THE
CONFESSIONAL: Temple of Healing and Reconciliation
Introduction
It is no doubt that the focal
point of Christ’s mission and ministry focus in the reconciliation of man through
the forgiveness of sins with the Father. It was this same mission that created
the greatest controversy in the course of Jesus’ public ministry among the Jews
(cf. Lk 5:21). For the Jews it was shocking and scandalous for Christ to have
said that He has power to forgive sin. In this same spirit that the Church continue
to face an upsurge attack and enduring challenges from the separated brethren
(protestants) when mention is made of Sacrament of Reconciliation. They suddenly
forget that the power has been given to the Church by Christ Himself as a
Post-Resurrection gift when He said “If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven” (Jn 20:23). And by this mandatum
given to the Church in exercise of this ministry, the Sacrament of
Reconciliation cannot be compromised.
It is in the light of this,
that I wish to take you round this Sacrament of Healing, the mystery behind it,
its efficaciousness; and as well attempting to “right” the “wrong” concept most
of the “Christians” have concerning the celebration of this Sacrament. The
Confessional remains the fountain where the unfathomable Mercy and Compassion
of God is gushed out to penitents who are ready to be healed of the wound of
sins. Since the same mission of Christ in reconciling the world with His Father
as the second Adam is at the centre of the Church’s salvific mission. That is
why the gospel according to Mark highlighted the need for repentance and reconciliation with the Father
as the gateway to the
primary mission of Christ right from the beginning of His public ministry (cf.
Mk 1:15). Christ often sought ways to draw humanity to God, in His words and
actions, it is this same clarion call that the Church continues to emphasize the celebration of the Sacrament
of Reconciliation.
The
Biblical Imports on Reconciliation
God right from the moment of
creation had exceptional and unconditional love for humanity. This is
manifested in the priestly account of creation, when God said “Let us make man
in our image according to our likeness” (Gen 1:26). This accounts for man’s
dignified status above every other creature; though God is transcendent, but
out of love He gave man the privilege of sharing in His nature as “Imago Dei”. The creation account also
stated that man was blessed by God when He said: “Be fruitful and increase in
number, fill the earth and subdue it….” (Gen 1:28). This divine pronouncement
and covenant made by God with humanity was abruptly put on hold with the disobedience
and fall of our first parents (Adam and Eve) (cf. Gen 3:1ff.). Amidst this
ingratitude exhibited by man, God did not abandon the human race, rather He
sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ so that we might re-gain the lost status (cf. Jn 3:16-17). What
a greater love God has for human race not minding the disappointment and
disobedience on the part of our first parents!
The New Testament becomes the
fulfilment of the prophecies made in the past by the prophets, for God in the
past spoke to us through them and at the fullness of time He speaks to us
through His Son Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-2). That is why Christ in his response to
the Pharisee’s argument says “I did not come for the righteous but for the
sinners” (Mtt 9:13). This mission made itself visible in the parables of the
prodigal son, lost sheep, lost coin and other instances where Christ exercised this ministry of forgiveness and healing.
This act points to conversion and baptism, that through these that each and every
one of us becomes a member of Christ’s faithful. Since through baptism that we
all died in Christ, and His resurrection has brought us eternal life. In
allusion to God’s invitation to repentance, prophet Ezekiel earlier
prophesized, “If a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and
keeps all God’s decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live;
he will not die. None of his offences will be remembered against him. Because
of the righteous things he has done he will live.” (Ezekiel 18:21-22). In order
to concretize this invitation, Christ gave the Church through her priests the mandatum to grant absolution to sin in
the name of God through the Church, thus the Celebration of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation (cf. Mtt 16:18-19; Jn 20:21-23).
The
Mystery, Efficacy and Significance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
has undergone series of evolution ranging from the moment when canonical
penance was invoke as part of the liturgy of penance. This penance was succeeded
by Tariffed Penance and finally evolved to the modern day fourth of the seventh
sacraments (Sacrament of Reconciliation). It was the Synod of Bishops in 1983
which re-defined this sacrament, by the publication of the new rite of penance.
