Catholic Teaching On The Sacrament Of Penance . . . Clear And Concise Catholic Moral Guidance On Confession
By FR. JOHN TRIGILIO (Editor’s Note: This article on Confession by Fr. John Trigilio, Ph.D., Th.D., appeared in CatholicAction.org and is reprinted here with permission. (Fr. Trigilio is a pastor, the president of the American Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, and the coauthor of Catholicism for Dummies.) + + + Q. Why should Catholics confess their sins to a priest? What sins need to be confessed? A. After Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, He appeared to the apostles, breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive, are forgiven them. Whose sins you retain, are retained” (John 20:22-23). Had Jesus not wanted or intended His ordained ministers to absolve sins, why would He have…Continue Reading