Absolution

Absolution in a liturgical church refers to the pronouncement of God's forgiveness of sins.

Jewish tradition

In the Hebrew Bible, God's forgiveness of sin was a major concern in the tradition of the Temple of Jerusalem and its priesthood. By bringing various offerings to the Temple, individuals, leaders, and the whole congregation of the Israelites could receive God's forgiveness. Traditionally, the practice of sin offerings and resulting absolution dates back to the time of the Exodus. The Book of Leviticus, for example, stipulates that "If a member of the community sins unintentionally... he must bring... a female goat without defect... The priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven." (Leviticus 4:27-31). Female lambs were also acceptable as sin offerings, and if the person could not afford this, birds or flour could be substituted as well. An unintentional sin committed by a leader of the congregation required the sacrifice of a male goat rather than a female (4:22). If the whole Israelite community sinned, the assembly was to bring young bull as a sin offering.

Various other regulations governed the absolution of sin and ritual impurity, such as the payment of the "sanctuary shekel" (Lev. 5:16), for: "He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things." Monetary restitution was also involved in cases of theft, in which case: "He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner," and also make a guilt offering.

Some sins, however, could not be forgiven, and must be punished with death. These included murder, adultery, homosexual sodomy, blasphemy, idolatry, cursing one's parent, and sabbath-breaking. It is not clear how strictly these rules were enforced, however.

Earliest Christianity

The first Christians were Jews and followed the Jewish law. However, based especially on the teaching of Paul of Tarsus, the death of Jesus soon came to be seen as an atoning sacrifice made "once for all." For Paul, "our old self was crucified with him... that we should no longer be slaves to sin." (Rom. 6:6-7) The anonymous Epistle to the the Hebrews portrayed Jesus as the true "high priest" whose sacrifice of his own body was the sin offering for all those who believe in him. Thus, offering made at the Temple were made obsolete.

After the Temple of Jerusalem itself was destroyed in 70 C.E., Pauline Christianity quickly predominated over of the Jewish Christianity of earlier times. However, the fact that Christians continued to sin, even after being baptized, posed an issue. How were they to be absolved from these sins, especially "sins unto death," which could not be forgiven by normal means of atonement?

Evolving traditions of absolution

In the second century, the Montanist movement stress a puritanical lifestyle and adopted a strict standard, in which certain sins like murder, adultery, and apostasy could not be forgiven. Church Fathers like Tertullian were among the adherents of this policy. The popular apocalyptic writing known as the Shepherd of Hermas promised one final absolution of post-baptismal mortal sins before the imminent Second Coming of Christ. Some converts, knowing that they could not avoid committing sins, even postponed baptism under they were on the death-bed.

In the third and fourth centuries the issue of apostates returning to the church was especially contentious. The Novatianists held that those who denied the faith and committed idolatry could not be granted absolution by the church, for only God could forgive a mortal sin. The "catholic" (meaning universal) position, on the other hand, held that the church must be a home to sinners as well as saints, and that the bishops, as successors to Peter and the apostles, were authorized by God to forgive any sin.

It became the practice of penitent apostates to go to the confessors—those who had suffered for the faith and survived—to plead their case and effect their restoration to communion with the bishop's approval. The Catholic Church thus began to develop the tradition of confession, penance, and absolution, in order to provide a means for Christians to be forgiven of sins committed after baptism, including even mortal sins.

Catholicism

Absolution became an integral part of both the Catholic and Orthodox sacrament of penance and reconciliation. In the Catholic tradition, the penitent makes a formal confession of all mortal sins to a priest and prays an act of contrition. The priest then assigns a penance and offers absolution in the name of the Trinity, on behalf of the Church:

"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."

This prayer of absolution by the priest, as God's minister, is believed to forgive the guilt associated with the penitent's sins and to remove the eternal punishment (in Hell) associated with mortal sins. The penitent is still responsible for the temporal punishment (in Purgatory) associated with the confessed sins, unless an indulgence is applied. If the sin is also a crime under secular law, the Church's forgiveness does not absolve the person of the need to pay his debt to society for the crime through fines, imprisonment, or other punishment.

