What is that thing in church where you confess your sins?

Question

i wanna know how you do it and what happens? do you have to be catholic?

Answer 1

its confession...but goes under the word ....reconciliation

you are not confessing to a priest for forgiveness...but to God, through a priest,

Answer 2

It's called confession, you confession what you sinned and they will give you will give a penance. From what I can remember they will listen to anybody that feels they need to talk, so no you don't have to be catholic.

Answer 3

a paedophile's ear

Answer 4

Private confession was unknown in the early church.

It's thought to have commenced in 763AD, and can be traced back to the Babylonians, who required confession before admission to the mysteries.

Holy Scripture nowhere enjoins confession to a priest.

Answer 5

Confession? Yes, they do it in the Catholic church. You probably don't have to be Catholic but it is really a Catholic thing...

Answer 6

It's called PRAYER.

thankyou very much, that was very satisfying.

Answer 7

a confessional

they may also be called Reconciliation Rooms in which one may sit face to face with the confessor or confess behinf a screen

One begins "Bless me father, I have sinned. It is (so long) since my last confession. These are my sins." Then one confesss the sins and number of times commited since the last confession.

The priest may give advice and aread a Bible reading.

Then the confessor will give a penace(something to do or a prayer  say as a sign ofrepentance and commitment toavoid that sin and convert one's life by grace)

The penitent prays an Act of Contrition(memorized or read or composed on the spot or repeated after priest) which says that one is truly sorry for sin and will avoid the near occasions of sin and pleads the mercy and atonement of Christ

Then the priest gives Jesus' Absolution

and they the penitent leaves

Eastern Orthodox have  auricular Confession (but not confessionals)and many Lutherans and  Anglicans do too and the latter two have General Absolution also during Communion( as do Armenian Gregorian Apostolic Orthodox) and  some other services.

Usually one must be Catholic  in communion with the Pope and not excommunicated but there are exceptions especially for Eastern , Oriental and Assyrian Orthodox and Polish National (Old) Catholics.

Answer 8

Confession booth  Forgive me father, for I have sinned.....no they will listen to anyone.

Answer 9

It's called a Confessional. You go into a compartment on one side and the Priest sits behind a screen on the other.

You tell the Priest the last time you went to Confession, ask for forgiveness and then list all the awful things you've done since then.

The Priest then asks you to do a Penance, usually saying prayers like Our Father and Hail Mary.

Normal time for Confession is on Saturday evening so you can be in a State of Grace ready for Mass on Sunday Morning.

Answer 10

Actually I was under the impression that you didn't have to be Catholic to receive the sacrament of confession, but I found out recently that it is necessary. This is because you must understand the sacrament in order to make a good confession.

But here is the process:

1. Examine your conscience before entering the confessional.

2. Kneel behind the screen OR sit facing the priest.

3. The priest says: "May the Lord be in our heart to help you make a good confession."

4. You say: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been about ______ since my last Confession. These are my sins." You now tell your sins.

5. The priest then gives you a penance, usually prayers to say or something to do.

6. The priest says: "And now say the Act of Contrition."

7. You say the Act of Contrition, and the priest say the prayers of absolution. He then says something like this: "Your sins are forgiven; go in peace."

8. You say: "Thank you, Father" or "Thanks be to God."

9. You leave the confessional and say or do the penance the priest gave you.

Traditional Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is more than God's forgiveness. In this sacrament, God also gives you special graces to help you overcome the temptations to fall back into the same sins you confessed. The better you prepare for Confession, the more graces you are open to receive

Answer 11

The Sacrament of Reconciliation or "Confession" as it is popularly called is administered in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and the Orthodox Tradition. Most Protestants do not recognise Christ's command to the Apostles -"those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven".