The Power Of Absolution: A Catholic Priest's Sin Forgiveness

The Catholic Church teaches that its priests have inherited from the apostles the power to forgive penitent sinners. This belief is based on the interpretation of John 20:23, where Jesus says to his disciples, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. However, this interpretation is disputed, with some arguing that the passage does not grant priests the authority to forgive sins but instead gives them the authority to proclaim the gospel and pronounce what sins have already been forgiven by God.

Jesus gave priests the authority to forgive sins

Firstly, in John 20:19–23, Jesus says to his disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." The Catholic interpretation of this passage is that Jesus is giving his apostles the authority to forgive sins. This is further supported by Jesus' statement in Mark 2:10, where he claims the authority to forgive sins, bringing this power from heaven to earth. In John 20:21, he gives this authority to his apostles, saying, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

The power to forgive sins is also linked to the power to perform miracles. In Luke 5:23–24, Jesus says, "Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...I say to you, get up, take your mat and go home." By performing a miracle, Jesus demonstrates his authority to forgive sins.

Catholic priests are seen as the inheritors of the apostles' power and authority. They exercise the "ministry of reconciliation," forgiving penitent sinners in the name of Jesus Christ. This is often referred to as the "sacrament of penance," where God acts through the priest as an intermediary. The priest's authority to convey forgiveness comes from Christ, and they stand as a witness to Christ's love and mercy.

The priest is acting in the place of Christ

The Catholic Church teaches that a priest can forgive sins, but this is not a power that comes from the priest themselves. Instead, it is argued that the priest is acting in the place of Christ and that the power to forgive sins is inherited from Christ.

In John 20:19–23, Jesus says to his disciples:

> "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'"

This passage is interpreted by some as Jesus giving his apostles the authority to forgive sins. The Catholic Church teaches that this authority was passed down from the apostles to the priests, who now act as intermediaries between God and the penitent sinner.

The priest's role is to stand as a witness to Christ's love and mercy, declaring the sinner forgiven through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is reflected in the formula of absolution, where the priest says, "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The "I" in this statement is Christ speaking through the human priest.

However, not everyone agrees with this interpretation of John 20:19–23. Some argue that Jesus was giving the disciples the authority to proclaim the gospel, which includes the message of forgiveness, rather than the power to forgive sins directly. They claim that only God can forgive sins and that this power was not passed down to the apostles or the priests.

The Bible says only God can forgive sins

The Bible is clear that only God can forgive sins. In Mark 2:1–12, Jesus asserts his ability to forgive sins and backs up his claim with a miracle. The scribes objected, asking, "Who can forgive sins except God alone?" (Mark 2:7). They were right—only God can forgive sins.

Jesus, being fully God and fully man, had the authority to forgive sins while he was on earth. In John 20:19–23, he passed this authority on to his disciples, saying, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Some interpret this to mean that Jesus was giving his disciples the authority to proclaim the gospel, which includes the forgiveness of sins, rather than the authority to forgive sins directly. However, others argue that Jesus was giving his disciples the authority to forgive sins in his name and by his power.

Regardless, it is clear that God alone has the inherent authority to forgive sins, and any forgiveness granted by another is done so by God's authority and power.

The priest is a witness to Christ's love and mercy

The Catholic Church's position is that priests have inherited from the apostles the power to forgive penitent sinners. This is based on the following passage from the Bible:

> "Christ conferred upon the Apostles the power to forgive sins: 'Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven' (John 20:23). As the inheritors of the power and authority of the Apostles, the priest of the Catholic Church exercises the ministry of reconciliation, forgiving penitent sinners in the name of Jesus Christ."

However, it is important to note that a priest's authority to forgive sins comes from God and is not inherent to the priest themselves. They are acting as intermediaries or witnesses to Christ's love and mercy. This is reflected in the formula of absolution, which states:

> "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sin, through the ministry of the Church. May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

In this formula, the priest is acting in the place of Christ, conveying the forgiveness of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is further supported by the following Bible passage:

> "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21).

Here, Jesus is giving his apostles the same authority that he received from God the Father, which includes the authority to forgive sins, as stated in Mark 2:10.

Therefore, the priest, as a witness to Christ's love and mercy, stands in the place of Christ and declares the sinner forgiven, not by their own power but by the power and authority given to them by Christ.

The priest is an intermediary, passing on forgiveness from God

The Catholic Church teaches that a priest can forgive sins, but this is not a power that comes from the priest themselves. Rather, the priest is an intermediary, passing on forgiveness from God.

In John 20:21-23, Jesus says to his disciples:

> "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'"

Here, Jesus is giving his apostles a commission and the authority to forgive sins. This is further supported by Matthew 16:18-19 and Matthew 18:18, where Jesus says:

> "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

>

> "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

The Catholic Church interprets these passages as Jesus giving his apostles the authority to forgive sins, which was then passed down through apostolic succession to the priests of today. This interpretation is not universally accepted, however, with some arguing that Jesus was only giving the apostles the authority to proclaim the gospel, which includes the message of forgiveness.

In the Catholic sacrament of penance, the priest, as an intermediary, declares the sinner forgiven by God. This is known as the formula of absolution, and it is based on Jesus' words in John 20:19-23. The priest's authority to forgive sins ultimately comes from God, and they are simply acting as an instrument of God's forgiveness.

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