Sacrament of Confession:
Definition of Terms:
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The Sacrament of Confession, also known as Reconciliation or Penance, is a practice where individuals confess their sins to a priest, who, acting with the authority given them by Christ (John 20:21-23), offers absolution and guidance. This sacrament is practiced in various Christian denominations, including Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglican and Lutheran communities. The sacrament offers assurance to the believer that they have indeed been forgiven their sins through a mediator authorized by Christ to give absolution. The sacrament not only offers reconciliation with God, but also with the greater Christian community. This, especially in the case of public scandals, is seen as both signifying and strengthening the unity of the Church.
Old Testament Roots:
The concept of confession and seeking forgiveness can be traced back to the Old Testament. In Leviticus 5:5-6 and Numbers 5:6-7, individuals were instructed to confess their sins before God and offer sacrifices for atonement. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) described in Leviticus 16 involves confessing sins and making atonement for the community. Leviticus 19:20-22 illustrates the role of the priest in acting as mediator and God’s instrument of forgiveness. This role of the Old Covenant priesthood mediating the forgiveness of sins did not negate Christ’s role as mediator, but rather anticipated it. This is true in the New Covenant as well, as Christ can be seen conferring this authority upon the Apostles.
New Testament Basis:
Christ, as the one true mediator between God and men (1 Tim 2:5), grants authority to the Apostles to act in His name, saying; “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (John 20:21-23). Paul commands us all to act as mediators when he says, “supplications, prayers and intercessions to be made for all men” (1 Tim 2:1-2), but Paul goes on to say in 1 Tim 2:7, “For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle.” The term apostle comes from the Greek apóstolos which translates as ‘One sent’, implying a ‘messenger’ or mediator. Christians partake in Christ’s distinct role as Mediator through our membership in His Body (Gal. 2:20). As members of His Body, we share in both His mediation and priesthood (1 Peter 2:5-9).
Just as God empowered his priests to be instruments of forgiveness in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ delegated this authority to his New Testament ministers. In Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, He gives the authority to bind and loose to Peter and the apostles. In John 20:21-23, Jesus breathes on the Apostles, imparting the Holy Spirit and conferring upon them the authority to forgive or retain sins. In this passage, Christ isn’t simply instructing them to declare forgiveness, but rather He explicitly indicates that they possess the power to retain sins, implying an authority to grant absolution.
The Church, as a community of believers, is responsible for guiding and supporting its members. In Matthew 18:15-18, Jesus instructs a process for dealing with sin within the Church. The Church’s authority to impose penance and even excommunication can be found in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, where Paul instructs the Corinthian church to expel a member involved in gross sin. Paul’s authority to grant absolution to this individual is later demonstrated in 2 Cor. 2:10, where Paul says, “What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.”
Reconciliation is not only vital for the health of the individual, but also for the health of the Church. In James 5:14-17 believers are encouraged to confess their sins to one another for healing. This not only provides a sense of relief for the one confessing, but also promotes the healing of relationships, especially if an injured party is involved. This can take place on a spiritual level as well. When members of the Church partake of the Eucharist, they become united with the Body of Christ. Paul cautions that if one unites himself with a prostitute, then he also unites that prostitute to Christ’s Body (1 Cor. 6:15-16). Paul then warns against receiving the Eucharist unworthily, as it can bring judgment upon oneself (1 Corinthians 11:27-30). Therefore, Confession prepares believers and purifies them before partaking in the Eucharist.
The Early Church:
In the early Church, publicly known sins (such as apostasy) were often confessed openly in church. Penances also tended to be performed publicly and took place before rather than after absolution. Penances were often much lengthier, sometimes lasting years or even lifetimes. The Didache, a first-century Christian document, mentions confession: “In church, confess your sins, and do not come to your prayer with a guilty conscience” (Didache 4:14). Hippolytus of Rome (2nd century) details a penitential process in his “Apostolic Tradition.” Cyprian of Carthage (3rd century) speaks of confessing sins to priests for reconciliation.
Spiritual and Psychological Benefits:
Confessing one’s sins can have tremendous spiritual and psychological benefits for individuals. Confession provides an opportunity to confront and process negative emotions associated with guilt, shame, and regret. Addressing these emotions can lead to emotional healing and a greater sense of inner peace by alleviating feelings of anxiety over wrongdoing.
