How Do Priests Forgive Sins In Catholicism?

The Catholic Church teaches that priests have the power to forgive sins. This is based on the belief that Jesus gave this authority to his apostles, who then passed it down through the generations. According to the Bible, Jesus said to his disciples, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. This passage is interpreted as Jesus giving his apostles the power to forgive sins, which is then passed on to priests through apostolic succession. This belief is supported by various Bible verses and early Christian writings. However, some critics argue that this power is reserved solely for Jesus, as God, and that priests cannot forgive sins on their own authority.

Jesus gave priests the authority to forgive sins

After his resurrection, Jesus passed on this authority to his apostles. In John 20:21-23, he says to them, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you... Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Here, Jesus gives the apostles, and by extension, the priests who succeed them, the authority to forgive sins.

This authority to forgive sins is further supported by the epistle of James, which instructs the early Christians to "confess your sins to one another" and specifically mentions the role of the "elders" (or presbyters/priests) in absoling sins (James 5:14-16).

Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, priests are consecrated and receive the grace necessary to administer the sacraments, including the forgiveness of sins. This authority has been passed down through the generations in a process known as Apostolic Succession, ensuring that the power to forgive sins remains within the Church.

Priests are acting under the power of the Church

The Catholic Church teaches that a priest is acting under the power and authority of the Church when absolving sins. The Church, in turn, is acting under the authority and power of Christ.

In John 20:19–23, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Here, Jesus is giving the disciples the authority to forgive sins.

The Catholic Church believes that Jesus' priesthood was also given to men so that they could continue his earthly work of forgiving sins. This is supported by the epistle of James, which states: "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." This passage situates the act of confessing sins within the context of seeking healing and forgiveness from the church's elders, or priests.

Furthermore, the Catholic Church teaches that the priest has the power to confer or convey the forgiveness of God, not by his own power, but by the power that Christ conferred on his apostles, as recorded in John 20:19–23. The priest stands in the place of Christ and declares the sinner forgiven.

The authority to forgive sins is given directly to the apostles, who were the first bishops, and they, in turn, pass on this authority through the generations. This is known as Apostolic Succession, where the authority of Jesus is passed down from generation to generation through the sacrament of ordination.

The Church has authority from Christ

In the Bible, Jesus is quoted as saying, "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." This is interpreted as Jesus giving his apostles the authority to forgive sins. This interpretation is further supported by the fact that Jesus gave the apostles the same authority that he received from God the Father, which includes the authority to forgive sins.

The Catholic Church teaches that the power to forgive sins was passed down from the apostles to their successors through the sacrament of ordination. This is known as apostolic succession. The priests, therefore, have the authority to forgive sins, not by their own power but by the power that Christ conferred on his apostles.

The formula of absolution used by priests during the sacrament of confession reflects this belief. The priest says, "May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The priest is acting in the place of Christ and conveying the forgiveness of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible also mentions the ministry of the elders (presbyters/priests) in the epistle of James, which includes the power to absolve sins through the sacrament of penance and the sacrament of anointing of the sick.

Jesus brought the power of forgiveness from heaven to earth

In the Bible, Jesus says to his disciples, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'"

Jesus is giving his disciples the same authority that he received from God the Father. In Mark 2:10, Jesus demonstrates that he has the authority to forgive sins. He then passes this power on to his disciples, who become the first bishops.

The power to forgive sins is given to the apostles, who were the first bishops. They, in turn, pass on this authority through the generations. This is known as apostolic succession.

The priest's authority to convey forgiveness does not come from himself but from Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the priest stands in the place of Christ to declare the sinner forgiven.

The Catholic Church teaches that man's sins may be absolved by the Church. Absolution from sin means "to free from sin", which is the same as forgiveness of sins. The priest is acting under the authority and power of the Church, which, in turn, is acting under the authority and power of Christ.

The Bible supports Apostolic Succession

Firstly, in Acts 1:21-26, the apostles, immediately after Jesus' Ascension, acted swiftly to replace the position left vacant by Judas's suicide. They prayed for guidance, asking God to show them which candidate was "chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away". After choosing Matthias, they laid hands on him to confer apostolic authority.

Secondly, in 1 Timothy 1:6 and 4:14, Paul reminds Timothy that the office of bishop had been conferred on him through the laying on of hands. In 1 Timothy 5:22, Paul advises Timothy not to be hasty in handing on this authority to others. In Titus, Paul describes the apostolic authority Titus had received and urges him to act decisively in this leadership role.

Thirdly, in John 20:19-23, Jesus says to the disciples, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'". Here, Jesus is giving the disciples the same authority that he received from God the Father.

Finally, in Mark 2:1-12, Jesus says, "The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins". This authority is passed on to the apostles, who are not mind readers, and therefore require oral confession of sins.

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