins to forgive and which to retain if they heard a confession of sins. This passage proves that Jesus instituted confession to priests.

Additionally, in Matthew 9:6-8, we see that Jesus, as the Son of Man, had the authority to forgive sins on earth:

> "But [Jesus saith] that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house... But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men."

Since Jesus had the authority to forgive sins as the Son of Man, he could transfer that authority to others. This is seen in John 20:21:

> "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so I send you."

Jesus sent his apostles to dispense his forgiveness to others, just as he was sent by his Father.

Furthermore, St. Paul, who was made a priest and bishop in the Church, states in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20:

> "God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation... Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

This passage demonstrates that Jesus sends his apostles to be ministers of his reconciliation and forgiveness. Therefore, the Church has taught that priests, in hearing confessions, stand in the place of Christ. They are not a barrier to Christ but an avenue of his reconciliation.

Moreover, the Acts of the Apostles mention people coming and confessing their deeds:

> "And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds" (Acts 19:17-18).

All of this provides clear evidence that Jesus instituted confession to priests.

While priests have the authority to forgive sins, there are some limitations. Ultimately, it is God who forgives sins, and priests are human intermediaries. According to 1 Timothy 2:5, there is only one mediator between God and humans, and that is Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, believers are instructed to confess their sins to God directly (1 John 1:9) and to one another (James 5:16). However, this does not exclude the practice of confessing sins to a priest, as priests are acting in the place of Christ and have been given the authority to forgive sins by Jesus himself.

Jesus gave the power to forgive sins to the Apostles

This passage has been interpreted in different ways. Some understand it to mean that Jesus gave the Apostles the authority to proclaim the forgiveness of sins, but not to forgive sins on their own authority. They were acting as spokespeople for God, sharing the message of forgiveness and telling people that if they repented and turned to God, their sins could be forgiven. This interpretation is supported by the fact that only God can forgive sins, as stated in Mark 2:7, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?".

Others interpret this passage to mean that Jesus gave the Apostles the power to truly forgive sins, not just proclaim the message of forgiveness. This power was passed down from the Apostles to their successors, including priests. According to this view, when a person confesses their sins to a priest, it is Christ they are speaking to through the priest, and Christ who offers forgiveness.

It is important to note that the Bible does not teach that private, unconditional forgiveness of sins is the norm. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of confessing sins to one another (James 5:16) and seeking forgiveness from God through the ministers of the Church (James 5:14-15).

The early Church, as evidenced by the writings of St. Cyprian of Carthage, understood that the promise of God's forgiveness included the sacrament of reconciliation. This sacrament has been a part of the Church's practice since its early days and is an important means of seeking forgiveness and restoring communion with God and the Church.

The priest is an 'alter Christus'

The phrase "alter Christus" means "another Christ" and is used to describe a priest. The idea that a priest is "alter Christus" is part of the Catholic tradition, according to Pope John Paul II.

The term was explicitly used to describe a priest by Luis Miranda in his 1612 work, 'Manuale Praelatorum Regularium'. The text reads:

> For although the Priest, in himself, is a finite person, he does not offer it [i.e., the Mass] in his own person, but in the person of Christ, and he is (so to speak) the same as if he were another Christ, in the representation of Christ, who is the principal offerant.

Pope Pius XI summed up the identity of the priest, stating:

> The priest is the minister of Christ, an instrument, that is to say, in the hands of the Divine Redeemer. He continues the work of the redemption in all its world-embracing universality and divine efficacy, that wrought so marvelous a transformation in the world. Thus the priest, as is said with good reason, is indeed 'another Christ'; for, in some way, he is himself a continuation of Christ. 'As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you' is spoken to the priest, and hence the priest, like Christ, continues to give 'glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will.'

The Bible also supports the idea of priests as "alter Christus". In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus gives the power to forgive sins to Peter and his successors:

> "...you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Jesus reiterates this in Matthew 18:18 and John 20:21-22, emphasising the importance of this teaching.

The early Church understood that the promise of God's forgiveness included the sacrament of reconciliation. As St. Cyprian of Carthage put it in 251:

> [C]onfess this very thing to God's priests, and make the conscientious avowal, put off from them the load of their minds, and seek out the salutary medicine even for slight and moderate wounds.

Therefore, the priest, as "alter Christus", stands in for Christ. When a Catholic confesses their sins in the presence of a priest, they are speaking to Christ through the priest and receiving Christ's forgiveness.

God forgives sins through priests

Jesus, during his time on earth, gave the power to forgive sins to his Apostles, who in turn passed it on to their successors, the bishops and priests. This is evident in Matthew 16:18-19, where Jesus says to Peter, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”. This power to “bind and loose” is also mentioned in Matthew 18:18, where Jesus says, “Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven”.

In John 20:21-23, Jesus breathes on the disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”. Here, Jesus is giving the Apostles the authority to forgive sins, which they can then pass on to their successors. This is further supported by 2 Corinthians 5:18, which states that Jesus gave the Apostles the ministry of reconciliation.

Therefore, it is clear that God forgives sins through priests, who have been given the authority to do so by Jesus himself. This is a fundamental aspect of the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation, also known as confession.

Confession to a priest is necessary for the forgiveness of mortal sins

The necessity of confessing to a priest for the forgiveness of mortal sins is a topic of debate between Catholics and Protestants. While Catholics believe in the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Protestants argue that confessing sins directly to God is sufficient for forgiveness.

Catholics assert that Jesus bestowed upon the apostles the power to forgive sins, as mentioned in John 20:23: "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained." This authority was then passed down from the apostles to their successors, the bishops and priests, through apostolic succession. Therefore, confessing to a priest is seen as confessing to Christ himself, who offers forgiveness.

However, Protestants counter that 1 John 1:9 supports the idea of confessing sins directly to God: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." They emphasize the role of Jesus as the sole mediator between God and humans, as stated in 1 Timothy 2:5.

The debate revolves around differing interpretations of biblical passages. Catholics interpret the power to forgive sins in John 20:23 as evidence of the need for sacramental confession. They also point to James 5:14-16, which mentions calling the elders (priests) of the church to pray for the sick and confess their sins.

On the other hand, Protestants emphasize the direct relationship with God through Jesus, as stated in 1 John 1:9. They argue that nowhere in the Bible is it explicitly commanded to confess sins only to a priest. Instead, they see confession as a personal responsibility to God.

While the debate continues, it is essential to recognize that both Catholics and Protestants share a common desire for forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The means by which this is achieved remains a matter of theological discussion and interpretation of Scripture.

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