Admitting one’s mistakes and taking responsibility through confession also provides accountability and can motivate individuals to make positive changes in their behavior. Confession encourages self-reflection and self-awareness allowing for personal growth. It can help individuals realign with their personal values and ethical principles. This can result in a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to living both morally and ethically.
Above all, Confession provides a profound personal reassurance that one’s sins have been forgiven. This assurance differs from a general reminder that “God loves you and forgives you when you’re sorry.” Instead, it’s intimately linked to particular sins and bears a personalized nature, as it’s specifically directed at the individual confessing. Additionally, this assurance is strengthened by the understanding that the priest granting absolution has been authorized by Christ to pardon sins on His behalf. As a result, when someone departs the confessional, they can genuinely affirm that they carry the knowledge and certainty of their forgiveness.
Bible Verses:
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
The Gospel of John 20:21–23
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 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 them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
1 Cor. 11:27
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.”
Leviticus 19:20-22
“If a man lies carnally with a woman… they shall not be put to death… But he shall bring a guilt offering for himself to the Lord… And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.”
2 Cor. 2:10:
“And to whom you have pardoned anything, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned anything, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ.”
2 Cor. 5:18
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”
James 5:14-17:
“Is any one among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain… and… it did not rain…”
The Gospel of Matthew 18:18
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Church Father Quotes:
The Didache (Written ca. 50-70 A.D.)
“Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure” (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).
The Letter of Barnabas (Written ca. 50 A.D.)
“You shall confess your sins. You shall not go to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of light” (Letter of Barnabas 19 [A.D. 74]).
Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.)
“For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ” (Letter to the Philadelphians 3 [A.D. 110]).
“For where there is division and wrath, God does not dwell. To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of God, and to communion with the bishop” (ibid., 8).
Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202 A.D.)
“[The Gnostic disciples of Marcus] have deluded many women. . . . Some of these women make a public confession, but others are ashamed to do this, and in silence, as if withdrawing from themselves the hope of the life of God, they either apostatize entirely or hesitate between the two courses” (Against Heresies 1:22 [A.D. 189]).
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.)
“Confession is the reception of a gift we have not deserved.” – The Stromata (Miscellanies) 2.6.36
Hippolytus of Rome (170-235 A.D.)
“[The bishop conducting the ordination of the new bishop shall pray:] God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Pour forth now that power which comes from you, from your royal Spirit, which you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and which he bestowed upon his holy apostles . . . and grant this your servant, whom you have chosen for the episcopate, [the power] to feed your holy flock and to serve without blame as your high priest, ministering night and day to propitiate unceasingly before your face and to offer to you the gifts of your holy Church, and by the Spirit of the high priesthood to have the authority to forgive sins, in accord with your command” (Apostolic Tradition 3 [A.D. 215]).
Tertullian of Carthage (155-240 A.D.)
“By this repentance and joy which is the consequence of confession, we recover God’s grace.” – On Repentance 6
“[Regarding confession, some] flee from this work as being an exposure of themselves, or they put it off from day to day. I presume they are more mindful of modesty than of salvation, like those who contract a disease in the more shameful parts of the body and shun making themselves known to the physicians; and thus they perish along with their own bashfulness” (Repentance 10:1 [A.D. 203]).
“If in fact we conceal something from the notice of men, shall we at the same time hide it from God? Is the good opinion of men equated to the knowledge of God? Is it better to be damned in secret than to be absolved in public? ‘But it is a miserable thing to have to come to Confession!’ Yes, evil leads to misery, but where there is repentence, misery ceases, because it is thereby turned into salvation.” – Repentance 10:1
“If you are inclined to withdraw from Confession, consider first the hell which Confession extinguishes for you. Imagine the magnitude of the penalty and do not hesitate to make use of the remedy… Therefore, when you know that after the initial support of Baptism there is still in Confession a second reserve against Hell, why do you desert your salvation? Why do you hesitate to approach what you know will heal you?” –Repentance 12:1-4
(Written in 203 A.D)
“The Church has the power of forgiving sins, you say. This I acknowledge and account even more than you do… But I inquire into whence you usurp this right from the Church? Do you presume because the Lord said to Peter: ‘on this rock I will build my Church and I give to you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven,’ or ‘whatever you bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven,’ that the power of binding and loosing has been handed on to you, or any church akin to Peter? What kind of man are you, subverting and changing what was the manifest intent of the Lord when He conferred this upon Peter? On ‘you’, He says… not ‘they’” – Modesty, Chapter 21 (Written in 220 A.D.)
