<< The Catechism of the Catholic Church Today!
The Catechism of the Catholic Church Today on the Sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation.
Confession is the disclosing of sins which the penitent makes to a priest. This obligation evidently follows from the words of Christ, when He instituted the sacrament of penance:
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so
I send you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
There are three essential parts to the sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation:
- Contrition
- Confessing ones sins, and
- Penance, also known as Satisfaction.
The entire section from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the sacrament of Confession can be read under the Confessing ones sins page, while the other two parts of the sacrament have been duplicated on their correponding pages: Contrition and Penance, also known as Satisfaction, as well as the topic of Indulgences.
It's very important to note: When we confess to a priest, we are actually confessing to Jesus Himself, who is "in the person of Christ, the man". If you need help understanding this Ask Us.
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