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Dear Father Angelo,

First of all, I wish you a very Happy Easter!

I am writing to you about something that happened to me when I approached the Sacrament of Penance. After having confessed my sins, the priest recited the formula of absolution but in this way: “I absolve you from your sins: Father and Son and Holy Spirit”. In practice, he did not say “in the name of”.

I do not know whether this omission was voluntary or not. I cannot say. The only thing is that he seemed to me to be in a hurry. After leaving the confessional, I knelt before the tabernacle with doubts about the validity of the absolution I had received. Having confessed mortal sins, I thought it appropriate to repeat the confession. I was in the cathedral and it was not difficult to find another priest available in the confessional.

I would like to ask you for an opinion on what happened to me. Did my behavior perhaps trivialize the Sacrament of Penance? How should one behave in cases of this kind?

I thank you once again for the precious service you carry out through the blog Amici Domenicani. I ask you to pray for me and for my journey of vocational discernment.

May the Lord Jesus, who died and rose again for our redemption, bless you and keep you always.

Priest’s answer

Dear friend,

1. in the Ritual of the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, at number 19, the following words are read: “Formula of absolution.

After the penitent’s prayer, the priest, holding his hands outstretched, or at least his right hand, over the penitent’s head, pronounces the formula of absolution, in which the essential words are: I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

The essential words of absolution have not changed compared to the previous rite, with the exception of the Amen, which is no longer required.

2. The great moral theologian Dominicus Prümmer, of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), comments: “Everyone believes that the formula: I absolve you from your sins is certainly valid, because with the word I absolve the minister and his action are sufficiently expressed, the subject with the word you and the matter with the words from your sins.

Indeed, it is probable that only the words I absolve you or I absolve you from your sins are valid.

However, it is in no way permissible to utter only these words because there is no reasonable reason for using a formula that is only probably valid” (Handbook of Moral Theology, III, 328). T-N

3. Although the words in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit must be said because the Ritual so requires, their omission does not invalidate the sacrament.

They are essential words among those that must be said, but they are not essential like the others.

One could say that they are essential for the integrity of the sacramental formula, but not for its validity.

4. The Ritual’s indication to lay hands on the penitent, although it is particularly significant of the grace that is infused from above and refers to the use of the early times of the Church, “is not obligatory either gravely (sub gravi) or lightly (sub levi)” (Ib.).T-N

5. Coming now to the words used by the priest who confessed to you, it must be said that without a doubt the confession was valid.

However, he was not allowed to change the words: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to simply say Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In the name means with the authority and with the power that comes from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

While simply saying Father, Son and Holy Spirit seems like an invocation of the name of God or a blessing.

6. Therefore, you did not do well to repeat the confession with another priest, especially without saying that you had confessed two minutes before. Because if you had said so, the priest would not have absolved you, guaranteeing you of the validity of the absolution received.

Furthermore, by repeating the confession so soon after, it would have been difficult for you to revive the contrition which of the three obligatory elements on the part of the penitent (contrition, accusation, satisfaction) is the principal and indispensable element.

Since you repeated the confession in good faith, you have not committed a sin.

7. I very willingly assure you of my prayers, especially because you are making vocational discernment.

If there is a call (as I hope), may the Lord decisively direct your steps towards the priesthood and towards the form most suited to the needs of the Church and according to the inclinations that He Himself has given you and the forms that most attract you.

I bless you and wish you all the best,

Father Angelo