“He (the prodigal who comes back to Christ) receives again the pristine garment,–the condition, to wit, which Adam by transgression had lost. The ring also he is then wont to receive for the first time, wherewith, after being interrogated, he publicly seals the agreement of faith, and thus thenceforward feeds upon the fatness of the Lord’s body—the Eucharist, to wit.” –On Modesty, chapter 9
Origen of Alexandria (184-253 A.D.)
“The soul that has sinned shall die, for it repents not; that is, it does not make confession.” – Homilies on Ezekiel 3.14
“[A final method of forgiveness], albeit hard and laborious [is] the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner . . . does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord and from seeking medicine, after the manner of him who say, ‘I said, “To the Lord I will accuse myself of my iniquity”’” (Homilies on Leviticus 2:4 [A.D. 248]).
“For the one who incites us to sin is the very one who will accuse us when we have sinned. If, therefore, we anticipate him in life, and become the accusers of ourselves, we will escape the malice of the devil, our enemy and accuser… You see, then, that the confession of sin merits the remission of sin. For if we precede the devil in making our accusation, he will not be able to accuse us. If we become our own accusers, it profits us unto salvation.” – Homilies on Leviticus 3:4 (244 A.D.)
“If we have sinned we ought to say: ‘My sins I have made known to you and my wickedness I have not hidden. I accuse myself of injustice to the Lord.’ If we do this and reveal our sins not only to God, but also to those who are able to remedy our wounds and sins, then our sins will be blotted out.” – Homilies on Luke 17. (Written in 233 A.D.)
“Hear the rule which the law enjoins: ‘If someone has sinned, then he shall confess his sin.’ There is something wonderful hidden in this, whereby confession of sins is commanded. For they are to be confessed, whatever kind they may be; and all that we do must be brought forward in public. Whatever we have done in secret, whatever sin we have committed by word alone or in our thoughts- all must be made public, all must be brought forward.” – Homilies on Leviticus 3:4 (Written 244 A.D.)
Cyprian of Carthage (200-258 A.D.)
“The apostle [Paul] likewise bears witness and says: ‘ . . . Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord’ [1 Cor. 11:27]. But [the impenitent] spurn and despise all these warnings; before their sins are expiated, before they have made a confession of their crime, before their conscience has been purged in the ceremony and at the hand of the priest . . . they do violence to [the Lord’s] body and blood, and with their hands and mouth they sin against the Lord more than when they denied him” (The Lapsed 15:1–3 (A.D. 251]).
“Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who . . . confess their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience. . . . I beseech you, brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is still in this world, while his confession is still admissible, while the satisfaction and remission made through the priests are still pleasing before the Lord” (ibid., 28).
“[S]inners may do penance for a set time, and according to the rules of discipline come to public confession, and by imposition of the hand of the bishop and clergy receive the right of Communion. [But now some] with their time [of penance] still unfulfilled . . . they are admitted to Communion, and their name is presented; and while the penitence is not yet performed, confession is not yet made, the hands of the bishop and clergy are not yet laid upon them, the Eucharist is given to them; although it is written, ‘Whosoever shall eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord’ [1 Cor. 11:27]” (Letters 9:2 [A.D. 253]).
“And do not think, dearest brother, that either the courage of the brethren will be lessened, or that martyrdoms will fail for this cause, that penance is relaxed to the lapsed, and that the hope of peace [i.e., absolution] is offered to the penitent. . . . For to adulterers even a time of repentance is granted by us, and peace is given” (ibid., 51[55]:20).
“But I wonder that some are so obstinate as to think that repentance is not to be granted to the lapsed, or to suppose that pardon is to be denied to the penitent, when it is written, ‘Remember whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works’ [Rev. 2:5], which certainly is said to him who evidently has fallen, and whom the Lord exhorts to rise up again by his deeds [of penance], because it is written, ‘Alms deliver from death’ [Tob. 12:9]” (ibid., 51[55]:22).
