Roman Catholic friends, why speak to a priest when needing to confess? Why not pray directly to Jesus?

First, when we receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, God is present. We are praying directly to God. One prayer we say during confession starts "Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee". So maybe you've misunderstood the sacrament. Catholics understand God does the forgiving, the priest has simply been commissioned to carry this out. (2 Cor 5:18)

Second, there are many reasons for the sacrament:

- it's how the Bible taught us to experience God's forgiveness. Throughout the Bible we're told to confess our sins and that priests/elders are commissioned to help reconcile us to God.

- it reinforces that our sins affect our community as well and teaches humility

- we get to hear the rods w are forgiven which is very uplifting

- we can seek advice for avoiding sin in the future.

On most of the doctrinal differences of substance Catholics and indeed the Catholic church is confused.

It's like the Pope is infallible except he isn't except when he plonks his butt on a certain chair and says something only only two Pope's have ever done it! In other words all Pope's are completely falliable!

Or how about the wafers and blood literally become the body and blood of Christ, well not literally but spiritually so you wouldn't know if it were true or not.

Or how about "apostolic succession" where the Catholic church holds secret undocumented information about what every Christian needs to know to understand the bible that the Holy Spirit can't operate and God's "living and active" word is powerless without ? Or more than that like the Catholic church has no clear position on things that the apostles really were clear about ... e.g literal creation.

Or...........

Basically, no matter how a Catholic tries to manipulate the bible into saying things it doesn't, the truth is that the bible tells us to confess our sins to ONE ANOTHER.... not a priest. Now I can accept that ONE ANOTHER includes priests but certainly isn't exclusively priests....

MONEY.

Catholics failed to understand the Bible's meaning of forgiveness. If man sins against another man, he should ask that man for forgiveness, if man sins against God, he must ask God for forgiveness. The idea of confessing to a priest is simply to provide the church with a commentary on people's sins. It is a wholly unchristian thing to do.

Because Jesus set it up that way.

How would the preacher learn your secrets then? Remember, preachers made those rules for self-serving reasons, not to help you.

LMFAO! Oh cuz those wonderful perverted priests are the next best thing!! They molest alterboys right before they preach the word of your fairy and then listen to your pathetic confessions that are probably a turn on for them, if you know what i mean.

If Catholics followed God's will, dear, there would be no Protestant churches.

more importantly, why do you care...