Why do Catholics Confess to a Priest?

The Catholic Confession to a Priest

Introduction

A religious practice is a complex of factors comprising the belief systems in a given culture . Major religions show the core logic focused on the universal question of salvation and divinity

In the Catholic conception there are seven Sacraments or rites - baptism , confirmation , Holy Eucharist , penance , holy s , matrimony and extreme unction , the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy s are perhaps could be seen as fundamental to the Catholic Church as an institution and definitive of a conception of a social based

on such beliefs

The Catholic core belief that penance which could be achieved through confession of sins is reinforced by the Holy which founded on the notion of apostleship . This practice directly links the practice to Jesus Christ and His apostles

How such beliefs are embedded in the social psyche is not as clear cut as it seemed but more like a tapestry of life . Hence the act of confessing to a priest is a complex of factors extending from the notion of a person and divinity to a code of conduct to the consequence of breaching such a code or committing sins to how could such breach be corrected

To fully comprehend the significance of a confession or a personal testimony as a religious experience we need to view the act in different perspectives - the Catholic construct , psychosocial and even philosophical dimensions

The relationship of a person with a divinity has been definitive of humanity as human beings grapple with living and the meaning of life

There are several items which need elucidation to grasp the significance of the Sacrament of Penance as standard practice in Catholic churches . A covenant with the Almighty and sin as a person 's violation of such a covenant form the core of such a sacrament . The role of the priesthood in the absolution of sin or the act of bringing back man to the graces of God is the companion tenet forming the enduring belief system on redemption and salvation . Invariably such a belief system has a psychosocial impact manifest in an expected behavioral transformation How such a process is shared by the church and its flock is elaborate and complex which in one hand is highly symbolic and a religious experience on the other

Integrating the Catholic , psychosocial and semiotic points of view to the understand the logic of confession could lead to an illuminating insight on the human being in relation to the universe

The Catholic conception of confession

The core belief of Catholics on confession is embedded on the Sacrament of Penance . According to the Newadvent .org , Penance is a sacrament of the New Law instituted by Christ in which forgiveness of sins committed after baptism is granted through the priest 's absolution to those who with true sorrow confess their sins and promise to satisfy for the same

In such a conception , we readily see two items which need elaboration if we are to come up with...