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This Sacrament is referred to in the Catechism as: 1423 It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus’ call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father5 from whom one has strayed by sin. It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner’s personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. 1424 It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" – acknowledgment and praise – of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man. It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest’s sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace." It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the live of God who reconciles.

Jesus forgave the sins of many throughout His public ministry and continues to forgive the sins of those who ask today, but in the Gospel stories we know that He publicly forgave the paralytic man, the adulterous woman, the woman who anointed His feet with perfumed oil, and the good thief.

God alone can forgive sins. Jesus could say “Your sins are forgiven” (Mk 2:5) only because he is the Son of God. And priests can forgive sins in Jesus’ place only because Jesus has given them that authority. Many people say, “I can go directly to God; why do I need a priest?” God, though, wants it otherwise. We rationalize our sins away and like to sweep things under the rug. That is why God wants us to tell our sins and to acknowledge them in a personal encounter. Therefore, the following words from the Gospel are true of priests: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:23).

The priest will then give you absolution (God’s forgiveness). At this moment, God forgives all sins which you have confessed with contrition. This means your sins have simply been washed away and that you can continue your life as a Christian.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 491 The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the priest’s absolution. The penitent’s acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation.

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”‘ (Jn 20:19, 22-23).

There are so many wonderful benefits of going to Confession, yet this gift does not mean that we are free to sin knowing that we will always be forgiven. Confession should strengthen us so that we desire to avoid sin all the more. We receive this special mercy and are able to grow in our conversion. The better question to ask is, “Why don’t I go to Confession more often?”

Venial sins can be forgiven in Confession and also during the Penitential Rite at Mass.

The Precepts of our Church tell us we should go to Confession at least once a year, but we know that going more frequently has many benefits. You should not receive Holy Communion if you have committed a mortal sin and have not gone to Confession. “even the Pope confesses every 15 days, because the Pope is also a sinner.” – Pope Francis to General Audience November 2013.  If the Pope is going to Confession that often, surely we need to go just as frequently!

A priest is never allowed to share your sins with anyone even in matters of life and death. It is called the Seal of Confession. This is great news for those who were worried the priest would go tell their parents or spouses everything they confessed! If a priest violates this, he is excommunicated from the Church. “The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.” (Can. 983)