“If we find that none of those imploring His mercy are prohibited from doing penance, then the peace of absolution is able to be extended through His priests. The groans of those who mourn must be taken into account and thus the fruit of repentance must not be denied to the sorrowful. And since among the dead there is no confession, nor in that place can a confession be made, those who have repented from the bottom of their heart must, after a time, be received into the Church.” –Letter to Antonianus 55: 52: 29 (Written 252 A.D.)
Firmilian of Caesarea (Died 269 A.D.)
“But what his error is… who says that the remission of sins can be given in the synagogues of heretics, who do not remain on the foundation of the one Church founded upon the Rock by Christ…. can be learned from this, which Christ said to Peter alone:
‘Whatever things you shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth, they shall be loosed in heaven’ and… “if you forgive the sins of any, they shall be forgiven; and if you retain the sins of any, they shall be retained.’ Therefore, the power of forgiving sins was given to the Apostles and the Churches they founded and the Bishops who succeeded them.” – Letter to Cyprian (Written in 255 A.D.)
Aphrahat the Persian Sage (280-345 A.D.)
“God forgives him who confesses his sins. For when David had sinned, the prophet Nathan came unto him and made known to him his sin and the punishment which he should receive. Then David confessed his sin and said: ‘I have sinned.’ The prophet Nathan then said to him: ‘The Lord hath put away thy sin because thou confessed’ (2 Sam. 12: 13). Be not foolish as Adam who was ashamed to confess his sin.” –Demonstration On Penitents 7:14-16 (Written 340 A.D.)
“For he who is wounded in battle is not ashamed to give himself into the hands of a skillful physician in order to heal from that which befell him in battle; and the king does not reject him who has been healed, but numbers and considers him with his army. So the man whom Satan has struck ought not to be ashamed to confess his sin, and depart from it, and entreat for himself the medicine of penitence.” – Demonstration On Penitents 7:3 (written 340 A.D.)
“Priests ought not deny a curative to those in need of healing. If anyone uncovers his wound before you, give him the remedy of repentance. And he that is ashamed to make known his weakness, encourage him so that he will not hide it from you. And when he has revealed it to you, do not make it public, lest because of it the innocent might be reckoned as guilty by our enemies and by those who hate us.” – Treatises 7.3 (Written in 340 A.D.)
Hilary of Poitiers (310-367 A.D.)
“He sets the irrevocable Apostolic judgment, however severe, so that those whom they shall bind on earth, that is, whomsoever they leave bound in the knots of their sins; and those whom they loose, which is to say, those who by their confession receive the grace unto salvation: these, in accord with the Apostolic sentence, are bound and loosed also in Heaven.” -Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew 18:18 (Written 355 A.D.)
“There is hope of mercy in time and in eternity; but there is Confession in time only, not in eternity. There is no Confession of sins in any time except in this present life. By his own will, each man is permitted and has throughout life the freedom to choose confession. But when we die, we lose life and, along with it, the right to exercise our will.” –Commentary on Psalm 51 (Written 365 A.D.)
Pacian of Barcelona (310-391 A.D.)
“Stinginess is remedied by generosity, insult by apology, perversity by honesty, and for whatever else, amends can be made by practice of the opposite. But what can he do who is contemptuous of God? What shall the murderer do? What remedy shall the fornicator find? . . . These are capital sins, brethren, these are mortal. Someone may say: ‘Are we then about to perish? . . . Are we to die in our sins?’ . . . I appeal first to you brethren who refuse penance for your acknowledged crimes. You, I say, who are timid after your impudence, who are bashful after your sins, who are not ashamed to sin but now are ashamed to confess” –Sermon Exhorting to Penance 4 [A.D. 385])
“You will say that God alone can [pardon the penitent]. True enough; but it is likewise true that He does it through His priests, who exercise His power. What else can it mean when He says to His Apostles: ‘Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven’ [Matt 16:19]? Why should He say this if He were not permitting men to bind and loose? Why, if He were permitting this to the Apostles alone? Were that the case, He would likewise be permitting them alone to baptize, to confer the Holy Spirit. . . If, then, the power both of Baptism and Confirmation, greater by far than charisma, is passed on to the bishops, so too is the right of binding and loosing.” –Letter to the Novatianist Sympronian 1:6 (Written 385 A.D.)
