
Absolution is a theological term for the forgiveness imparted by ordained Christian priests and experienced by Christian penitents. The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is one of the acts of the Church's ordained minister in the sacrament of Penance, where a baptised penitent with the proper dispositions can be assured of being forgiven.
The Catholic Church's teaching on absolution is centred on a single passage in the Gospel of John: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; If you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:23). However, the Bible is clear that God alone can forgive sins (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21), and Christ, being God, has the power to do so.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of the Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace. God's mercy is always present within the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Characteristics | Values | |
---|---|---|
Definition | The formal remission of sin imparted by a priest, as in the sacrament of penance | "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" |
Biblical Basis | "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; If you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23) | To as many as repent of their sins and believe in Christ, all disciples of Christ can confidently declare that all their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake and to His glory |
Biblical Interpretation | The Bible is clear that God alone can forgive sins (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21) | "No priest is needed to mediate between God and man, 'For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus' (1 Timothy 2:5)" |
Catholic Teaching | The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is one of the acts of the Church's ordained minister in the sacrament of Penance | "The Catholic teaching of absolution is not scriptural" |
Absolution Process | After confession, the priest gives advice and assigns penance, then the penitent says the Act of Contrition, after which the priest offers absolution | "The priest then assigns a penance and imparts absolution in the name of the Trinity, on behalf of Jesus Christ, using a fixed sacramental formula" |
What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church's teaching on absolution
The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is a theological term for the forgiveness imparted by ordained Christian priests and experienced by Christian penitents. It is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom, although the theology and practice of absolution vary between Christian denominations.
The Church teaches that absolution is an act of the priest in the Sacrament of Penance, whereby a baptised penitent with the proper dispositions can be assured of forgiveness. The penitent must demonstrate contrition, confession, and at least a promise of satisfaction, while the priest must have validly received the Order of Priesthood and jurisdiction over the person receiving the sacrament.
The Church's power to absolve sins committed after baptism is derived from Christ's words to his disciples: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). This power was communicated to the Apostles and their lawful successors, as evidenced by the writings of early Church Fathers such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and St. Ignatius of Antioch.
The form of absolution used by the priest is: "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." This formula has remained unchanged since before the Council of Florence and was reaffirmed by the Council of Trent.
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The priest's role in absolution
The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is one of the acts of the Church's ordained minister in the sacrament of Penance, wherein a baptized penitent with the proper dispositions can be assured of being forgiven. The priest's role in absolution is to impart forgiveness to the penitent.
The Catholic Church's teaching on absolution is centred on a single passage in the Gospel of John: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). This passage is interpreted as giving priests the authority to grant absolution. However, some argue that this passage should be understood in a doctrinal or ministerial way, by preaching the remission of sins through faith in Christ.
The manner in which absolution is imparted has varied over the centuries. In the early centuries of Christianity, public sins such as idolatry, murder, or adultery required public confession and penance before absolution could be granted. Over time, this practice declined, and by the seventh century, Irish missionaries spread the practice of privately granted immediate absolution after private confession.
The formula for absolution used in the Roman Catholic Church today is as follows: "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 sins; 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 of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
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The need for absolution
The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is a theological term for the forgiveness imparted by ordained Christian priests and experienced by Christian penitents. Absolution is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom, although the theology and practice of absolution vary between Christian denominations.
The Catholic Church teaches that only God forgives sin, and that Jesus Christ, being God, has the power to forgive sins. However, the Bible is clear that God alone can forgive sins, and Christ never communicated any such power to his apostles.
The Catholic Church's teaching on absolution is centred on a single passage in the Gospel of John: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). This passage is interpreted as giving priests the authority to grant absolution.
However, this interpretation is disputed. Some argue that John 20:23 should be understood doctrinally or ministerially, by preaching the remission of sins through Christ. They further argue that no priest is needed to mediate between God and humans, as Christ is the only mediator.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of the Church, especially for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin and have thus lost their baptismal grace." It further emphasises the prerequisite of repentance for obtaining God's pardon, quoting the Council of Trent: "Among the penitent's acts, contrition occupies the first place. Contrition is 'sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again'."
