i have been told by many catholics you need not go to confession anylonger, tell you sins privately to God?

No, these people are badly mistaken. Catholics are still required to go to confession at least once a year and any time they have committed a mortal sin.

If many Catholics have been telling you that, then many Catholics are wrong. It's not that it's impossible for a Catholic to ask forgiveness directly from God without going to Confession, but there are certain aspects of Confession that make it so desirable that the Church makes it a requirement to go at least once a year. This has not been changed, nor do I think will it ever. And there is good reason for this.

First, there is the examination of conscience. Before you go to Confession, you sit and take a good hard look at your soul. I mean you really examine yourself, what are all the things you have been doing wrong? What are all the things you haven't done but should have done? In what ways have you been distancing yourself from Christ? Big things, little things, thoughts, actions, everything. This sort of critical examination is something that just isn't done during the normal course of life, but it really is necessary if you want to move closer to God.

Then it fulfills the commandment of John 5:16 which tells us to confess our sins to God and to each other. This is hard because it really makes us humble ourselves, tell all that we have done wrong, all the ways in which we have failed. Then it is still harder because we are given a penance to fulfill. But these are good things. We should be humble before each other and before God. We should force us to look at ourselves and see how well we are following Christ. And if we know we'll have to admit it to someone every time we do wrong, maybe we'll do wrong a little less often. When we do hurt people, however, we should make restitution for it. Confession provides for all this. It leads us back towards the path of righteousness. If you keep it only between yourself and God, you're likely to be too easy on yourself. You don't get that same sense of true humility, and you rarely make yourself perform a penance as part of receiving absolution. Having someone else there helps make sure you do what's best for yourself.

And of course after Confession, a great weight is lifted from the spirit; it is one of the most freeing, jubilant experiences in the world. It is wonderful, and you have the absolute assurance of God and the priest (Jn 20:23) that you are forgiven. Not just anyone has the authority to tell you this. Your slate is clean, it is as if you'd never sinned.

Finally, as with all the Sacraments, when we attend Confession, we receive God's grace. This grace strengthens us and enables us to follow in his ways more closely. It is his help that makes it easier for us to "avoid the near occasion of sin."

God gave the priest to us as our counselor, our ally, and our second conscience. "Where a lone man may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken." (Eccl 4:12) Who in good conscience could deny themselves of such a help?

You can always confess it to god, but the priest was given the power to absolve/forgive sins by way of the holy spirit when Jesus said "what ever you hold loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven and what ever you bound on earth will be bound in heaven" This is being debated by the heads of the church since many people do not like the face to face confessions that they are now using.

We are required to go to confession at least 1 x a year during Easter season and to receive communion. Having said that you are still required to go to confession when you have committed a grave sin, before receiving communion. Venial sins can be confessed during mass. God Bless...

The Bible said...

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It is God who forgives our sin, what is the use of telling your sin to human? We can sin everyday, if we confess once a year, we may forget some of it .

At my Catholic church, we still go to confession with the priest. I personally don't think it matters. It's important for us to ask for forgiveness, but I don't think God really cares how we do it. As long as we mean it, it's all good. I've always been told that you should go to cofession. But like I said, God just wants us to ask for forgivness and be better people.

i was raised catholic and many of the traditions contradict what is taught in the scriptures, the bible says there is one mediator between man and God Christ Jesus, also if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of all iniquity, confessing our sins also is not just an admission of guilt as Judas admitted he betrayed Innocent blood but it implies a repentance, godly sorrow, regret and means to turn ,sharing with the priest can help but it is like the old testament where they sacrificed animals as a sin covering..only the blood of Jesus washes our sin, he accepts all who come to him,

As far as im aware, you still have to go to confession but it would be best to ask a priest at your church.

Then how will we know what to do to make up for our sins? God can't tell us that.

I haven't heard of this before and I doubt it will happen.

well according to the Catholic cherch,,, you must confees to another man,(a priest) your sins, but do what you velieve,,, confess and be sorry straight to god, and you should be ok,,, I think the CATHOLICS ARE CRAZY,, AND I WAS RAISED BY THEM,, penence lent,, all that stuff, confirmation , baptism,,, do whaat is right to you,, and to your god,,,, there are so many religions out there how is right,,, even the evangelicals,,, and other christians distance them selves from us,, "we are christians "they say,,, catholics are christians too, the ORiginal Church,,,, but whatever,