Private Confession

Discussion in 'Faith, Devotion & Formation' started by bwallac2335, Mar 11, 2021.

  1. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    I have been thinking it over and looking back at the 1662 and 1928 BCP and private confession was just not a huge thing in Anglicanism. It was really only to reassure someone of forgiveness and absolution not to grant it. We are really forgiven during the general confession. I know that I am forgiven when I am horrified at my sin throughout the week and recite that prayer knowing that it is true I am a horrible sinner and the priest then pronounces his absolution. It is a great relief and I hate to misses it like I did last week. I just see no warrant in scripture or the BCP's for regular private confession. I really only see the need for it if for some reason our conscious troubles us about a specific sin. Some priests say that you need to make a life confession on your first confession but that seems to go against seeking out a learned priest if you are troubled by a sin. That seems to be a pretty specific referring to a single sin or two not a lifetimes worth. Regular confession seems to be Romanish practice that has crept in and I really think we should push back against it.
     
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  2. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Right, private confession doesn’t have any more validity or potency than the general confession. But it does have greater danger, to the priest and to the confessor, rising out of the wickedness in human nature and our concupiscence. If you give people something which could be used to exploit, then they will find ways to exploit it. This is why the church fathers never practiced private confession en masse.

    That being said, it can have a purpose in certain specific situations, when it is better for the penitent to explore their habits of sin with another person, and to be held accountable. It is more spiritually dangerous (especially for the priest), but if they can survive the temptations which private confession unleashes, then there can be some good which follows.

    But otherwise, as long as the person is present during the liturgy, and says with his lips the general confession with contrition, and there is a priest to pronounce the words of absolution, then the person is cleansed.
     
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  3. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    Some of our more Romanish brethren say you have to have perfect contrition for it to work in the general confession that is why you need private confession. I whole heartedly disagree. I actually prefer the Armenian general confession prayer over ours as it is more specific but ours is still great
     
  4. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    I can't remember in which prayer book it is but you can see where the transition is taking place. It asks us not to judge each other based on what type of confession we use. Then the 1662 came out and it did not really have private confession but it kept it as sacramental and only done by a priest because it is a true confession and absolution.
     
  5. Moses

    Moses Member

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    In the Orthodox Church, confession is usually an elective thing, and practices vary pretty wildly. Some people confess weekly and others not at all. I strongly prefer to confess weekly as part of my preparation for Holy Communion. My priest is too busy for that so I have an accountability partner. I have found that without the trial of admitting my failings to a brother Christian, and the advice and prayers I get, I become a much worse person. I suspect this is why James told us to confess our sins to one another.

    Bonhoeffer's section on confession in Life Together is really worth a read. There is no reason for the peculiarities of the Romish practice should turn anyone away from regular specific confession.
     
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  6. bwallac2335

    bwallac2335 Well-Known Member

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    So some people receive teh Eucharist but do not confess at all and that is ok?
     
  7. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    I have long wondered how often an imperfect human can summon up a perfect contrition. :hmm: So often there's some part of us that is saying, "Yeah, be sorry now, but you know you'll give in and do it again." ;) The 'perfect contrition' thing seems like a bit unlikely. Mostly our contrition is less than perfect.

    Thank God for grace. I'd be hopelessly lost without His unmerited gift.