The Minister of Confession

Confession is to be made to a duly ordained priest, for to no other is given the power to absolve from sins. St. James indicatesthiswondrous power which Christ gave to men, when he says(James 5:16): “Confess your sins, one to another.” St.James knew and preached the divine institution of the sacrament of penance; here he directs the faithful to confess to their brethren who are priests.

Confession to a layman when no priest is available would indicate the strong desire of the penitent to receive the sacrament of penance; it would show his eagerness to do his part. Some have held that, in such a circumstance, Christ, the great High Priest, confers absolution. But this is not revealed, and the Church does not approve confession to one who cannot giveabsolution. Confession to a layman would generally be an imprudentact, and could be spiritually dangerous to both penitent and lay-confessor.

Some have held that it is expedient to confess venialsins to a layman if no priest is available. This is not an approved procedure, for it is not necessary to confess venial sins at all,though it is useful and pious to confess them in making regular confession to a priest, and therefore it is certainly not necessary to confess them to a layman. Venial sins can be remitted bycontrite prayer, pious practices, and devout use ofsacramentals.

The law of annual confession (which is a precept of the Church) once required each parishioner to confess to his own parish priest. But now a penitent may fulfill this duty by confessing to any approved priest.

A priest receives approval and jurisdiction for the hearing of confessions-in a definite place, or of definite persons-from his bishop or from his religious superior or from those who hold or share the ordinary jurisdiction in a diocese or religious community.

A penitent who is at death’s door may be absolved,from sins and censures, by any priest whatever. The Church herself supplies jurisdiction to the confessor in such a case.

Before absolving a penitent, the confessor imposes upon him a work of satisfaction (some prayer or piousexercise), which the penitent accepts and agrees to perform. This imposed duty is commonly called “a penance,” and thepenitent in performing it says that he is “doing his penance.” In imposing such a penance, the priest is guided bythe gravity of the sins confessed, and by circumstances which indicate in each case what is prudent and salutary.