Bahá’u’lláh prohibits confession to, and seeking absolution
of one’s sins from, a human being. Instead one should beg forgiveness from God.
In the Tablet of Bishárát, He states that “such confession before people
results in one’s humiliation and abasement”, and He affirms that God “wisheth
not the humiliation of His servants”.
Shoghi Effendi sets the prohibition into context. His
secretary has written on his behalf that we “...are forbidden to confess to any
person, as do the Catholics to their priests, our sins and shortcomings, or to
do so in public, as some religious sects do. However, if we spontaneously
desire to acknowledge we have been wrong in something, or that we have some
fault of character, and ask another person’s forgiveness or pardon, we are
quite free to do so.”
The Universal House of Justice has also clarified that
Bahá’u’lláh’s prohibition concerning the confession of sins does not prevent an
individual from admitting transgressions in the course of consultations held
under the aegis of Bahá’í institutions. Likewise, it does not preclude the
possibility of seeking advice from a close friend or of a professional
counsellor regarding such matters.
- The Universal House of Justice (The 'Notes' section of the Kitab-i-Aqdas’)
