Well all my idea of the practice of confession in Christianity comes from Hollywood movies a few accounts from Christians. A guy walks in, sits hidden from the priest and starts confessing his sins to the priest. The priest then guides the person to something and well...the scene ends here :p

So I just wanted to know:
What can a priest TELL you after you confess to him or is he just a store of secrets?
Can a priest under any circumstance reveal the confessions of the people who confessed to him? If it's prohibited, what will happen to the priest if he DOES tell someone about a confession's content?
Is there a situation where the priest would just say, 'Well I don't know what I can say of you really'? i.e: Some point where the priest can't find answers?
Is a priest considered a 'link' between you and God in Christianity? i.e: If a priest prays for you, are you instantly forgiven?

Ready for hearing the replies!

I can reply as far as my knowledge goes. (which is not as extensive as Jeff's lol)

1) A priest, under no circumstance can reveal what he's been told in confession.
2) A priest usually listens to what you've said, he gives advice on how to maybe make it better.. like say I stole.. he may ask if I intend to give it back.. then may advise me to do so, or if it's gone already, he may advise to give a donation to the poor.. and then he will advise me on how to repent.. to pray and ask forgiveness to God.. he even prays there with me..

3) If a priests is caught revealing confessions I *think* he is excommunicated from the church..

4) A priest sometimes takes the place of a councellor. I'm sure before professional marriage councellors and such existed, many women must have sought marital advice. (ironic to a point, but there you have it lol)

5) A priest always has answers. If he doesn't he'll advise you to pray for some.

6) I'm not sure you ever know you are definately forgiven. We are taught that God is merciful and forgives. If you repent, truly, God forgives. I don't think a priest's prayers carry any more weight than your own. Is he the link between you and God? Well, I don't like to think so. Yes and no.

It's like this.
If you want to see the manager, you don't always HAVE to go through customer care first. You can call the manager on his hotline. :D

You don't specifically NEED a priest for you to 'talk to God'.. you can go into an empty church, kneel and pray silently.. but if you need guidance, that's why he's there.

I got most of the points, beautifully explained...Thanks!
But the last bit, the 'specifically NEED' part. If you REALLY want to talk to God as a Christian and to use the 'hotline' you need to tell the message to a priest or no? And what would be the 'mechanism' by which a priest could transfer such a message?

Specifically ... In the catholic religion I think you must confess your sins to a priest to be absolved of your sins.

If not I'm sure jeff can clear all this up.

Specifically ... In the catholic religion I think you must confess your sins to a priest to be absolved of your sins.

If not I'm sure jeff can clear all this up.
I'm not sure of that...

As kids.. we had the option to pray by ourselves for forgiveness.. maybe that's for 'non-mortal' sins...

You do not need a priest to 'talk to God'.

God is everywhere. You can sit silently and pray anywhere. You can talk to Him anywhere.. and there are no set times that make a prayer count more.

Personally, I'm not too fond of priests, and I don't want to go into the how's and why's because it's personal. That aside, I agree that they do alot of good work with the community tending to society's spiritual and non-spiritual needs.

Well, I can give you the official doctrine. It's funny you should ask: I've always imagined that if I ever had a Muslim friend who was interested, I'd just take them in with me. I go every week.

I'm going to take you through the doctrine but let me just tell you what it's like.

Nowadays there is sometimes a confessional (you've seen in in movies) or a "Reconciliation Room". The latter is just a little room. When you enter, you can either kneel before a grate like in the confessional and be anonymous or you can go around the corner and sit and confess to the priest face-to-face.

This afternoon I went to the cathedral down the street. I was the first in line and when the priest entered the reconciliation room I waited a few minutes for him to get ready and then I went in and closed the doors.

I knelt down (I like the anonymous way! :p ) . Then I made the sign of the cross and said, "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was... Since that time (and then I confessed my major sins that I had discovered since my last examination of conscience.) These are my sins...."

Then the priest gave me some very brief advice.

The the priest gave me my penance, an small act of penitence and sorrow in reparation for my sins. Today, the priest told me to say a decade of the rosary for the intention of world peace.

Then came the Absolution. This is what the formula the priest uses.

"God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit."

I made the sign of the cross and said, "Amen."

Then the priest wished me a good day and I wished him a Happy New Year and thanked him.

I left the room, went into the body of the church, said my penance and left.

I can't tell you how absolutely fabulous confession is. I love it so much. I mean: I HATE it beforehand: embarassing and burdensome. But afterwards! The sense of God's mercy is inexpressible.

Let me say that Confession (the Sacrament of Penance) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The sacraments are visible signs of God's action through which grace is actually conveyed (they are not just symbols).

Here is what the Compendium of the Catholic Catechism says in part on the subject:

296. What is the name of this sacrament?

1422-1424

It is called the sacrament of Penance, the sacrament of Reconciliation, the sacrament of Forgiveness, the sacrament of Confession, and the sacrament of Conversion.

297. Why is there a sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?

1425-1426
1484

Since the new life of grace received in Baptism does not abolish the weakness of human nature nor the inclination to sin (that is, concupiscence), Christ instituted this sacrament for the conversion of the baptized who have been separated from him by sin.

