Confession (theology)

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.