We now turn to the Sacrament of Penance.   The terms “Reconciliation,” “Penance,” and “Confession” are used interchangeably to describe this sacrament, but the best term is, arguably, “Reconciliation.”   A frequently asked question regarding this sacrament, which is probably also asked in Orthodox and Anglican circles, is:   Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?   To answer this question, one needs to understand the theology regarding the early Church structure/hierarchy.             One of the traditional understandings of Baptism is that, when a person is baptized, he or she shares in the Priesthood of Christ, which, according to the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, is superior to the Jewish priesthood, as Jesus is recognized as a priest in the Order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:13-7:28).    This teaching i...