What is absolution? The words, the priest and what it does

Absolution is the moment in Confession when a priest, acting in the name of Christ, forgives your sins. After you confess and pray an act of contrition, he extends his hand over you and prays the words of absolution, ending with "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." When he says them, your sins are truly forgiven.

What does absolution mean?

The word comes from the Latin absolvere, to loosen or set free. In the Catholic Church it means the forgiveness a priest gives in the sacrament of Penance, also called Confession or Reconciliation.

Only God forgives sins (CCC 1441). But Jesus chose to forgive through people. On the evening of the Resurrection he breathed on the apostles and gave them the power to forgive sins and to retain them (John 20:22-23). Bishops and priests carry on that ministry today (CCC 1461). So the priest isn't giving you his personal opinion of you. Christ forgives you through him.

What are the words of absolution?

The priest extends his hands, or at least his right hand, over your head and prays:

This is the formula the Catechism gives (CCC 1449). In the United States, a new translation of the rite has been in use since 2023, so a few words sound different: God "poured out the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins," and the priest prays that God "grant you pardon and peace." The heart of it is the same: "I absolve you from your sins." As he names the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, he makes the sign of the cross over you. You answer "Amen." Many people bless themselves at the same moment.

The prayer is worth reading slowly once. It tells you where your forgiveness comes from: the Father's mercy, the death and resurrection of Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the ministry of the Church. Some priests say it quietly, and in a parish that celebrates the older Latin rite you may hear it in Latin. If you aren't sure you heard it, you can ask.

Who can give absolution?

Only a priest (Code of Canon Law, can. 965). A bishop can, since he is a priest too. A deacon can't, and neither can a layperson, however holy.

A priest also needs what the Church calls the faculty to hear confessions: the Church's permission to use this power for the people he absolves (can. 966). Almost every priest you meet in a parish has it, and a priest who has it from his own bishop can normally use it anywhere (can. 967).

In danger of death, the rules open wide. Any priest, even one who lacks the faculty, validly and lawfully absolves a person in danger of death, even if another approved priest is present (can. 976). The Church wants no one to die without the chance to be forgiven.

What does absolution forgive?

All of it. Every sin you confessed, mortal and venial, is forgiven. Sins you honestly forgot are forgiven too, though a mortal sin you forgot should still be mentioned at your next Confession (more in I forgot a sin in confession).

The Catechism lists what the sacrament does (CCC 1496):

• Reconciliation with God. If you were in mortal sin, you recover the life of grace.
• Reconciliation with the Church. Sin wounds the whole Body of Christ. Absolution heals that too.
• Remission of the eternal punishment due to mortal sin.
• Remission, at least in part, of the temporal punishment due to sin.
• Peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation.
• Strength for the fight against sin. Absolution looks forward as well as back.

Notice that feelings aren't on the list. Some people walk out light as air, and some feel nothing at all. Both are forgiven.

What do I need to receive absolution?

The sacrament is made up of the priest's absolution and three acts of the penitent: sorrow for sin, confession of sins to the priest, and the intention to make amends (CCC 1491). In practice:

1. Contrition. Real sorrow for your sins, with the intention not to commit them again. Sorrow that comes mainly from fear of punishment is enough in Confession (CCC 1453). We explain the difference in perfect and imperfect contrition.
2. Confession. Tell the priest all the mortal sins you remember since your last good Confession, with roughly how many times (CCC 1456; Code of Canon Law, can. 988 §1). Confessing venial sins is recommended but not required.
3. Satisfaction. Accept the penance the priest gives you and do it. Absolution doesn't wait for it: you're forgiven when he says the words, and you do the penance afterwards. See penance after Confession.

Look at what isn't required. You don't need to feel a certain way, remember the Act of Contrition word for word, or be sure you'll never fall again. You need to be sorry and mean to change.

Can a priest refuse absolution?

Rarely. A priest can delay absolution only when the person doesn't seem sorry or shows no intention of turning from a serious sin. Someone who plans to keep doing something gravely wrong and sees no problem with it isn't yet asking to be forgiven. Church law tells confessors that when they have no doubt about the penitent's disposition and the penitent asks for absolution, it is not to be refused or deferred (can. 980).

Struggling with a habit is a different thing. If you want to stop and you're afraid you'll fall again, you are the person absolution is for. Say so to the priest. He'll likely give you advice along with your penance.

Is the absolution at Mass the same thing?

No. Near the start of Mass, the penitential act ends with the priest praying, "May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life." The Church's instructions for Mass call this an absolution, but they also say it lacks the power of the sacrament of Penance (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 51). It's a good prayer for forgiveness of everyday sins. It doesn't take the place of Confession for mortal sins.

There is also a rare form of sacramental absolution given to a whole group at once, in emergencies. We explain when it's allowed in general absolution.

What should I do after absolution?

Say "Amen" and thank God. The priest may dismiss you with "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good," and you answer, "For his mercy endures for ever." Or he may simply say, "Go in peace."

Do your penance soon, ideally before you leave the church. Then let your sins go. The ones you confessed are forgiven, and you don't need to confess them again or keep turning them over at night. If you'd like words for those first minutes, try one of these prayers after Confession, kneel for a moment, and go home lighter.