Why do we need to confess if we can pray for repentance to God directly?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

While it is true that a Christian must live in a state of continuous repentance and pray to God directly for forgiveness, the Sacrament of Penance and Confession is a divine command and a necessary means of grace within the Coptic Orthodox Church. We do not view confession to a priest and private prayer as opposites; rather, they work together for the healing of the soul.

1. The Biblical Command and Apostolic Authority

Our Lord Jesus Christ specifically gave the authority to forgive or retain sins to His Apostles, and through them, to the bishops and priests of the Church. After His Resurrection, He breathed on them and said: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23).

If a person only confessed to God in private, the authority given by Christ to the priesthood would be meaningless. Furthermore, the Bible explicitly instructs us: "Confess your trespasses to one another" (James 5:16). In the context of the Church, this "one another" refers to the elders (priests) mentioned in the preceding verses.

2. The Priest as a Witness and Physician

In Coptic theology, the priest does not forgive sins by his own power; he is a witness to your repentance and a channel for God's grace. When you stand before the priest, you are standing before the Altar of God. As noted in Church tradition, confession should ideally take place in a quiet corner of the Church facing the Altar to help the penitent feel "empowered and sanctified."

The priest acts as a spiritual physician. Just as a sick person cannot heal themselves simply by wishing to be healthy, a sinner often needs the "spiritual prescription" (guidance and penance) that only a trained spiritual father can provide. The priest helps identify the root causes of sin and provides the necessary treatment to prevent the soul from falling again.

3. The Psychological and Spiritual Necessity of Oral Confession

God knows our nature. He knows that when we keep our sins hidden in our minds, we often find excuses for them or fail to feel true "godly sorrow."

• Humility: Speaking your sins out loud to an audible ear requires deep humility. This act of "shaming" the sin before the priest helps break the power of pride, which is the root of all sin.
• Clearance of Conscience: As noted in the writings of St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, many people suffer from a "disquieted" life because they feel they have not dealt with their sins fully. Oral confession provides the objective assurance that the sin is gone.
• Objectivity: We are often poor judges of our own spiritual state. We may overlook "mortal" sins or become overly legalistic about "pardonable" ones. The spiritual father provides an external, objective perspective.

4. Preparation for the Holy Eucharist

The Sacrament of Confession is the "Second Baptism." Just as we were cleansed in the font, we are cleansed in the "tears of repentance" during confession. In the Coptic Church, one cannot consistently partake of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ while intentionally avoiding the Sacrament of Confession. As H.G. Bishop Mettaous points out, seeking the "absolution" without the actual act of confession is an "addition to one's sins" and lacks the integrity required for the Holy Liturgy.

5. The Role of the Absolution Prayer

At the end of the confession, the priest places the cross on the head of the penitent and reads the Absolution. This is a functional reality. In this prayer, the priest asks God—who gave the keys of the kingdom to His Apostles—to absolve the person. Without this sacramental act, the believer lacks the official "declaration of release" that Christ established in His Church.

Summary

While you must ask God for forgiveness in your private prayers every night (as seen in the prayers of the Agpeya), the Sacrament of Confession is where the actual "judgment" of the sin is passed and the grace of restoration is given. To bypass the priest is to bypass the very system of healing and authority that the Lord Himself established for our salvation.