Confession and Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance, Confession, or Conversion) is one of the seven sacraments. In it, the penitent confesses sins to a priest, receives absolution in the name of Christ, and is reconciled to God and the Church. Catholic teaching holds that the priest acts in persona Christi — in the person of Christ — exercising the ministry of forgiveness that Christ entrusted to His apostles. These ten passages anchor the practice.
What Scripture says
All quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
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John 20:21-23
Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you retain, they have been retained."
The institution text. Christ explicitly gives the apostles authority to forgive sins — and to retain them. To retain or forgive requires knowing the sins.
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Matthew 16:19
I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
The power to bind and loose, given to Peter and to the apostles, includes the forgiveness of sins.
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Matthew 18:18
Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
Extended to the whole apostolic college — the ministry of forgiveness given to the Church.
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2 Corinthians 5:18-20
But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation... We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ.
A ministry of reconciliation has been given — to specific people, on behalf of Christ. The sacrament gives this concrete form.
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James 5:16
Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
Confession of sins is a biblical practice — not merely internal but spoken to another. The sacrament formalizes this.
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Acts 19:18
Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.
The early Church practiced open verbal confession — not just silent repentance.
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1 John 1:8-9
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession is the path to forgiveness. The sacrament makes this concrete and audible.
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Numbers 5:6-7
Speak to the children of Israel: When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit... then he shall confess his sin which he has done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full,
Verbal confession plus restitution — the Old Testament pattern that prepares for the New Covenant sacrament.
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Leviticus 5:5-6
It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned; and he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh for his sin which he has sinned... and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.
In the Old Covenant, confession was made TO A PRIEST who offered the atonement. The New Covenant fulfills this pattern.
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Luke 5:14
He commanded him to tell no one, "But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
Even Jesus directed cleansing through the priesthood for the testimony of public reconciliation.
A prayer
Father of mercies, who through the death and resurrection of Your Son have reconciled the world to Yourself, send Your Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God grant us pardon and peace. I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.