Confession - Confesion

Penance

This is the Sacrament in which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. It results in reconciliation with God and the Church. (US Catholic Catechism for Adults, Glossary)

Sin hurts our relationship with God, ourselves and others. The sinner wounds God's honor and love, his own human dignity...and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a living stone. To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for the sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world. (CCC 1487-1488)

Why do I need to confess my sins?

Baptism does indeed wash us clean of all sin. What is symbolized by the waters of baptism is effected in reality, and our sins are taken away. "Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven..." Even though at the moment of baptism our sins are forgiven, after our baptism we fall into further sin that has need of forgiveness. Baptism forgives present sins, but not future sins. Just like we would not seek forgiveness from a spouse or loved one for our future sins, but would need to seek forgiveness each time we sin, so we need to do so with God and His Church.

Therefore, the sacrament of confession is the ordinary means which God intended to forgive the sins we fall into after baptism. Do not think it accidental or coincidental, but directly intentional what Jesus did on the very first day in which He rose from the dead. "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [Jesus] said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'" (John 20:19-23)

Who can forgive sins?

Contrition and conversion lead us to seek a forgiveness for our sins so as to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. We believe that only ordained priests have the faculty of absolving sins from the authority of the Church in the name of Jesus Christ (CCC 1495). Our sins are forgiven by God, through the priest, as He gave authority and commanded be done.

What does the sacrament of Confession do?

The Spiritual effects of the Sacraments of Reconciliation include:

reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace
reconciliation with the Church
remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation
an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle (CCC 1496)

A sincere and frequent reception of the sacrament of Confession is a sure way of growing in holiness and in our relationship with God. Failure to receive this great gift of grace manifests a lack of faith, lack of understanding, or lack of love for God.

"It would be an illusion to want to strive for holiness in accordance with the vocation that God has given to each one of us without frequently and fervently receiving this sacrament of conversion and sanctification." (St. John Paul II)

This is the Sacrament in which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. It results in reconciliation with God and the Church. (US Catholic Catechism for Adults, Glossary)