Clergy/Minister as Confessor, Representative of Christ.

 

Clergy/Minister as Confessor, Representative of Christ

Passages and points imortant to understanding the sacrament of Penance and Confession:  God had sent Jesus to forgive sins, but after his resurrection he told his apostles, "‘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’" (John 20:21–23). Only twice are we told that God breathed on man, the other being in Genesis 2:7, when he made man a living soul. This brings home  how important the establishment of the sacrament of penance was.  There are those that believe that any power given to the apostles died with them.  Some most likely did, such as the ability to write Scripture. However, those necessary to maintain the Church as a living, spiritual society needed to be passed down from generation to generation. If they suddenly ceased, the Church would cease, except as an abstract entity. Christ ordered the apostles to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.", which was going to  take much time, but  he promised them assistance: "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matt. 28:19–20). Not only this but he also said that they would do not only what he did but greater and that in the end age sons and daughters would prophecy and in John 20:21-23 Jesus tells the apostles after his resurrection that any sins they forgive are forgiven and any they retain are retained.  This tells us quite clearly that they were to be representatives to and much more. Also important to note as pointed out in my research.  The power Christ gave the apostles was twofold: to forgive sins or to hold them bound, which means to retain them unforgiven. Several things follow from this. First, the apostles could not know what sins to forgive and what not to forgive unless they were first told the sins by the sinner. This implies confession. Second, their authority was not merely to proclaim that God had already forgiven sins or that he would forgive sins if there were proper repentance.  How does this all relate to the sacrament of Penance and Confession? Also, again  there is church history.  The earliest Christian writings, such as the first-century Didache, are indefinite on the procedure for confession to be used in the forgiveness of sins, but a verbal confession is listed as part of the Church’s requirement by the time of Irenaeus (A.D. 180).   Later writers, such as Origen (241), Cyprian (251), and Aphraates (337), are clear in saying confession is to be made to a priest. (In their writings the whole process of penance is termedexomologesis, which means confession—the confession was seen as the main part of the sacrament.) Cyprian writes that the forgiveness of sins can take place only "through the priests." Ambrose says "this right is given to priests only." Pope Leo I says absolution can be obtained only through the prayers of the priests. These utterances are not taken as novel, but as reminders of accepted belief.

Let me say that Protestants are a funny and sometimes silly bunch.  They get all dogmatic about The Word being the literal Word of God, but they when the Catholic Church gets literal and sacramental, they suddenly go "no, it's not literal, it's symbolic, contexua;." whatever.  Even in context, you can't get clearer than if they forgive sins they will be forgiven etc.., whatever they bind is bound etc..., so whether Protestants like it or not, the clergy are Christ's representatives on earth and as such are to do what Christ did including heal, forgive sins the whole enchilada.  Does that mean that the priest is the one absolving the sin or cleansing the sin, no.  It is the Holy Spirit doing so, but the clergy in his capacity as such, as representative of Christ does what Christ did, with the help of the Holy Spirit, gives witness to the confession and affirms what Christ would do were he physically on earth at that moment.  It is Christ forgiving, and with the Holy Spirit petitioning for us always with the Father, and the clergy is but a vessel, a representative, just like the poet, the musician, the writer etc...  There is a peace that comes from sharing, unburdening the sins periodically and having a representative of Christ give that verbal absolution, something pretty wonderful.  Like other traditions of my childhood faith, I didn't quite understand or appreciate it and neither do Protestants, many of them, which is really sad for them.

For further clarification you can go to http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html, as well as http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/confess.html.  If memory serves me, even in the Old Testament we see it practiced if I recall correctly. 

Shalom and Amen