Confession - Penance - The Forgiveness of Sins RETURN TO THE SACRAMENTS PAGE "As the Father sent me, so I send you." After saying this, He breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained." In the Sacrament of Penance, the faithful are assured of the forgiveness of their sins by God. God acts through his servant, the priest, much in the same way that the Holy Spirit acts through the priest (or other person) performing a baptism. Those who attend confession receive the special and comforting grace of knowing that the have been absolved of their sins. Penance, which is done both privately in the Sacrament of Penance and publicly in the Anglican mass and other penitential services, is an natural following to our human failings. When someone acts less than human, that is sin. When someone fails to be Christ-like, that is sin. It is something that all are guilty of. Thankfully we have the Sacrament of Penance to give us peace and bring us back to God. Jesus forgave sinners and received them into His holy presence. He taught about forgiveness throughout his earthly time, and then empowered his Apostles and their successors to forgive sins under His authority. The sacrament is not a punishment. It is not accusation. It is a time to acknowledge one's shortcomings, learn from them, and grow into a better person. It is generally expected that a confession is made prior to receiving sacraments. This includes marriage, confirmation, and ordination, as well as Holy Communion if in a state of mortal sin. Confession can be an intimidating experience, particularly if one has never done it before. If it is your first time, be sure to tell the priest, and he will help you through it. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite a comfortable routine.   SEAL OF CONFESSION: That which is told to the priest in a sacramental confession is protected absolutely. Under no circumstances may a priest reveal what is told to him in the confessional. (In very broad terms, he may discuss types of sins being confessed, but not in any way that could possibly identify or lead to the identification of the penitent, or in any other way betray the penitent.) If a priest reveals what is told, i.e., he breaks the seal of the confessional and is automatically excommunicated and removed from the priesthood. The right to this has been upheld in US Federal Court.   WHAT HAPPENS IN CONFESSION? The penitent may, upon entering the confessional (or whatever location the confession is being done in), state that he has sinned, though this is generally considered obvious since you are in a confessional. However, this can be a good signal to the priest that you are ready to begin. The priest will say a brief prayer. Then the penitent should say some form of act of contrition (feel free to bring one written down or in a book). The penitent then confesses the sins they wish to confess and may ask for guidance. Be sure to indicate when you are finished, or the priest may think you are simply getting up the courage to say something else. The priest may then give guidance. Sometimes confession can be similar to a counseling session. Then the priest will say several prayers, during which absolution will be pronounced and you will be assured of God's forgiveness. The confession ends with a blessing.   For more on the doctrine and theology relating to Penance and Confession, please visit the Southwest Catechism page or acquire a copy at the ADSW Bookstore.   To contact the Archdiocese about confession, please click here.