Absolution Vs Prayer

Catholics have long confused Priestly power to absolve sin with the true doctrine of prayer. This confusion subsequently led to debates over faith placed in the priest.

Their idea of faith is to believe in the power of the priest to forgive.

Faith does not actually teach absolution. They confused it with prayer.

The scriptures incorrectly used for absolution actually teach God forgives, not the priest.

Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Notice it is "the Lord" who heals and forgives, through prayer, not by the power of a priest.

Prayer implies calling upon an authority above those praying. The appeal is to God not the priest.

Plus, all Christians are shown to have the power to pray for each other.

We all have the power to forgive personally, but that does not imply God has forgiven. We ask God to forgive in behalf of the one who trespassed against us.

Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.