Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?

Out of his great love, Jesus instituted this sacrament through which a sinner who is sorry receives pardon and peace and is restored to the fullness of grace with God. Confession is a very intimate experience.  

Even in a communal reconciliation service that you might attend during Advent, Lent or a retreat, individual confessions are private. The Catholic Church maintains, however, that there is also a social aspect to sin. Sin not only affects our relationship with God, sin also alienates us from other people and the Church.

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus provides us with a way of being reconciled to God and to those we’ve hurt, and to be strengthened in our connection to God’s entire family.  This is more than symbolic; it is spiritual reality expressed through ritual.