The Council uses the term “reconciliation” in describing the 4th
sacrament in preference to other terms like penance and confession. For the
Synod fathers, Penance and Confession referred to the acts of the penitent and
seem inadequate to describe the divine and human encounter that take place at
the celebration of this sacrament of healing. Pope John Paul II in the Post
Synodal Apostolic Exhortation concludes, “From the synod, the church has
received a clear confirmation of its faith regarding the sacrament which to
every Christian and to the whole community of believers the certainty of
forgiveness through the power of the redeeming blood of Christ.”
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is an act of
self-abasement, mortification or devotion carried to show sorrow or repentance
for sin, is used to designate that sacred act in which through the
authoritative pronouncement of a priest, the Church removes, by the power of
Christ, the sins of a repentant sinner which he committed after the Sacrament
of Baptism (Bassey, M. E., Scriptural
Foundation for Church Practices, Ibadan: St. Pauls, 2004, p. 21). This
practice is meant to reconcile the penitent with God through the mediation of
an authorized minister whose function is more of a healer than a judge. The
question of whether one should confess his/her sin to a priest often asked by
our separated brothers and sisters could be termed as “asking-in-ignorance” of
the scripture, because right from the Old Testament times, believers were
expected to confess their sins to a priest who had to make atonement for their
sins (cf. Lev 4:1-6:7; 5:5-6’ Num 5:5-10). An instance is also recorded where
David confesses his sin to Nathan after he had sinned with Uriah, and Nathan
assured him of God’s forgiveness (cf. 2Sam 12:1-13). Nehemiah also got the
Israelites during the Jewish reformation to confess their sins (cf. Neh 9:2). In
the New Testament account, mention is made of John the Baptist hearing the sins
of the new convert from Jerusalem, and then administer the baptism of
repentance afterwards (Mtt 3:5-6). In the same vein, John the Baptist descried
Jesus as the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. As the
focal point of Christ’s ministry, we can account for many times He forgave sins
which the synoptic gospels made reference to, (Mtt 2:3-12; 9:2-8; Lk 5:18-26;
7:48). Christ on leaving the earth He gave the mandate to His apostle to continue
this redemptive work of reconciling man with God (cf. Mtt 16:18-19; Jn 20:21-23).
In the light of this, Fr.
Christopher J. Walsh’s The Untapped Power
of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (A Priest’s View), sees the sacrament
under three models namely: the therapeutic, judicial and relational models. As
a Therapeutic Model, it is a
sacrament of spiritual remedy for healing the wounds of sin and restoring the sinner
to the fullness of divine life, called the state of sanctifying grace.
According to Walsh, the priest behind the confessional functions in the role of
a doctor and healer of souls, while the penitent with wounds of sin approach this
temple of mercy with a contrite heart for healing. The Judicial Model speaks of Reconciliation as a sacrament in which the
sinner is forgiven, the guilt of sin pardoned and the eternal punishment due to
grave sin remitted. The penitent enters the confessional as the defendant
“guilty as charged” but walked out a free man or woman, Walsh concluded. In
this model, the confessor (priest) acts in
nomine Ecclesia as a judge of souls, exercising the power that Christ
conferred on the Church as Post-Easter gift. (cf. Mtt 16:19). Finally, as a Relational Model, the Sacrament of
Reconciliation is described as the sacrament that reconciles the sinner both
with God, whom he (the penitent) has offended and the Christian Community which
has been harmed by the sin; because every sin, even a private one has a
community dimension. With the prayer of absolution and penance completed, the
penitent returns to
full communion with the Christian community since sin separates one form the
true fold.
Conclusion
Having gone through thick and
thin of Confessional, let it be known that the absolution received in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation is a free gift of God’s grace, the fruit of
Christ’s redemptive sacrifice on the cross. This implies that the absolution is
not dependent upon the holiness of the confessor, since this occur ex opera operato, that is, it is solely
God’s work, and not at man’s discretion, since God has chosen to forgive
through the absolution of a validly ordained Catholic priest. As a penitent before
approaching this temple of mercy adequate preparation is needed, such as
listening to oneself, acknowledge one’s sin, not being defensive but striping
ourselves bare before the Lord through the Confessor who is ever ready to
absolve you of your sin in nomine
Ecclesia (in the name of the Church), then follows celebration of joy of
returning to the fold of Christ’s faithful.
Finally, often be eager to
return to the Lord through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for He is always
ready with open arm to welcome you. Let us not forget our frailty and weakness
lest we betray God’s grace. Therefore be watchful in your thoughts, words, and
actions.
