In last week’s column, I wrote about sin, that selfish moment of defiance when we weaken or even break our relationship with God. Mortal sin destroys our covenantal relationship with God, and venial sin, those faults we commit every day, weakens our relationship with God. At such moments we need to be reconciled to God; we need to re-establish the covenantal relationship that God first establishes with us. It is at this moment that the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation plays a crucial role in our spiritual life. Through the sacrament, we are reconciled to God. Through the sacrament, our relationship with God is renewed and strengthened.
But why must I confess to a priest, a human being, like me, who is a sinner? Why can’t I simply acknowledge my sins to God in private? After all, God already knows my sins. These are strong objections, and it is difficult to give an answer that will satisfy those who raise them. Yes, God knows our sins. Yes, God can forgive our sins in whatever way God pleases. But all of these objections overlook the public nature of sin and misunderstand the sacramental role that the priest plays in administering the sacrament.
Let’s begin with the public nature of sin. When I sin, no matter how private the sin, I am offending the Body of Christ, the Church. My sin harms you; and your sin harms me. There is no such thing as a sin that does not harm the body Christ. This is why we, as Catholics, seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of Penance. Because I have offended the Body of Christ, I must be reconciled in a public way to the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Penance.
Let’s turn to the role of the priest. He is a man like us. He too is a sinner. What right, then, does he have to forgive us? Yes, the priest is a sinful human being, and every priest is deeply aware of this—more than you can imagine. But when the priest exercises the Sacrament of Penance, he does so in the person of Christ. The priest is Christ’s representative, and it is through the priest that Christ extends forgiveness to us. Put another way; it is not the priest who forgives us, but Christ working through the priest who forgives us.
While the sacrament is a private moment of the highest confidentiality, it is also a public moment in this respect. When I go into the confessional, I am publicly acknowledging that I am a sinner. I am acknowledging that my sins have harmed the Body of Christ. I am asking Christ to forgive me and reconcile me to God and the Church. As I enter the confessional, the priest acts in the person of Christ. The priest is a weak and frail sinner, but it is Christ who is at work in and through the priest when he hears my confession.
Many Catholics have not been to confession for a long time. Many have forgotten how to receive the sacrament, and they are ashamed to go to confession. This is why I will explain how to make a good confession in next week’s column, especially if it has been several years—five, ten, fifteen, or twenty—since your last confession. Father Matera