I have a friend with whom I was discussing the Catholic Confessional the other day. A former Catholic, she was saying that one of the things she didn’t like about Catholicism was the Sacrament of Confession because when you go to Confession you have to reveal all these embarrassing things you’ve done, i.e. “I pulled my sister’s hair,” etc….
True. But that’s kind of the point.
Confession is supposed to help you reflect on your wrongdoing in life. Nobody’s perfect. Everyone has done something wrong at one point or another; indeed, they likely do something wrong on a regular basis. Confession can help an individual accept this fact and resolve to do something about it. The very act of Confession requires a certain degree of humility which (I’ve learned the hard way) is beneficial to the soul.
Some Protestant sects, I believe, take issue with the Catholic Confessional because of the presence of a priest. They believe God doesn’t need the priest to be there to forgive the sinner. That is most probably true, but it misses a subtle point. I think it is more beneficial for the sinner for the priest to be there than it is for him not to be. The Confessional isn’t concerned with God’s well-being, but the sinner’s. I can talk to God anytime I want on my own; it doesn’t require much in the way of courage, if for no other reason than that He already knows what I’m thinking, what I’ve done, and maybe even what I will do. But it requires more courage and more humility to admit your flaws and mistakes to another human being. It requires the individual to actually “talk” to someone who is physically there. The release from guilt and shame will be that much more cathartic when the ritual is complete. And the forgiveness offered is all the more concrete because of that.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts on the subject.
Doubts and Questions 