To properly understand this question, one must understand the importance of the sacrament of Christian Baptism.
What is baptism? The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this: Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the spirit, and the door which gives access to other sacraments. Through baptism we are free from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ and are incorporated into the church and made sharers in her mission; Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word. (CCC 1213)
Baptism makes us children of God. We are not born children of God; we become God’s children through baptism. “but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God. (John 1:12-13) You can’t confess your sins to God if you do not believe in God and Baptism is the sacrament where we make our first open profession of faith before God and his church that shows our believe in God. In baptism we become God’s children and this gives us the privilege to all that God can offer namely the forgiveness of sin.
Baptism is the sacrament of first conversion and rebirth into Christ ("Truly, I say to you: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit).
Baptism washes away original sin and all other sins committed before the baptism (CCC 1263). Therefore someone who has not been baptised is cleansed of his sins during baptism by the water before entering into a new relationship with God.
Original sin can only be forgiven and cleansed through baptism; therefore all who are not baptised cannot go to confess other sins without first being washed of original sin (first sin); which we inherited from our forefathers Adam and Eve. It is for this that the church allows us first to be cleansed of original sin before going for confession to confess other sins we must have committed after our baptism.
In baptism there is also renewal, (CCC1265-1266) “For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come.” (2Cor 5:17) When we are baptised, we receive sanctifying grace that sanctifies us and makes us new creatures. This wipes away our old self and implant in us a new self of Christ, thus we become like Christ.
There are cases of baptised Christians who are not allowed to go for confession. These are cases where a Christian lives in a state of sin and will not leave that state after his confession. I explain! For example, a man who lives with a woman or vice versa without being married in church lives in a state of the sin of fornication and this man cannot be allowed to go for confession until when he is ready to go for the sacrament of marriage that would help him to stop living in a state of sin. That is why he is stopped from receiving Holy Communion too because he is no in the state of grace.
Children who receive infant baptism confess their sins before receiving other sacraments of Christian initiation so as to enable them to be in a state of grace and as such receive the graces of the sacraments they are to receive.
It should be noted that baptism is the only sacrament we receive in the state of sin; all other sacraments are received after prior confession of sins.
Dear friend, looking at the above mentioned graces of baptism; I believe you would understand why the church strongly recommends that confession be listened from only baptised Christians and who are in conformity with the church teachings.
God bless you!
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