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Confession

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)

The Sacrament of Confession (or Penance) is the ceremony by which Orthodox Christians receive absolution for their sins. If we are to make a parallel between the Sacrament of Confession and that of Baptism, they both provide us with forgiveness of sins but, while Baptism is the door to a life in Christ, Confession helps us keep clean the inner chamber of our soul.

The necessity for forgiveness of sins and a new start was many times emphasized in the history of humankind from Adam and Eve, who were banned from Paradise, to the long awaited Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ stated very clearly His mission by saying:

“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13)

Only God can forgive sins and that is what Jesus did on many occasions. Before His ascension to Heavens, the Lord left a set of instructions to His Disciples including also the delegation to forgive sins in His Name: "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). The Disciples also passed this power on to the clergy they subsequently ordained. Therefore, the officiators of this ceremony can be either the bishop or the priest.

The usual formula of the ceremony runs: “Whatever you have said to my humble person, and whatever you have failed to say, whether through ignorance or forgetfulness, whatever it may be, may God forgive you in this world and the next […] Have no further anxiety. Go in peace.” It is not the priest, but God who forgives sins. The priest confessor is just a witness and God’s minister (or administrator of this Sacrament).

This sacrament is meant for all, since “no one is without sin in this world” (Ps. 143: 2). Orthodox Christians should receive Confession only when they are old enough to distinguish between good and evil and understand sin (around 7 years old).

In preparation, one should examine his or her conscience and with humility and repentant heart approach the priest for confession. The very purpose of the sacrament is stressed by its name in the original Greek: “metanoia” which means change of the mind, or change of attitude. This change has to be sincere and complete. In order to succeed in this transformation, prayer and fasting are necessary.

The priest confessor may ascribe, if he deems necessary, a certain “epitimia” (punishment or penance) to the person confessing in order to cure and make it aware of the gravity of the sins committed.