“You then I first call on, brethren, who, having committed crimes, refuse penance: you, who blush not to sin, yet blush to confess; who with evil conscience touch the Holy Things of God, and fear not the Altar of The Lord; who come to the hands of the priest with a polluted soul and a profane body. When the Hebrews were bringing back the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem, Uzzah, touched the side of the ark without having examined his conscience and was slain; So great a care was there of reverence towards God, that He endured not bold hands even to help. The same Lord crieth, saying, ‘And as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof. But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’ (Lev 7:20) Do these things of old not happen now? Hath God ceased to care for what concerns us? In the first Epistle to the Corinthians Paul saith these words, ‘Whosoever shall eat this Bread, and drink this Cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself.” –Treatise of Exhortation Unto Penance. 12-13 (Written 385 A.D.)
[Translated by the Rev. C. H. Collyns, M.A.
Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386 A.D.)
“Now Lent is the season of confession. Confess what you have done by word or deed, by night or day. Confess in an acceptable time and in the day of salvation receive the heavenly treasure… Small are the things of this world that you are forsaking; great what the Lord is giving. Forsake things present and trust in things to come.” – Catechetical Lectures Opening
Basil the Great (330-379 A.D.)
“It is necessary to confess our sins to those to whom the dispensation of God’s mysteries is entrusted. Those doing penance of old are found to have done it before the saints. It is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sins to John the Baptist [Matt. 3:6], but in Acts [19:18] they confessed to the apostles” (Rules Briefly Treated 288 [A.D. 374]).
John Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.)
“Priests have received a power which God has given neither to angels nor to archangels. It was said to them: ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose, shall be loosed.’ Temporal rulers have indeed the power of binding; but they can only bind the body. Priests, in contrast, can bind with a bond which pertains to the soul itself and transcends the very heavens. Did [God] not give them all the powers of heaven? ‘Whose sins you shall forgive,’ he says, ‘they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.’ What greater power is there than this? The Father has given all judgment to the Son. And now I see the Son placing all this power in the hands of men [Matt. 10:40; John 20:21–23]” (The Priesthood 3:5 [A.D. 387]).
“Have you sinned? Go into Church and wipe out your sin. As often as you might fall down in the marketplace, you pick yourself up again. So too, as often as you sin, repent your sin. Do not despair. Even if you sin a second time, repent a second time. Do not by indifference lose hope entirely of the good things prepared.” – Homilies on Penance 3:4 (Written 370 A.D.)
“Great is the dignity of priests. ‘Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them’ [John 20:22]. . . The things that are placed in the hands of the priest are to God alone to give. . . but the priest lends his own tongue and presents his own hand.” –Homilies on the Gospel of John 86:4 (written 388)
Theodore of Mopsuestia (350-428 A.D.)
“If with diligence we do good works and turn from evil deeds and truly repent of the sins that befall us, undoubtedly we shall obtain the grace of the remission of our sins in our receiving of the holy Sacrament (of Confession).” –Catechetical Homilies 16 (Written 405 A.D.)
“This is the medicine for sins, established by God and delivered to the priests of the Church, who make diligent use of it in healing the afflictions of men. You are aware of these things and the fact that God, who loves us, gave us penitence and showed us the medicine of repentance; and He established priests as the physicians of sins.” –Catechetical Homilies 16 (Written 405 A.D.)
“If we receive in this world, through our priests, healing and forgiveness of sins, we shall be delivered from the judgment to come. It behooves us, therefore, to draw near to priests in confidence and reveal our sins to them. And those priests, with all diligence, solicitude, and love, will grant healing to sinners and will not disclose our sins, but rather remain silent, as befits true and loving fathers.” –Catechetical Homilies 16 (written 405 A.D.)
Ambrose of Milan (340-397 A.D.)
“For those to whom [the right of binding and loosing] has been given, it is plain that either both are allowed, or it is clear that neither is allowed. Both are allowed to the Church, neither is allowed to heresy. For this right has been granted to priests only” (Penance 1:1 [A.D. 388]).
