Catholic Apologetics Confession

By Jean SmithA Presentation Ministries Teaching

"It is in Christ and through His blood that we have been redeemed and our sins forgiven." (Ephesians 1:7

The Church insist upon one thing-----

Penitence….

JOHN 20:19-23

To discuss the sacrament of confession, well you need to know the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were for fears of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them ,

“Peace be with you”

and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filed with joy when the saw the Lord, and he said to them again,

“Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.”

After saying this he breathed on them and said,“Receive the Holy Spirit,

For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those who sins you retain,, they are retained”

Easter Sunday Events1. Jesus bestowed on the disciples the power to forgive sins.

2. Significant because of the connection with the Resurrection with Spiritual by breathing on the Apostles.

3. The only other time God breathed on anyone was when He breathed life into the first human being in Gen 2:7

4. Jesus gave the disciples the authority to forgive, and not to forgive.

5. A priest has to hear the sin in order to know whether to forgive them or hold them bound.

Apostolic Succession

• Jesus gave the Apostles His authority to forgive in His name• He gave them power to reconcile sinners with the church• Key Scriptural passage.•

“I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; what ever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” Mt 16:19

“Bind and Loose” Whoever is excluded from or included anew in communion with the church is excluded or included anew with GodReconciliation with the church and reconciliation with God is inseparable.

The Seven Pillars of the Catholic Faith

• Confession is the first pillar.• Protestant would argue that “You shouldn’t drop Confession on

them” • “Repent, prepare the way of the Lord” Mat 3:2• “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” Mat 4:17• Repent = To turn back to God!!!• The Perfect Gifts Jesus Christ Reconcilation

Know 2 Corinthians 5:17-21• Apostles are ambassadors of Christ ‘s work in reconciliation• Apostles share in the ministry of Christ and forgive sins in His

name.

Know James 5:13:16

The sins of the sick are forgiven in the sacrament of anointingPresbyters must be called , they had power the ordinary Christians did not-The Power to forgive Sins.

Catholic vs. Protestant Beliefs

Catholic• Magisterium• Original Sin is forgiven at

baptism.• Grace is administered through

the sacraments• Priests is used by God as His

instrument for the forgiveness of sins in three sacraments

Confession, Anointing, Baptism.

Protestant

• Sola Scriptura• All sins are wiped out at

Baptism• Grace is freely given• Ministers are used by

God as His instruments in the forgiveness of sins through Baptism which they administer.

Return to John 20:21• “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” Jn 20:21

• Apostles appointed to continue the mission of Christ.• Essence of Mission- The forgiveness of sins• Jesus knows our human nature as he was both human and

divine.• Christ provided sacramental confession to give us many

important gifts• Humility, • The certainty of Forgiveness,• Spiritual Direction • Help to overcome self-deception and temptation• Rationalization in matters of sin

Common Objections to Confession

Cafeteria Catholics• Pick and chose what they

will act upon • Will only confess is it is a

grave sin• Only will confess to God• Protests that “But the

Priest knows me, what will he think of me?”

Protestant or Anglican View

• Claims that Confession was only instituted in 1215 at the Fourth Laternal Council

• Not a part of Christian tradition from its inception.

Establishing foundation for the sacrament of ConfessionEarliest Christian writings - Ist Century The Didache was not clear on the form or procedure to be used for forgiveness of sins. It states that “You shall confess your offenses in church, and shall come forward to your prayer with a bold conscience. This is the way of life.

Tertullian (Rome, 160-220), On Modesty, Ch. 21, ML 2, 1024"But," you say, "the church has the power of forgiving sins." This I acknowledge and adjudge more [than you; I] who have the Paraclete Himself in the persons of the new prophets, saying, "The church has the power to forgive sins“

2nd Century- Father Irenaeus makes it clear in his writings that the sacrament goes back to the church’s beginning.

3rd & 4th Century- Origen, Cyprian and Aphraates clarify that confession needs to be made to a priest .

Leviticum Homiliae, 244 A.D. Origen refers to the person who “Does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord”

• 251 A.D. In De Lapis, Cyprian writes “Finally, of how much greater faith and more salutary fear are they who confess to the priests in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of their conscience”

• Aphraates says in Demonstationes-”If anyone uncovers his wound before you, give him the remedy of repentance. And he that is ashamed to make known his weakness, encourage him so that he will not hide from you. What he has revealed it to you, do not make it public.

Fourth Lateran Council 1215• Final Canon XXI

Canon 21, the famous "Omnis utriusque sexus", which commands every Christian who has reached the years of discretion to confess all his, or her, sins at least once a year to his, or her, own (i.e. parish) priest. This canon did no more than confirm earlier legislation and custom, and has been often but wrongly, quoted as commanding for the first time the use of sacramental confession.

Proclamations of Councils• The Council of Constance (1414 - 1418)• A Christian has the obligation, over and above heartfelt contrition, of confessing to a priest..• The Council of Florence (1438-1445) The fourth sacrament is penance.

• The Council of Trent (1545 - 1563)• But our Lord instituted the sacrament of penance notably on the occasion when

after his resurrection, he breathed upon his disciples saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" (John 20:22). The universal agreement of the Father has always understood that by such a striking action and by clear words the power of remitting and of retaining sins, and of reconciling the faithful who have fallen after baptism was communicated to the apostles and to their legitimate successors; ... Therefore this holy council accepts and approves the true meaning of these words of our Lord and condemns the false interpretation of ... those words

St. Ambrose 340-397• Ambrose (Tier, 340-397), On

the Holy Spirit, Bk. 3, Ch 18, ML 16, 808. See that sins are forgiven through the Holy Spirit. But men make use of their ministry for the forgiveness of sins, they do not exercise the right of any power of their own. For they forgive sins not in their own name but in that of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. They ask, the Godhead gives, the service is of man, the gift is of the Power on high.

St. Jerome• Jerome (Stridon, 345-419),

Letters, No. 14, ML 22, 352• Far be it to censure the

successors of the apostles, who with holy words consecrate the body of Christ, and who make us Christians. Having the keys of the kingdom of heaven, they judge men to some extent before the day of judgment, and guard the chastity of the Bride of Christ.

• The ecumenical councils of the Church, the official Magisterium, also attest to the truth of this sacrament.

LET’S CELEBRATE THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATIONHAVE A CONFESSION PARTY!

P