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The
New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism (Official Baltimore Catechism Series No. 2) Revised
Edition
Order
securely online
This Catechism retains the text of the Revised Baltimore Catechism,
Number 2, but adds abundant explanations to help children understand the difficult parts
of each lesson along with pictures to aid in understanding.
Intended for grades 6-8
Official
Baltimore Catechism Series No. 1
is also available
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16. When the Church tells you that a
priest can forgive you of your sins, and
Jesus tells you that God is the only one that can forgive you your sins, in
whom do you put your trust?
Jesus imparted to his apostles his own power to forgive sins
and the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. "I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.(Mt 16:19; cf.Mt 18:18; 28:16-20)" This
power was given to Peter and assigned to the apostles united to
him. Today, this is Peter's successor, the Pope, and the
successors to the apostles, the bishops. The priests are assistants
to the bishops, so they share in his power to bind and to loose.
Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from Reconciliation
with God. Whomever the Church includes in its communion is in
communion with God; whomever is excluded from union with the Church
is excluded from communion with God. This is Jesus' design. The
priests again act through the power of Christ, so it is not the
priest who forgives, but Christ who forgives and desires that his
priests bring sinners back to him and to his Church. In this we
place our trust in Jesus. |
