1. Unabridged Christianity Chapter 18. Forgiveness through a priest Unabridged Christianity pp. 285-298

2. What doe the Catholic Church teach about reconciliation?  It was instituted for all sinful members of the Church, particularly those who have fallen into grave sin since baptism.  People receiving this sacrament in the early centuries of Christianity received serious discipline for grave offenses, but that has changed.  It has been a private practice since the 7 th Century.

3. Objection #1: Only God Can forgive sins!  OK… But,  Christ sent out his apostles in the same way the Father had sent him (John 20:21-23)  In Matthew Peter is singled out and told “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven  Wait does this mean…? Yes it does.  It also means reconciliation was instituted by Christ.

4. The prodigal son as an example of reconciliation.  Read Luke 15: 11-32  Not how all elements of reconciliation are present:  The sinner repents  He makes a verbal confession  He is willing to do penance in order to offset the damage of his offense.  He joyfully experiences reconciliation

5. Objection #2: We can go directly to Christ for forgiveness. We don’t need no Priest!  Christians have an instruction manual from God called the bible. It includes instructions for being forgiven: John 20:21-23, Matt 16: 18-19, Matt 18:18, 2 Cor 5:17-21  Why don’t we like following the instructions?  Lawnmower analogy…  Have you ever given someone a gift you considered special, only to find out they never used it? How’d you feel?  Remember, reconciliation still comes from God in the Catholic Church. The priest is an instrument.

6. Objection #3: Reconciliation was given to Christ’s disciples, not just Apostles.  The bible does sometimes refer to the apostles as the 12 disciples.

7. Objection 4: Demanding penance demeans the price Christ paid on the Cross  Penance is not a way of “earning” forgiveness.  It is a prayer or deed aimed at restoring your relationship with God.  A man has a heart attack. His doctor tells him that as part of his recovery the man needs to quit smoking, start walking every day, improve his diet, and get more sleep.  Are any of these conditions required to receive treatment from the doctor?

8. A final thought for Christians:  God can certainly forgive sin under any circumstances He chooses.  For believers in the Bible, he provided a way He says is guaranteed to result in forgiveness.  If you are concerned in forgiveness, does it not make sense to use the means Christ laid out as a guarantee?