The third sip from the cup of Babylon is known as "Auricular Confession." This doctrine was reaffirmed by the Council of Trent, and the Tridentine curses are hurled against those who reject it as a divine institution. So we read:
"Whoever shall deny that sacramental confession was instituted by divine command, or that it is necessary to salvation. Or shall affirm that the practice of secretly confessing to the priest alone, as it has been ever observed from the beginning by the [Roman] Catholic Church, and is still observed, is foreign to the institution and command of Christ, and is a human invention: let him be accursed.
"Whoever shall affirm, that in order to obtain forgiveness of sins in the sacrament of penance, it is not by divine command necessary to confess all and every mortal sin which occurs to the memory after due and diligent premeditation-including secret offences, etc.: let him be accursed.
"Whoever shall affirm that the confession of every sin, according to the custom of the [Roman] Church, is impossible, and merely a human tradition, which the pious should reject. Or that all Christians, of both sexes, are not bound to observe the same once a year, according to the constitution of the great Council of Lateran; and therefore, that the faithful in Christ are to be persuaded not to confess in Lent: let him be accursed.
"Whoever shall affirm that the priest's sacramental absolution is not a judicial act, but only a ministry, to pronounce and declare that the sins of the party confessing are forgiven, so that he believes himself to be absolved, even though the priest should not absolve seriously, but in jest. Or shall affirm that the confession of the penitent is not necessary in order to obtain absolution from the priest: et un e accurse.[1]
The third commandment of the Roman Catholic Church requires confession, and failure to obey this ecclesiastical ordinance theoretically excludes the disobedient from membership and church burial.
"The third commandment of the [Roman Catholic] Church obliges us to go to confession once a year. This law was enacted at the Fourth Council of Lateran in the year of 1215. The penalty attached to the violation of this law is that the sinner may be interdicted from entering the church while living, and be deprived of Christian burial when dead.
"Our Lord Himself made it an obligation for sinners to confess their sins, when He instituted the sacrament of penance. Hence the law of the church merely reminds sinners of their duty to confess their sins, and fixes the time within which this duty must be performed. A bad confession does not satisfy the law.
"By declaring that, under pain of mortal sin, we must confess our sins at least once a year, the church implies that we should go to confession frequently during the year; and she exhorts her devoted children to confess their sins even once a week.
"The church leaves us free to choose any confessor who is authorized by the bishop to hear confessions.
"This law of the church is binding on all who have attained the use of reason. Therefore as soon as children can distinguish between right and wrong, so as to be capable of mortal sin, they ought to be prepared for their first confession."[2]
If auricular confession was ordained by Christ, the founder of the Christian church, why should 1,200 years be allowed to pass before imposing the obligation requiring members to go to confession and receive communion at least once a year? Did the Lord change the plan of salvation after 12 centuries had passed by, permitting the institution of the auricular confession, and anathematizing all who should reject it? Our Lord never changes, and He has not altered His plan of salvation. "I am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8) "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of MY lips." (Psalm 89:34)
The introduction of the doctrine of auricular confession gave to the priesthood great power. Note this statement by a papal prelate:
"As far as heaven is above earth, as eternity is above time, and the soul is above the body, so far are the prerogatives vested in God's ministers higher than those of any earthly potentate. An earthly prince can cast into prison or release there from. But his power is over the body. He cannot penetrate into the sanctuary of the soul; whereas the minister of God can release the soul from the prison of sin, and restore it to the liberty of a child of God. To sum up in a few brief sentences the titles of a [Roman] Catholic priest: He is a king, reigning not over unwilling subjects, but over the hearts and affections of his people. ... He is a shepherd, because he leads his flock into the delicious pastures of the sacraments. ... He is a father, because he breaks the bread of life to his spiritual children. ... He is a judge, whose office it is to pass sentence of pardon on self-accusing criminals. He is a physician, because he heals their souls from the loathsome distempers of sin."[3] Another writer observes:
"Seek where you will, through heaven and earth, and you will find but one created being who can forgive the sinner, who can free him from the chains of hell, that extraordinary being is the priest, the [Roman] Catholic priest. 'Who can forgive sins except God?' was the question which the Pharisees sneeringly asked. 'Who can forgive sins?' is the question which the Pharisees of the present day also ask, and I answer there is a man on earth that can forgive sins, and that man is the [Roman] Catholic priest. Yes, beloved brethren, the priest not only declares that the sinner is forgiven, but he really forgives him. The priest raises his hand, he pronounces the word of absolution, and in an instant, quick as a flash of light the chains of hell are burst asunder, and the sinner-becomes a child of God. So great is the power of the priest that the judgments of heaven itself are subject to his decision."[4]
What happened to all those souls who had not confessed their sins to a priest for forgiveness during the first 1,200 years of the Christian era? How were the sins of those who lived during the 4,000 years before Christ expiated without the confessional, penance, and satisfaction?
Nowhere in the word of God are we furnished once where the Lord has abdicated in favor of a human being. But the papacy teaches that its priests can absolve from sin those who confess to them.
