Confession
Confession
Confession (theology), in Jewish and Christian theology, acknowledgment of sins to God in order to obtain absolution. The need for confession is mentioned frequently in the Bible, especially in the exhortations of the prophets. In Judaism, Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, confession, and prayer for forgiveness.
In the Christian tradition, confession has taken either of two forms: the private confession of sins to a priest, known as auricular confession, or the public confession by an individual before the congregation. In Roman Catholic teaching, auricular confession is considered an essential part of the sacrament of penance. Church members are expected to confess their serious sins to a priest at least once a year. The practice of confession and absolution is based on John 20:22-23. The power to loose and bind, that is, to forgive sins, was conferred on the apostles (see Matthew 16:19, 18:18). Although confessing to a priest has ancient roots, the practice was rare in the early church (it was sometimes put off until death approached) and involved severe discipline.
Confession is also prescribed in the Orthodox, Coptic, and other Eastern churches. The Church of England and other Anglican churches have retained the general Roman Catholic doctrine on confession. Although the practice of auricular confession was revived during the 19th-century Oxford movement, many Anglicans prefer the general (public) confession and absolution of the Communion service. Public confession is also a part of the Lutheran service of worship and is practiced in some Pentecostal and Fundamentalist churches.
The seal of confession refers to the obligation binding the confessor (priest), interpreter, or bystander who overhears the confession not to divulge the secrets of the confessional. This custom of secrecy is traceable to the 4th and 5th centuries, but was only made canonically binding by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.
Confession also refers to statements of faith, such as the Lutheran Augsburg Confession of 1530. (1)
Confession, Privacy, Authority
From the book The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law, about Confession, Privacy, Authority (1): A Catholic priest, although about to administer an office of his religion to a sick person at the latter’s request, has no legal authority, by virtue of his priestly character, to forcibly remove from the room a person lawfully there.188
England, Confession
From the book The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law, about England, Confession (1): The rule is now accorded priests in England, but was not formerly. Where a priest turned a watch over to its owner, the court ordered him, under pain of contempt, to tell where he got the watch.404 But in another case it was held that a priest need not divulge the confession of a defendant who was held for crime.405
Confession
Confession
Confession
Resources
See Also
- Interlocking confession
- Involuntary confession
- Interrogation
- Oral confession
Resources
See Also
- Extrajudicial
Resources
See Also
- Escobedo Rule
- Mallory Rule
- Miranda Rule
Resources
Notes and References
- Charles M. Scanlan, The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law. The Law of Church and Grave (1909), Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago
See Also
- Religion
- Church
Resources
Notes and References
- Charles M. Scanlan, The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law. The Law of Church and Grave (1909), Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago
See Also
- Religion
- Church
Resources
Notes and References
See Also
The Legal History of Confession
This section provides an overview of Confession
Resources
See Also
- Legal Biography
- Legal Traditions
- Historical Laws
- History of Law
Further Reading
- Confession in the Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History (Oxford University Press)
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Political and Legal History (Oxford University Press)
- Confession in the Dictionary of Concepts in History, by Harry Ritter
- A Short History of Western Legal Theory, by John Kelly
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