Confession
Matthew 18:18
Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.
Context of the passage
Following teaching on fraternal correction within the community, Jesus extends the binding and loosing authority, first given to Peter alone, to the whole apostolic college.
Catholic reading
The rabbinic terms 'bind' and 'loose' referred to authoritative judgments, including the absolution or retention of guilt; combined with John 20:23, this grounds the Church's authority to absolve sins through the ministry of ordained priests.
Common objection
'Binding and loosing' here refers only to Church discipline regarding disputes between members, such as excommunication, not forgiving personal sin.
Response
Even granting a disciplinary context here, the identical rabbinic terminology used again by Jesus with an explicit connection to forgiving sins in John 20:23 shows the Church rightly recognized these related grants of authority as encompassing sacramental absolution as well.