“Why do you baptize, if it is not allowed that sins be forgiven through men? In baptism too there is forgiveness of all sins; what is the difference whether priests claim this power is given to them to be exercised in Penance or at the font? The mystery is the same in both.” –Penance 1:8:36. [A.D. 388]
“Now, it seemed impossible that sin should be washed away in water . . . But what was impossible was made possible by God, who gave us so great a Grace. It seemed likewise impossible for sins to be forgiven through Penance; yet Christ granted even this to His Apostles, and by His Apostles, it has been transmitted to the offices of the priests.” –Penance 1:15:80 [A.D. 388]
“If you wish to be justified, confess your sin. For a shamefaced confession of sins breaks the bond of your crimes. . . You see by what a promise of forgiveness He draws you to confession.” –Penance 2:6:40 [A.D. 388]
“The sinner not only confesses his sins, but he even enumerates them and admits his guilt; for he does not want to conceal his faults. For just as fevers are not able to be assuaged when they are deep seated, but offer hope of cessation when they break, so too the illness of sin burns on while it is hidden, but disappears when it shows itself in Confession.” –Commentary on Twelve of David’s Psalms 37:57 (389 A.D.)
“Let us now see whether the Spirit forgives sins. But on this point there can be no doubt, since the Lord Himself said: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whosesoever sins you forgive they shall be forgiven. John 20:22 See that sins are forgiven through the Holy Spirit. But men make use of their ministry for the forgiveness of sins, they do not exercise the right of any power of their own. For they forgive sins not in their own name but in that of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” –The Holy Spirit 3:18:137 (Written 381 A.D.)
Jerome of Stridon (347-420 A.D.)
“If the serpent, the devil, bites someone secretly, he infects that person with the venom of sin. And if the one who has been bitten keeps silence and does not do penance, and does not want to confess his wound . . . then his brother and his master, who have the word [of absolution] that will cure him, cannot very well assist him” (Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:11 [A.D. 388]).
“Do not be ashamed to confess your sins, but be ashamed not to repent.” – Homilies on Psalm 94* 8.2
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
“Therefore do not hide your wounds; let them be seen; lay open what you have concealed, and disclose what you have hidden. Show your wounds to the physician, and he will heal them.” – Sermons 391.1
“Let no one say: ‘I do penance secretly; I only confess secretly to God.’ Openly do what you secretly do; confess publicly what you confess secretly; do penance in the sight of all, that you may likewise find pardon before God.” – Sermons 361.3
“Therefore, let him who confesses confess what he knows; let him who knows not confess with the words ‘I do not know’; let him who says, ‘It is secret,’ make public what is secret and hidden.” – Sermons 361.3
“Confession is a sign of humility. It is not the humiliation of the proud sinner, but the humility of the exalted saint.” – Expositions on the Psalms 33.1
“Let us not listen to those who deny that the Church of God is able to forgive all sins. They are wretched indeed, because they do not recognize in Peter the rock (3) and they refuse to believe that the keys of the kingdom of heaven, lost from their own hands, have been given to the Church. These are the people who condemn widows who remarry as adulteresses, and then boast that theirs is a purity superior to the teaching of the Apostles!” –Christian Combat [31, 33]
“The remission of sins is their unbinding. What good would it have done Lazarus when he came out of the tomb, if it had not been said: ‘Unbind him, and let him go’? . . . Let this be in the heart of the penitent: when you hear a man confessing his sins, he has already come to life again; when you hear a man lay bare his conscience in confessing, he has already come forth from the sepulchre; but he is not yet unbound. When is he unbound? By whom is he unbound? ‘Whatever you loose on earth,’ He says, ‘shall be loosed also in heaven.’ Rightly is the loosing of sins able to be given by the Church, but the dead man cannot be raised to life again except by the Lord’s calling him interiorly; for this latter is done by God in a more interior way.” –Explanations of the Psalms [101, 2, 3]
“If you want God to forgive, you must confess (4). Sin cannot go unpunished. It were unseemly, improper, and unjust for sin to go unpunished. Since, therefore, sin must not go unpunished, let it be punished by you, lest you be punished for it. Let your sin have you for its judge, not its patron. Go up and take the bench against yourself, and put your guilt before yourself. Do not put it behind you, or God will put it in front of you.” –Sermons [20, 2]
John Cassian (360-435 A.D.)