Another form of absolution in Catholic tradition is general absolution, in which all eligible Catholics gathered at a given area are granted absolution for sins without prior individual confession to a priest. General absolution is authorized in only two circumstances:

• Imminent danger of death and there is no time for a priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents. A recent example was the general absolution granted to all Catholics endangered by the Three Mile Island nuclear accident.
• Other extraordinary needs: for example if the number of penitents is so large that there are not enough priests to hear the individual confessions properly within a reasonable time (generally considered to be one month). The diocesan bishop must give prior permission before general absolution is dispensed under this circumstance.

For a valid reception of general absolution, the penitent must be contrite for all his mortal sins and have the resolution to confess at the next earliest opportunity each of those mortal sins that is forgiven in general absolution. Anyone receiving general absolution is also required to make a complete individual confession to a priest as soon as possible before receiving general absolution again.

Eastern traditions

In the Greek Church

The belief of the ancient Greek Church has been set forth above. That the Greeks have always believed that the Church has power to forgive sin, that they believe it at present, is clear from the formulæ of absolution in vogue among all branches of the Church; also from the decrees of synods which since the Reformation have again and again expressed this belief (Alzog on Cyril Lucaris III, 465; Synod of Constantinople, 1638; Synod of Jassy, 1642; Synod of Jerusalem, 1672). In the Synod of Jerusalem the Church reiterates its belief in Seven Sacraments, among them Penance, which the Lord established when He said: "Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained." The formulæ of absolution are generally deprecatory, and if now and then the indicative form appears, it may be traced to Latin sources.

Russian Church

The belief of the Greek Church is naturally also that of the Russian. Russian theologians all hold that the Church possesses the power to forgive sins, where there is true repentance and sincere confession. The form in use at present is as follows: "My child, N. N., may our Lord and God Christ Jesus by the mercy of His love absolve thee from thy sins; and I, His unworthy priest, in virtue of the authority committed to me, absolve thee and declare thee absolved of thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."

Armenians

Denzinger, in his "Ritus Orientalium" (1863), gives us a full translation of the penitential ritual used by the Armenians. The present version is from the ninth century. The form of absolution is declarative, though it is preceded by a prayer for mercy and for pardon. It is as follows: "May the merciful Lord have pity on thee and forgive thee thy faults; in virtue of my priestly power, by the authority and command of God expressed in these words, 'whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be hound in heaven', I absolve thee from thy sins, I absolve thee from thy thoughts, from thy words, from thy deeds, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and I restore thee to the Sacrament of the Holy Church. May all thy good works be for thee an increase of merit, may they be for the glory of life everlasting, Amen."

Copts

Dr. Hyvernat asserts that the liturgical books of the Copts have no penitential formulæ, nor is this surprising, for they inscribe in the ritual only those things not found in other rituals. Father du Bernat, writing to Père Fleurian (Lettres édifiantes), says, in reference to the Sacrament of Penance among the Copts, that the Copts believe themselves bound to a full confession of their sins. This finished, the priest recites over them the prayer said at the beginning of the Mass, the prayer asking pardon and forgiveness from God; to this is added the so-called "Benediction," which Father Bernat says is like the prayer said in the Latin Church after absolution has been imparted. Dr. Hyvernat, however, asserts that Father Bernat is mistaken when he likens the Benediction to our Passio Domini, for it is like the Latin prayer only inasmuch as it is recited after absolution.

Jacobites

The Syrians who are united with the Roman See use the declarative form in imparting absolution, a relatively recent formula. The present Jacobite Church not only holds and has held the power to absolve from sin, but its ritual is expressive of this same power. Denzinger (Ritus Orientalium) has preserved for us a twelfth-century document which gives in full the order of absolution.

Nestorians

The Nestorians have at all times believed in the power to absolve in the Sacrament of Penance. Assemani, Renaudot, Badger (Nestorians and their Rituals), also Denzinger, have the fullest information on this point. It is noticeable that their formula of absolution is deprecatory, not indicative.

