Many non-Catholic Christians may argue, stating that you confess only to God directly, and that you don’t need to confess to a priest to get to God. First off, certainly you can confess directly to God. We are all encouraged to do that as much as we can everyday. Although we must notice that James writes in his letter that we should confess our sins openly and to other people. (James 5:16)

There is something powerful about confessing your sins aloud and to other people. It can be daunting sometimes, maybe times we refuse to confess aloud. In a way, many times we feel comfortable confessing to God because we don’t have to say it to someone’s face. However, we must take the time to reflect and ask ourselves, if  Christ or God the Father was standing in front of you right now in person, would you have the courage to confess all of your sins to their face? 

 

The beautiful thing with reconciliation in the Catholic Church is that you can confess to God but hear a real voice while you do it. Jesus wanted people to have as many opportunities to come to Him as we can. 

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” (John 20:21-23)

 The resurrected Christ speaks this to His disciples when He appears to them. Let's take a moment to uncover the mysteries of this passages in John 20. 

 

Verse 21, “as the Father sent me”. To understand the bases of Christianity, we need to ask, why did God the Father send Christ down to earth; to humiliate sinful people? Of course not, the Father sent Jesus to us to forgive sin, teach what is right, and to give peace. Then straight after the verse goes on to say “so I send you.” Reading these words in verse 21, we gain understanding that Jesus is giving part of this authority to the disciples to act on behalf of Jesus.

 

Verse 22, “Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” We see that straight after Jesus says that he is sending them, he breathes His divine Spirit onto them. Giving them that same divine spirit.

 

In verse 23 we see what Jesus is giving them His Spirit to do, “If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” We notice quickly what Jesus says that they are to do His will. 

 

As mentioned in the topic of the priestly authority, Jesus gave the disciples the power to forgive sins and retain. Although, does this mean Jesus only commissioned His disciples to forgive or retain sins only when they were alive? No. As we know through the Scriptures, Christ gave commissions to not only that generation of disciples, but also their successors. When someone is ordained a priest, he has hands laid on them and through that, receive the authority that has been passed down. Jesus intended that he would forgive through the priest. Whenever a Catholic confesses to a priest, he or she is really confessing to God, as the priest represents Jesus; but note, not implying that the priest is literally Jesus.

 

Jesus is sharing His ministry with us, just like he shared in our suffering, baptism and one day soon, His Heavenly kingdom.