“Moreover by means of confession of sins, their absolution is granted: ‘for I said: I will confess against myself my sin to the Lord: and You forgave the iniquity of my heart’ (Psalm 32:5); and again: ‘Declare your iniquities first, that you may be justified (Psalm 51:4).’” –Conference 20: Chapter 8
Socrates Scholasticus (380-439 A.D.)
“When the Novatianists separated themselves from the Church because they did not want to communicate with those who had lapsed during the persecution in the time of Decius, the bishops added to the ecclesiastical institutes the presbyter in charge of repentance, so that those who had sinned after Baptism might confess their sins before this appointed presbyter. This rule prevails until the present time among all the other sects. Only those minded to the homoousios, and the Novatianists, like-minded with them according to faith, have set aside the office of the presbyter penitentiary.” -Historia Ecclesiastica, 5: 19 (Written 439 A.D.)
“A certain woman of the nobility came to the presbyter penitentiary and confessed in succession the sins which she had committed after Baptism. The presbyter instructed the woman to fast and to pray ceaselessly, so that with her confession she might also have some works to show, worthy of repentance.” -Historia Ecclesiastica, 5: 19 (Written 439 A.D.)
Sozomen of Constantinople (400-450 A.D.)
“Because to be entirely without sin belongs more to divine than to human nature, God has decreed that pardon is to be extended to those who repent even after many tansgressions. Since in asking pardon it is necessary to confess the sin, it seems likely that from the very beginning priests saw that it was burdensome for the people to confess their sins in public and with the whole church as witness. So they appointed a presbyter who could conduct himself with the utmost self-control and prudence to be in charge of this. It was to him that the penitents went to confess their transgressions. His was the task of assessing the penalty that had to be exacted for each sin and, when satisfaction had been made, of absolving them.” –Historia Ecclesiastica 7:16, 1-11
“Each of the penitents then submits to voluntary suffering either by fastings or abstentions from bathing or from a sufficiency of food, or by other prescribed means, for a time appointed for him by the bishop. When the time arrives for him to be released from punishment his sin is forgiven and he attends church with the people. The priests of Rome have carefully observed these usages from the beginning until our own times.” –Historia Ecclesiastica 7:16, 1-11
Victor of Vita (430-486 A.D.)
“Carrying candles in their hands and positioning their children before the martyrs, the people cried out, ‘To whom are you leaving us, we who are so pitiable, while you continue on to your crowns [of martyrdom]? Who will baptize these little ones with water from the eternal font? Who will grant us the favor of penance and free those bound by the fetters of sin, doing so by the forgiveness of reconciliation? We have been told that Whatever you loose upon earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Who will bury the dead with solemn prayers? Who will offer the accustomed rites of the divine sacrifice (the Mass)?” –A History of the African Province Persecution, in the Times of Genseric and Huneric, the Kings of the VandalsTIXXXIV. (II. 11). (Written ca. 484 A.D.). Worship in the Early Church, An Anthology of Historical Sources, Volumes 1-4. Lawrence J. Johnson. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota
Gennadius of Massilia (Died 496 A.D.)
“Before receiving Communion, satisfaction is to be made by means of tears, prayers, and trust in the mercy of the Lord, who was accustomed to forgive sins that were piously acknowledged. Then one can calmly and without worry approach the Eucharist. Here I am speaking about those who are not burdened by mortal and capital sins. As to those who have committed mortal sins after baptism, these I exhort to do penance first, and then by the priest’s judgment they are to be reconciled and united in communion if they desire to receive the Eucharist not unto judgment and condemnation.” –Ecclesiastical Dogmas LIT. Worship in the Early Church, An Anthology of Historical Sources, Volumes 1-4. Lawrence J. Johnson. Liturgical Press Collegeville, Minnesota
“We do not deny that mortal sins may be forgiven by private satisfaction: first, having changed one’s secular garb and demonstrating zeal for the things of God through the correction of one’s life, a person may obtain pardon through the yoke of perpetual mourning and by means of God’s mercy. Doing the opposite of what they performed penance for, they, being suppliant and humble, may receive the Eucharist on Sundays throughout the rest of their lives.” –Ecclesiastical Dogmas LIT. Worship in the Early Church, An Anthology of Historical Sources, Volumes 1-4. Lawrence J. Johnson. Liturgical Press Collegeville, Minnesota
Narsai of Nisibis (399-502 A.D.)
