MARY, OUR MOTHER

CHAPTER XXV: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

"Just WHY do you have CONFESSION the Sacrament of Reconciliation?"
This seems to be the big stumbling block to many people who would enter the Church except they cannot accept or understand Confession. - - -
In our "Evidence Guild Apostolate" we used to give this brief answer" (perhaps the answer is a bit different than the catechism gives it.)
When Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Baptism--which forgives all sins Our Lord could have told us, when you sin again, simply be baptized again and have your sins forgiven. But Jesus said in St. John's Gospel: (Chapter 20; 21. Verse) Speaking to the Apostles:
"Peace be to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you." When He had said this, He breathed upon them.
"Receive the Holy Spirit:
WHOSE SINS YOU SHALL FORGIVE,
THEY ARE FORGIVEN THEM;
AND WHOSE SINS YOU SHALL RETAIN,
THEY ARE RETAINED."
(In the Protestant Bible, the word "remit" is used instead of "forgive.")
This is then why St. James in his Epistle said: (Chapter 5 Verse 16): "Confess, therefore, your sins to one another . . ." Even Priests and Bishops and Cardinals and the Pope--confess to each other!
May I give this example: Supposing a penitent comes to St. Peter and tells him, now that Jesus gave Peter the power to forgive sins--please, then, forgive my sins. Of course Peter has to tell the penitent, "Just what are your sins. Jesus gave me two powers: to forgive and not to forgive--I must know what the sins are to make a judgment!" (that's a verbal Confession).
The penitent might tell Peter, he had stolen 100 dinarius, silver coins. Peter might tell him, yes, your sins are forgiven, but you must return the silver coins. The man may tell Peter, "Oh no, I won't return the money."
Naturally St. Peter would simply say:
"No problem: your sins are then not forgiven!"
You see, many people forget that the Priest has two powers in the confessional: to forgive and not to forgive. Of course in order to exercise their power the people have to tell their sins just as a judge has to know the offense committed in order to make a judgment.
May I tell you this true story that happened years ago:
I was going to the Panama Canal on a United Fruit Co. Ship, one of the passengers was a Missionary from the Latter-Day-Saints persuasion. He asked me the very question, just why do we have confession? I simply told him because it's in the Bible--Jesus gave us that Sacrament. He said--show me! After much looking through the Gospel of St. John, I finally found it and showed it to the Missionary. Surprisingly he said:
"I have read this passage in the Scriptures many times, maybe over a hundred times--but it never occurred to me: It could mean exactly as you say--the quotation is very clear on Confession." Wow! - - -
And please, don't let's forget the quotation in St. Matthew's Gospel, 16. Chapter, 18. Verse: (Jesus is speaking to St. Peter and His Church): "Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, And whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven."

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