8.104. I'm embarrassed to confess to a priest I don’t respect. I just tell Jesus—and I feel forgiven. Why confess to a man?
Confessing directly to God is not wrong in itself—we should always make acts of contrition. But to refuse the Sacrament of Penance is to reject the very means Christ instituted for the forgiveness of sins. Our feelings of “peace” are not the same as absolution, which only a validly ordained priest can give.
But here lies the deeper tragedy: in the Vatican II sect, most priests today—including many elderly ones—have been “ordained” using the invalid 1968 rite. This new rite, crafted after Vatican II by modernists, removed essential elements of Catholic ordination, making it null and void—just like Anglican orders, which were declared invalid by Pope Leo XIII in Apostolicae Curae.
So not only is the modern understanding of confession wrong—but in almost all Novus Ordo parishes, there is no sacrament at all. It is very likely that the man in the confessional is not be a priest. Sadly, he may not even be Catholic.
Below is a comparison between the true sacrament of confession, and the modern errors—both theological and sacramental—produced by Vatican II.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Modern / Novus Ordo View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confession | Necessary for mortal sin; absolution by validly ordained priest | Optional; private “confession to Jesus” seen as sufficient | This is a **Protestant error** condemned by the Council of Trent |
| Role of the Priest | Christ’s minister; acts *in persona Christi* to forgive sin | Viewed as a mere counselor or witness | Only a **valid priest** can grant absolution; feelings do not forgive sin |
| Validity of Ordination | Priests ordained using the traditional Roman Rite (pre-1968) | Ordained using the 1968 Vatican II rite | New rite **removes essential form**—rendering orders **invalid** |
| Age Factor | True priests ordained before 1968 are now over 85+ years old | Many “older priests” still ordained under new rite post-1968 | Age alone doesn’t guarantee validity—**rite matters** |
| Absolution | Valid priest says: *Ego te absolvo*—and the soul is cleansed | Invalid “priest” says words—but **nothing happens** | No valid sacrament = no forgiveness, regardless of feelings |
| Peace of Conscience | Follows absolution and contrition; rooted in truth | Based on emotion or self-persuasion | Peace without absolution is **false peace** |
| Fruits | Sanctifying grace restored; sins forgiven; soul made clean | Sin remains; soul is deceived into comfort without grace | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance when He said to His Apostles:
“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.”
He did not say: “Just tell Me privately and follow your feelings.”
He gave us a sacrament—and we must use it as He designed.
But in the Vatican II sect, most “confessions” today are invalid—not only because people deny their necessity, but because the “priests” themselves were never validly ordained, thanks to the 1968 ordination rite, which broke with Catholic tradition.
So even if you wanted to confess properly—you may not be able to in your local Novus Ordo parish.
That is why true Catholics today must seek out validly ordained traditional priests, ordained in the pre-1968 Roman Rite, in union with the Catholic Faith of all time—not the modernist impostors who have taken over dioceses and sacraments.