Confession

[dantech]

Hi,

How do you believe that confessing your sins to a priest will atone for them?
Where did this belief come from?

Sorry if I am coming off as ignorant, it's probably because I am.:help:

 

[Shiranui117]

Jesus gave to His disciples the authority to forgive sins in John 20:

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

In the Orthodox tradition at least, when we confess our sins, we confess them to God, with the priest as the witness. The priest then pronounces God's forgiveness of the person's sins; in a way, it really isn't the priest himself who forgives us, but God is forgiving us through the priest.Hope that helps! If you need clarification, feel free to ask!

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

The practise of personal Confession is long established in many churches even a few protestant ones like the Anglicans. Though personal confession has been little used in many Anglican churches for some time.
Nevertheless Confession directly to God is always effective if you repent.

It is the repentance and the desire that are important.

At virtually every service an Anglican says the general confession... If you repent you are forgiven. The priest will give a blessing.

Forgiveness and blessings might be thought ineffective with out belief and repentance.

There is no requirement for private confession, but a common understanding that it may be desirable depending on individual circumstances. An Anglican aphorism regarding the practice is "All may; none must; some should".[9]

Though Gods love is universal.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

All
Almighty and most merciful Father,we have wandered and strayed from your wayslike lost sheep.We have followed too much the devices and desiresof our own hearts.We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those thingsthat we ought to have done;and we have done those thingsthat we ought not to have done;and there is no health in us.But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us sinners.Spare those who confess their faults.Restore those who are penitent,according to your promises declared to mankindin Christ Jesus our Lord.And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,that we may live a disciplined, righteous and godly life,to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

That is the most known General cofession found in the Book of common prayer and used in morning prayer and evensong. It is followed by an absolution said by a priest

In recent years there have been many variations on this, some resembling it hardly at all, and most in more modern words. But if you attend a weekday service this is still the most common one.

 

[Dunemeister]

Orthodoxy, for its part, follows the ancient custom of individual confession. We do not practice general confession because there are no general sins, only particular ones. Also, Confession is a sacrament for us, of a piece with Eucharist. For the Orthodox, you have no business approaching the Eucharist unless you have confessed before a priest. Private confession to God is encouraged but it does not displace or make redundant the sacrament of Confession.