Holy Confession is a sacramental rite of the Orthodox Church, in which penitent sinners are absolved from their sins, restoring them to the pure and guiltless state in which they were, following Baptism. It is God who forgives the sins of the faithful, by the hands of the priest, to whom the faithful Christian confesses. When approaching the priest for confession, one must be repentant and penitent, seeking the mercy of God—he must recognize that he has wronged in the eyes of the Lord, and that he needs reconciliation.