298. When did he institute this sacrament?

1485

The risen Lord instituted this sacrament on the evening of Easter when he showed himself to his apostles and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23).

299. Do the baptized have need of conversion?

1427-1429

The call of Christ to conversion continues to resound in the lives of the baptized. Conversion is a continuing obligation for the whole Church. She is holy but includes sinners in her midst.

300. What is interior penance?

1430-1433
1490

It is the movement of a “contrite heart” (Psalm 51:19) drawn by divine grace to respond to the merciful love of God. This entails sorrow for and abhorrence of sins committed, a firm purpose not to sin again in the future and trust in the help of God. It is nourished by hope in divine mercy.

301. What forms does penance take in the Christian life?

1434-1439

Penance can be expressed in many and various ways but above all in fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These and many other forms of penance can be practiced in the daily life of a Christian, particularly during the time of Lent and on the penitential day of Friday.

302. What are the essential elements of the sacrament of Reconciliation?

1440-1449

The essential elements are two: the acts of the penitent who comes to repentance through the action of the Holy Spirit, and the absolution of the priest who in the name of Christ grants forgiveness and determines the ways of making satisfaction.

303. What are the acts of the penitent?

1450-1460
1487-1492

They are: a careful examination of conscience; contrition (or repentance), which is perfect when it is motivated by love of God and imperfect if it rests on other motives and which includes the determination not to sin again; confession, which consists in the telling of one’s sins to the priest; and satisfaction or the carrying out of certain acts of penance which the confessor imposes upon the penitent to repair the damage caused by sin.

304. Which sins must be confessed?

1456

All grave sins not yet confessed, which a careful examination of conscience brings to mind, must be brought to the sacrament of Penance. The confession of serious sins is the only ordinary way to obtain forgiveness.

305. When is a person obliged to confess mortal sins?

1457

Each of the faithful who has reached the age of discretion is bound to confess his or her mortal sins at least once a year and always before receiving Holy Communion.

306. Why can venial sins also be the object of sacramental confession?

1458

The confession of venial sins is strongly recommended by the Church, even if this is not strictly necessary, because it helps us to form a correct conscience and to fight against evil tendencies. It allows us to be healed by Christ and to progress in the life of the Spirit.

307. Who is the minister of this sacrament?

1461-1466
1495

Christ has entrusted the ministry of Reconciliation to his apostles, to the bishops who are their successors and to the priests who are the collaborators of the bishops, all of whom become thereby instruments of the mercy and justice of God. They exercise their power of forgiving sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

308. To whom is the absolution of some sins reserved?

1463

The absolution of certain particularly grave sins (like those punished by excommunication) is reserved to the Apostolic See or to the local bishop or to priests who are authorized by them. Any priest, however, can absolve a person who is in danger of death from any sin and excommunication.

309. Is a confessor bound to secrecy?

1467

Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to people every confessor, without any exception and under very severe penalties, is bound to maintain “the sacramental seal” which means absolute secrecy about the sins revealed to him in confession.

310. What are the effects of this sacrament?

1468-1470
1496

The effects of the sacrament of Penance are: reconciliation with God and therefore the forgiveness of sins; reconciliation with the Church; recovery, if it has been lost, of the state of grace; remission of the eternal punishment merited by mortal sins, and remission, at least in part, of the temporal punishment which is the consequence of sin; peace, serenity of conscience and spiritual consolation; and an increase of spiritual strength for the struggle of Christian living.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

There are lots of interesing questions to be asked.

Why do you have to confess to a priest? Why not direct to God?

What happens if you have committed serious sins and you die without confession?

Do priests have to go to confession? What about the Pope?

We can discuss them if you'd like...

I did NOT read that big quote right there but I will in the near future :D
I'd love to discuss those questions...

ok it goes like this....

you have some sins in your cache, you have to 1. repent and feel sorry for them and have a will inside you to make good for them.
2. you go to your priest and you kneel/sit near him...depends where you go. you can go to the confessional box in a church, or you can also visit the priest in his home/office and ask for confession.
3. you make the sign of the Cross, the priest says a prayer and asks you what's burdening you.
4. you tell your sins...sometimes it takes five minutes, sometimes it takes longer...depends what sort of priest and what sort of problems.
5. in sins such as stealing (for example), you are required to return or make good for the stolen goods. sometimes the priest will act as an intermediary...say he will pass the goods on your behalf anonymously and nobody will know who the perpetrator was.
6. the priests asks you to say some prayers as 'penance'. you say the prayers at the end of confession together with this, is a promise to try not to do the 'sin' again.
7. at the end of confession , comes the absolution...and the words 'Go forth and sin no more'. Which is impossible, but a good confession requires the will not to repeat certain mistakes, (at least for a while lol)

the priest, never ever says who has told him what. even under the threat of death. your confession, even if you are a serial killer and told the priest of your sins, he cannot tell on you.

priests do go to confession to each other, even the pope has his own confessor.