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Perhaps surprisingly, Canon Law appears to allow it. Can. 959 In the sacrament of penance the faithful who confess their sins to a legitimate minister, are sorry for them, and intend to reform themselves obtain from God through the absolution imparted by the same minister forgiveness for the sins they have committed after baptism and, at the same, time ...

The Catholic Church teaches that man's sins may be absolved by the Church. Absolution from sin means "To free from sin", which is pretty much the same as forgiveness of sins. In lay-person's terms, as I understand it, the Priest is acting under the authority and power of the Church, which, in turn, is acting under the authority and power of Christ. This ...

Within the Confessional Canon Law specifically and absolutely forbids the priest from divulging anything sacramentally confessed (Can 983). That said, and notwithstanding Canon 980, it would be possible for a priest to withhold absolution from a penitent until she has reported any crime to the authorities herself. The priest may legitimately have doubts ...

Catechumens do not go to confession before reception into the Catholic Church, you were thinking of "candidates for reception" as outlined in Chapter 5 of the RCIA. Candidates for reception are baptized Christians who express their wish to make a full profession of faith and be received fully into the Catholic Church. As for their confession, If the ...

Any priest, or any level of priest, can hear confession from anyone. A priest will go to another priest for confession. Similarly, bishops, cardinals, and the pope can (and do) go to priests for confession. Apparently priests and the pope often have a specific confessor and are encouraged to visit him with "some regularity." As for whether a priest can ...

The short answer is yes. Additionally, every priest and bishop, including the pope, is supposed to have a spiritual advisor. The priest they see for confession need not be any special priest, as far as I know. It just needs to be a priest. Confession is not a matter of hierarchical authority. It's just a matter of receiving absolution from "the Church."

What is confession? St. John wrote: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10, ESV). The verb used for ...

You know you're in confession if: you started your conversation saying bless me father for I have sinned. the priest dons his purple stole you can't see the priest you're talking to you stood in line to talk to a priest you were given absolution for your sins you end your conversation by making an act of contrition. you don't go in to details, but ...

Since the Catholic perspective has not yet been stated, and since the OP professed to be a member of a Church which is allied with Rome, it might be a good idea to state the RCC position here: Mortal sins are sins which cut off your relationship with God. Venial sins are all of the other sins. A person who dies with venial sins on his soul will go to ...

For ordinary sins, the priest is supposed to deny absolution if there's no sign of contrition (see 1451-1454 here), especially when the sins are grave (mortal). In case of excommunication, some can be lifted by any priest, some by an Ordinary (usually a bishop) or a priest appointed by an Ordinary, and some only by the pope or some priest appointed by him. ...

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say on satisfaction: 1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as ...

99% of the time that seems to be the case, even for mortal sins. I've had a few "take your wife on a dates" but the most prayers I've ever been assigned was a Rosary. Generally it's just a few Hail Mary's. I think there's a recent historical precedent for this practice, but I don't know off hand what it is, hopefully someone can expand on that. I've ...

We have a biblical warrant to be thinking in the mindset of confession for the forgiveness of sins. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his ...

If a priest violates the seal of confession, he is automatically excommunicated, period. Even if someone confesses to being a rapist, serial killer that enjoys hitting kittens with a baseball bat, the priest violates the seal of confession, that priest is still excommunicated. There are norms for the reporting of child abuse (and often if a child is ...

The short answer is, "Yes, he can." At a minimum, the confession of those of us came into the Church, already having been baptized, it is necessary and necessarily efficacious. My RCIA director (a cannon lawyer) basically explained that for all practical purposes, a priest has the authority to allow confession and communion to anyone, so long as it is ...

Andrew's got the canon law side of things down, but I think a majority of non-Catholic confessions are said by those coming in to the Catholic Church according to the norms of the rite of Christian initiation for adults chapter 5 concerning the reception of baptized Christians (also done for Children in a separate chapter). Any baptized Christian willing ...

Originally Luther believed that confession to a priest was a holy sacrament. After being what he called 'born again', which is often referred to as his Tower Experience, he began to see confession and penance differently.  Early in the reformation he still maintained that it was still a sacrament, along with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, but the priests ...

On the issue of confession as a Protestant who was a former Catholic I wish to say that we don't need an intermediary other than Jesus however that does not mean that confessing does not have healing psychotherapeutic value . The other 2 matters which raise doubts in my mind are John 20:23 and where Jesus tells Peter that he is his rock and goes on to as in ...

As I have posted in another question (Is confessing to a priest the only way to be forgiven?): There are several Bible verses that back confession. Jesus Christ granted the Apostles His Authority to forgive sins: John 20:21 - Since Christ was sent to forgive sins, and he sent the Apostles out to forgive Sins. John 20:22 - When the Lord "Breathes" on ...

There are several Bible verses that back confession. Jesus Christ granted the Apostles His Authority to forgive sins: John 20:21 - Since Christ was sent to forgive sins, and he sent the Apostles out to forgive Sins. John 20:22 - When the Lord "Breathes" on someone, a significant transformation takes place. See the reference in Genesis. John 20:23 - ...

The only way to be forgiven is to repent of your sins and call upon Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-13), believing that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for sins (Romans 6:23) and rose again after three days and now intercedes in heaven on behalf of those who belong to Him (1 John 2:1). We can only be justified by the work of Jesus Christ, and we can do ...