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1. The Catholic are seeking forgiveness the way Christ intended it to be sought.

2. By confessing to a priest, the Catholic learns a lesson in humility which is conveniently avoided when one confesses only through private prayer. Don’t we all desire to escape humbling experiences?

3. The Catholic receives sacramental graces that the non-Catholic does not get; through the sacrament of penance, not only are sins forgiven, but graces are obtained.

4. The Catholic is assured that his sins are forgiven; he doesn’t have to rely on a subjective “feeling.”

5. The Catholic can obtain sound and objective advice in analyzing his sins and avoiding sin in the future.

6. The Catholic, by going to a recognized and trained confessor, is protected against the subjective dangers of such psychological tricks of the personality such as projection, rationalization, etc.