Returning Catholics FAQs: Confessions and Priestly Presence

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

Why do I have to go to a priest to have my sins forgiven?

Make no mistake: It’s God who forgives your sins, not the priest.

A priest friend of mine describes sacraments as “an ou...