Jesus Christ came into this world to forgive men's sins. He used this power on several occasions during His earthly life. He said to the palsied man, "Son, take courage, thy sins are forgiven." (Mat. 9, 2). Jesus also forgave the repentant Magdelene. "Her sins, which are numerous, are forgiven because she has loved much." (Luke: 7,47).
After the redemption, accomplished by Jesus Christ, men still remains weak and subject to the passions and temptations which lead them to sin. Human weakness and concupiscence are consequences of original sin, and they will not be taken away as long as men live on Earth. On the day of resurrection, however, men's bodies will be restored to their original integrity, and so freed from passions and concupiscence.
Jesus Christ had compassion on poor humanity. He knew that many of His followers would fall into sins. Thus He provided a me whereby their sins would be forgiven.
What is this wondrous means? It is the Sacrament of Penance or CONFESSION. The power of forgiving sins was bestowed by our Lord upon His Apostles and their successors, Patriarchs, Bishops and Priests. This power will remain with the Church until the consummation of the world, when sin will be no more.
St. John relates the institution of the great Sacrament of Penance. Jesus Christ appeared to His Apostles after the resurrection, and said to them, "Peace be upon you! As the Father has sent Me, so I send you." Then He breathed on them signifying that He was bestowing a special power, and said to them again, "Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins you forgive, they shall be forgiven them; and whose sins you retain, they are retained." (John: 20, 21-23).
Confession was instituted by our Lord Himself. It was not invented by the Priests to control the conscience of their faithful. It was Christ Who said to St. Peter, "I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what ever else shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ( mat. 16, 19).
St. Paul expressly states that Christ commissioned His Apostles to forgive men's sins, "All things are from God Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and conferred upon us the ministry of reconciliation" -- the power of forgiving sins. (2 Cor. 5, 18).
Christ makes no restriction, places no limits on this power of forgiveness. All sins, no matter how numerous and egregious, can be blotted out by a good and sorrowful confession. St. John Chrysostom, one of the greatest preachers of the Eastern Church, cries out, "The absolving power I (Jesus) have from My Father, the same I communicate to you (the Apostles and your lawful successors) as My ambassadors." And the same Saint adds, "Yes, here the Priests receive the power which was given neither to Angels nor Archangels". "What ever thou shalt bind on earth ..." What, therefore, the The bishops and Priests decree here below, Christ confirms and ratifies in heaven, for the Priests acted as His ministers and representatives when they forgive men's sin. Thus a good confession is the "second plank of salvation after shipwreck," says St. Jerome.
On the other hand no sin will be forgiven if a person refuses to confess his sin, for confession is the ordinary means of forgiveness. Here we speak of Orthodox only, for God, being merciful, will forgive the sins of those who without their fault have no knowledge of this salutary Sacrament, or have no chance to profit by it because a Priest is not available. St. Augustine, who died in A. D. 430, once I dressed his listeners in these memorable words, "Let no one say, 'I do penance secretly in the sight of God: it is enough that He Who will grant me part should know what passes in my innermost soul.' If this were true, then Jesus Christ would have said without reason, 'What ever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven', and would be in vain have confided the keys to His Church. It is not enough, therefore, to confess to God; it is also necessary to confess to those who have received from Him the power to bind or too loose."
