I have a lot of trouble with the Catholic practice of confessing sins to a priest. 
 

1)  Where in the Bible does it say to confess your sins to a priest?

2)  Why should I confess my sins to a human being who is probably a bigger sinner
      than I am?

3)  How can God use a sinner? Shouldn't only sinless people have a role in the
     Church's ministry, especially hearing confession?

Throw the bums out! That's what I think!

Yours truly,

Gill T. Less

Thank you for sharing. Let me answer your third question first. Can God use a sinner? 

How well do you know King David?

In Acts 13, verse 22, David is called a man after God’s own heart.  David is responsible for much of the book of Psalms. Quite a recommendation, no? 

Well, read about his dealings with his next door neighbor's wife, Bathsheba, in the second book of Samuel, Chapter 11 and following. You may think less of him.

Let me sum it up for you. David was walking on the roof of his palace when he happened to see a woman bathing in the privacy of her own home. He found out that she was the wife of one his officers who was off at the front fighting for king and country. Nonetheless, King David sent his guards to bring her to him; he had his way with her and then sent her home. She sent back word to the king in a few days that she was pregnant and that since her husband was out of town on the kings own service, a scandal was sure to break out.

King David sent to the war front for Uriah, her husband, and had him report in. King David got him drunk at dinner and tried to get him to go home to Bathsheba, his wife. The officer refused on the grounds that, since his men were sleeping on the cold, hard ground, he would not go home to enjoy the comforts of his own bed. 

King David then had Uriah bring sealed orders to the general in charge which commanded the general to put Uriah in the front of the battle, then to pull back and make sure Uriah was killed, and so it happened. Uriah died and King David took his wife Bathsheba into the royal harem. The king was made to seem a virtuous sort, caring for the widow of his fallen officer. All was well and no one was the wiser.

So David was a rapist, a murderer and a man guilty of that worst of crimes... COVER UP!!!  In short, King David was the scum of the earth. How in heaven's name could he be a man after God’s own heart?

Well there’s more to the story. 

Nathan the prophet came in to the court and told King David a sad story. It seems that a rich man who had many sheep had taken a lamb that belonged to a poor man. It was the poor man's only lamb and it was more a pet than a farm animal. 

David became enraged and promised to execute the wrongdoer. 

Nathan the prophet said, “Your majesty, that man is you! You have a large harem but you coveted your neighbor's only wife and killed him just to have her.” 

David was cut to the heart and realized the horror of his own sin. He could have executed the prophet in an attempt to extend the cover up. Instead, he admitted the truth. That is why David is a man after God's own heart. He was capable of repentance.

If you don't think the sinner should be allowed to serve in the church, well you had better stop praying the psalms, especially Psalm 51 which David wrote after he had been accused of wrongdoing by Nathan the prophet. Actually, I wouldn't even be allowed to hire King David to park cars in this day and age.

Cardinal George made the observation that we live in a society in which everything is permitted and nothing is forgiven. The Kingdom of God is a place where much is forbidden, but all can be forgiven if repentance is sincere, and that is the very heart of the sacrament of confession.

I'll answer your other two questions next week.

Rev. Know-It-All
 

Editorial Note:
the 2nd part of the answer to this question is here
Why confess to another person?   Answer Part 2
published on February 17, 2008