Confession (Reconciliation) is one of the least understood of the
sacraments of the Catholic Church. In reconciling us to God, it is a
great source of grace, and Catholics are encouraged to take advantage of it
often.
The Sacrament of Penance,
commonly called Confession, is one of the seven sacraments
recognized by the Catholic Church. Catholics believe that all of the
sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ himself. In the case of
Confession, that institution occurred on Easter Sunday, when Christ first appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection. Breathing on
them, he said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained” (John
20:22-23).
