Development of the sacrament of confession

[Mina of Alexandria]

was the sacrament of confession developed?

do we practise it as it was practised in the early church?

[Peter Farrington]

Hi

At first there was a public confession of sins, especially major sins. Our present private confession to a priest is not the early practice.

I am not sure how private confession developed in the East but in the West it orginated among the Irish and spread from them through Western Europe.

Best wishes

Peter

[Herman Blaydoe]

I think it is clear that the practice of confession has changed from the original practice of confessing before the entire congregation to the current practice of one-on-one confession with the priest, but the idea of absolution as expressed in Holy Scripture (the sins YOU retain are retained, the sins YOU forgive are forgiven) is maintained.