Lutheranism

Both private and corporate confession and absolution are practiced in the Lutheran tradition. Private confession and absolution have fallen into disuse due to the Pietism and Rationalism of the 17th through the 19th centuries. While confession of sins is the biblical pattern to be followed "I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'; And You forgave the guilt of my sin."), only holy absolution is held to be specifically instituted by Jesus in Lutheran theology. The common practice is to follow the rite of corporate confession of sins and absolution before the beginning of the Lutheran Divine Service. (Traditionally, the Divine Service begins with the Introit: the order of corporate confession and absolution is placed before it.) The Lutheran reformers held that a complete enumeration of sins is impossible and that one's confidence of forgiveness was based on the absolution, God's word, rather than on what the penitent did or might do: the sincerity of the penitent's contrition or act of confession or deeds of satisfaction (penance). Deeds of satisfaction have been completely excluded from the Lutheran rite of confession and absolution. Faith in Jesus' sufficient active and passive satisfaction, implicit in the word of holy absolution, receives the forgiveness of sins and salvation. Traditionally confession and absolution ist understood as "return to baptism"n (reditus ad baptismum). Therefore baptism is a precondition for the reception of absolution. Generally, private confession and absolution are practiced in the Lutheran tradition only when requested by the penitent or recommended by the confessor or pastor.

The Reformed tradition

The earliest Reformers attacked the penitential practice of the medieval church, particularly the confession of sins to a priest. Their opinions expressed in their later theological works do not differ as markedly from the old position as one might suppose.

The Lutheran tenet of justification by faith alone would make all absolution merely declarative, and reduce the pardon granted by the Church to the merest announcement of the Gospel, especially of remission of sins through Christ.

Zwingli held that God alone pardoned sin, and he saw nothing but idolatry in the practice of hoping for pardon from a mere creature. If confession had aught of good it was merely as direction.

John Calvin denied all idea of sacrament when there was question of Penance; but he held that the pardon expressed by the minister of the Church gave to the penitent a greater guarantee of forgiveness. The Confession styled "Helvetian" contents itself with denying the necessity of confession to a priest, but holds that the power granted by Christ to absolve is simply the power to preach to the people the Gospel of Jesus, and as a consequence the remission of sins: "Rite itaque et efficaciter ministri absolvunt dum evangelium Christi et in hoc remissionem peccatorum prædicant."

Anglicanism

Main article: Anglican sacraments

In the Anglican Communion, absolution usually takes place after the General Confession during the Eucharist or a daily office, and is a component of the sacrament of confession and absolution. As a sacrament, absolution can only be pronounced by a priest or bishop; a layperson or deacon may only offer the assurance of pardon. Thus, while a priest or bishop would say "forgive you your sins," a deacon or layperson would say "forgive us our sins." Absolution is also pronounced after the reconciliation of a penitent by the priest hearing a private confession.

Often, physical actions accompany an absolution. A priest or bishop may make the sign of the cross in front of him or her, facing the congregation. Those receiving the absolution may, in addition, make the sign of the cross across their chests.

At minimum, Anglican prayer books contain a formula of absolution in the daily offices, at the Eucharist, and in the visitation of the sick. The first two are general, akin to the liturgical absolution in use in the Roman Church; the third is individual by the very nature of the case. The offices of the earliest Books of Common Prayer contained an absolution that read both as assurance of pardon, placing the agency with God ("He [God] pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent"), and as priestly mediation (God "hath given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people...the absolution and remission of their sins"). The following is the form of absolution for the sick in the Book of Common Prayer: "OUR Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offenses: And by his authority committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

External Links

• Christian Cyclopedia Article on Absolution Retrieved September 16, 2007.
• Luther, Martin. Smalcald Articles VIII. Of Confession Retrieved September 16, 2007.
• Melanchthon, Philip. The Augsburg Confession Article XI: Of Confession. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
• Melanchthon, Philip. The Defense of the Augsburg Confession Article VI: Of Confession and Satisfaction Retrieved September 16, 2007.

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