Confession in the Coptic Orthodox Church is the pronounced part of the repentance. The confessor repents first in private before God, then exposes his sins before an anointed priest. Before confessing, the confessor goes through the following steps: 1. Self-examination, during which the person identifies his failures and successes. 2. Self-blaming for distorting the image of man whom God has created upon His likeness. 3. Confessing and repenting before God, asking His forgiveness and grace to support him further in his spiritual strife. 4. Heading towards the church while recalling: “I have sinned against heaven and before you”. Finally exposing his/her sins and iniquities before the priest, asking for guidance. May the Lord Compensate the beloved father Elijah Shoukri for preparing the booklet to guide the confessor and aid him in offering a true repentance and a truthful confession, for many are those who confess without repenting and those who do not know how to confess. The Lord blesses each and every work for the glory of His Name.

Makarios General Bishop