“To this end He gave the priesthood to the new priests, that men might be made priests to forgive iniquity on earth. For the forgiveness of iniquity was the priesthood (set) among mortals ; for mortal man has need every hour of pardon.” -Homily XXXII (D) on the Church and on the Priesthood. The Liturgical Homilies of Narsai, vol. 8, no. 1. Translated into English by Dom R. H. Connolly M.A. Cambridge, 1909
“The greatness of the title and the order of the priesthood I desired to praise ; and anguish goaded me when I saw how it has been degraded by ignorance. I wondered to see the greatness of the glory of those who triumphed; and I was pained and grieved at the disgrace of those who played the coward. By how much their office was greater than all orders, even so is it become immeasurably less than all grades. The treasury of the Spirit He delivered to them to administer, and fools who have not known how to discern the power of its greatness have despised it. The hidden nod gave into their hands the keys of the height ; and wicked priests have shut the door before those that would have entered in. It was granted to them to pardon the iniquity of men; and the iniquity of them that should
have given pardon has surpassed that of the defiled.” -Homily XXXII (D) on the Church and on the Priesthood. The Liturgical Homilies of Narsai, vol. 8, no. 1. Translated into English by Dom R. H. Connolly M.A. Cambridge, 1909
Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-527 A.D.)
“From this Church even those who are involved in various errors outside the Church can receive the forgiveness of their sins, if, while they are still in this world, they will be converted to this same Church in a correct belief and in contrite and heartfelt humility. Let them hasten, then, while there is yet time, to their legitimate Mother, who diligenty sustains and nourishes the sons born of her womb.” The Forgiveness Of Sins (post A. D. 512 et ante A. D. 523) [1, 23, 1]
Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 A.D.)
“Before all else, confession of our sins humiliates the devil; it takes away from him his arms.” – Homilies on the Gospel 19.6
Isidore of Seville (560-636 A.D.)
“Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession is found the place of mercy. Believe, therefore, most certainly, and in no way hesitate, in no way doubt, and by no means despair of the mercy of God. Have hope in confession, have faith in it. Do not despair of this remedy of spiritual health. And do not despair in your healing, so long as you desire to turn to better things.” –Synonyma or On the Lamentations of a Sinful Soul (53)
Maximus the Confessor (580-662 A.D.)
“Every genuine Confession humbles the soul. When it takes the form of thanksgiving, it teaches the soul that it has been delivered by the grace of God.” –Liber Asceticus (On the Ascetic Life). Sherwood, Polycarp, trans. The Ascetic Life; The Four Centuries on Charity. Ancient Christian Writers, No. 21. New York: Newman Press, 1955.
John Climacus (579-649 A.D.)
“Confession is like a bridle that keeps the soul which reflects on it from committing sin, but anything left unconfessed we continue to do without fear as if in the dark.” –The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Non-Catholic Quotes:
Brooke Westcott, Anglican New Testament scholar
“confess our sins” means not only acknowledge them, but acknowledge them openly in the face of men” (The Epistles of St. John, 23).
David Rensberger, New Testament scholar
“Confession of sin was generally public (Mark 1:5; Acts 19:18; James 5:16; Didache 4:14, 14:1), and that may well be the case here. The use of the plural “sins” (rather than “sin,” as in 1:8) is a reminder that not just an abstract confession of sinfulness but the acknowledgement of specific acts is in mind” (Abingdon New Testament Commentary 1,2,3 John, 54).
Richard Hooker (Anglican Theologian):
“The benefit we have by confession… whereof the necessity is not so great as to bind the Church of God, but so great that a very number of the ancient fathers have thought it as necessary a duty as any of the former, wherein the common received law of Christianity hath ever been and is that secret and private confession which only the canons exacted.” – Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Book 5