The Code of Canon Law also states that penitents must be disposed to repudiate their sins and amend their lives to receive absolution. Absolution is, therefore, dependent on the penitent's recognition of their sins and their desire for God's forgiveness.
The priest's role in absolution is to be an instrument of God's forgiveness, and they are ever-willing to absolve sins. However, it is sacramentally impossible to obtain God's forgiveness if one is not repentant. Thus, absolution is intrinsically linked to repentance, and both are necessary for the manifestation of God's mercy.
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The Bible and absolution
The Bible is clear that God alone can forgive sins and that Christ, being God, has the power to do so. However, Christ never communicated any such power to his apostles, nor did they ever assume any such power. In fact, attempting to forgive sins is a mark of the Antichrist because it involves usurping the divine prerogative and placing oneself in God's seat.
The Catholic Church, however, centres its teaching on the need for absolution, and the priest's role in obtaining that forgiveness, on a single passage in the Gospel of John: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). This passage is interpreted as giving priests the authority to grant absolution and to mediate between God and man.
However, this interpretation is disputed. The passage in John is addressed to the disciples, not just the apostles, and can be understood as empowering them to proclaim forgiveness through faith in Christ's name, rather than giving them the authority to mediate between God and man. This interpretation is supported by 1 Timothy 2:5: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus".
The Bible also makes clear that repentance is a prerequisite for forgiveness. Mark's Gospel tells us that Jesus proclaimed: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15). Repentance is necessary for entering the kingdom of God, which is a kingdom of God's merciful forgiveness and the source of a holy life.
Luke's Gospel narrates the parable of the Prodigal Son, who repents and returns to his father, who forgives him and takes him back into his household. This parable illustrates that God's mercy can only be enacted when the sinner returns to him in repentance.
Therefore, while the Catholic Church interprets the Bible as giving priests the authority to grant absolution, this interpretation is not universally accepted, and the Bible also makes clear that repentance is a necessary prerequisite for forgiveness.
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Absolution and the Sacrament of Penance
Absolution is a theological term for the forgiveness imparted by ordained Christian priests and experienced by Christian penitents. It is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom, although the theology and the practice of absolution vary between Christian denominations.
Some Christian traditions see absolution as a sacrament—the Sacrament of Penance. This concept is found in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Assyrian Church of the East and the Lutheran Church.
The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is one of the acts of the Church's ordained minister in the sacrament of Penance wherein a baptized penitent with the proper dispositions can be assured of being forgiven. The penitent must make a sincere sacramental confession of all known mortal sins not yet confessed to a priest and pray an act of contrition, expressing both motives for sorrow and the resolve to not sin again. The priest then assigns a penance and imparts absolution in the name of the Trinity, on behalf of Jesus Christ, using a fixed sacramental formula.
The formula of absolution used in the Pauline Missal, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, is as follows:
> 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 sins; 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 of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
During a Spring 2021 meeting, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops made some adjustments to the text to make it a more accurate translation of the original Latin. After the USCCB changes were approved by the Vatican's Dicastery (then-Congregation) for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in April 2022, the formula became:
> God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God grant you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Catholic Church also includes twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris, which are in union with the Latin Catholic Church but retain their own distinct rites and customs, among which are included prayers of absolution.
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Frequently asked questions
Absolution is the remission of sin or the punishment due to sin, granted by the Church. It is a theological term for the forgiveness imparted by ordained Christian priests and experienced by Christian penitents.
The Roman Catholic Church centers its teaching on the need for absolution and the priest's role in obtaining that forgiveness on a single passage in the Gospel of John: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; If you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). The Catholic Church teaches that absolution is one of the acts of the Church's ordained minister in the sacrament of Penance wherein a baptized penitent with the proper dispositions can be assured of being forgiven.
The prayer of absolution is offered by the priest during confession, also known as the sacrament of reconciliation or penance. Here are the words:
> 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 sins; 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Sacrament of Penance, also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is a sacrament of God's mercy. Although baptism cleanses the faithful from all sin, people continue to sin and may commit mortal sins, which separate them from God. To obtain God's merciful forgiveness for such serious sins, they are obliged to confess their sins within the sacrament of Penance.
There is a prerequisite condition on the part of the sinner for obtaining God's merciful pardon – the need for sorrowful repentance and the desire not to sin again.