"Q. Does St. Ambrose say that priests have the power to forgive sins? A. St. Ambrose says: 'It seems impossible for sins to be forgiven by penitence, but Christ granted this to His apostles, which has been from the apostles transmitted to the ministry of the priests.'[5]
"The [Roman] Church teaches that our Lord conferred on the apostles a true priesthood, when He gave them power to offer the sacrifice of the mass and the power to forgive sins. By the possession of these two powers the apostles were constituted true priests, or mediators between God and man."[6]
The Lord has never given to man the power to absolve from sin. "Who can forgive sins, but God alone? " (Luke 5:21) The apostle Peter evidently knew nothing about auricular confession, absolution, penance, or satisfaction, when he dealt with the sin of Simon the sorcerer. Peter told Simon to pray to God for the forgiveness of sin. (Acts 8:22)
The priest claims the power to sit in judgment on the sins of men, declaring himself to be another Christ. Here is a striking declaration on this point:
"Not content with humbly submitting Himself [Christ] to the will of the priest, God has given him the right to sit in judgment on the sins of men and release them from the debt they owe to His offended majesty.
"'Go, show yourselves to the priest,' He said, 'he is My representative on earth, holding in his hands the power of God. No matter what your sins may be, no matter how numerous or repeated times without number, if only he forgives you, so shall I. His authority, his right to forgive is absolute, for I have said to him: "Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven."[7]
Confident in that promise, for 'God is faithful and cannot deceive,' the poor sinner kneels at his confessor's feet. He knows he is not speaking to an ordinary man but to 'another Christ,' and humbly but trustfully pours into his ear the secrets of his soul. ... What he [the sinner] has said no one will ever know; sorrow fills his heart, he hears the words: 'I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,' and the hideous load of sin drops from his soul for ever."[7]
The confessing of sin is a very important and solemn matter, and ought not to be done lightly. The word of God has much to say about the acknowledging and forsaking of sins, but never does it state that we are to go to a man, kneel at his feet, and pour into his ear all the evil thoughts, words, and acts of our lives. In the auricular confession all the sins that are not voluntarily confessed are extracted by "prudent questions" asked by the priest. We are told:
The [Roman] Church teaches that we are bound to confess each and every mortal sin that we have committed, even sins of thought and desire, as well as the circumstances that change the species of the sin. Hence, we are strictly bound to confess each mortal sin, so that each grievous sin may be directly forgiven by the absolution of the priest. It is not enough to ten the number of our sins, we must also name the species of the sin, that is, we must state the special law or virtue that was violated by it. If we cannot tell the exact number of our sins, we should tell the number as nearly as possible."[8]
Every Roman Catholic, old and young, is taught that he must adhere to the instruction which is given in the catechism regarding the confession of sins. For example:
"Q. How do you begin your confession? A. Having . . . arrived at the confessional, I kneel down, make the sign of the cross, and ask the priest's blessing by saying: 'Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.' After receiving his blessing, I say the first part of the confession."[9]
The confession ("I confess") is described in the following extract:
'I confess to Almighty God, to the blessed Mary ever virgin, to blessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the Baptist. To the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."[10]
After repeating this prayer of confession to God, to Mary, and to the various saints, the suppliant continues by unfolding to his priestly confessor the sins that he has committed, and concludes thus:
'I am heartily sorry, purpose amendment for the future, and most humbly ask pardon of God, and penance and absolution of you, my ghostly father."[11]
It is said that one of the essential parts of the confession is the repeating of the first part of the confession, as follows:
"Therefore, I beseech the blessed Mary ever virgin, blessed Michael the archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter an d Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me. May the Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to life everlasting. Amen. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution and remission of all my sins. Amen."[12]
The Holy Bible gives many examples of what constitutes confession, true repentance, and forgiveness. We have the experience of the publican who went to the temple to seek God for pardon. "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified." (Luke 18:13,14) This man did not go to a confessional box, kneel before a priest, invoke his blessing and pardon, and he did not repeat the confession. He appealed directly to God for forgiveness, and forthwith it was granted, without requiring any penance to be performed as satisfaction for his sins.
God, knowing the publican's heart and accepting his repentance, granted him pardon. Thus the Holy scriptures teach that God alone can forgive sin, and that He demands no satisfaction. What He requires is not penance but repentance, which is the turning away from sin. (Proverbs 28:13; Ezekiel 33:14,15) The papal doctrine of the auricular confession and the human priesthood takes away from Christ His prerogative as the One who can forgive sins. " Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18,19)
There is no uncertainty concerning the absolution which the Lord grants to the one who will confess his sin and by faith lay hold of His promise of pardon. " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) How can anyone kneel before a human priest, to pour into his ears the very secrets of his heart, and put aside the blessed invitation given by Jesus, our great High Priest, who will exchange our scarlet robe of sin for the snowwhite garment of righteousness, and the crimson-like rags of iniquity for the wool-like covering of Christ's own life? (Isaiah 1:18)
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