Absolution

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absolution. The formal act of a bishop or priest pronouncing the forgiveness of sins by Christ to penitent sinners. A formula of absolution is included in many liturgical acts of worship, but according to traditional Catholic belief, mortal (or grave) sins are normally absolved only in the Sacrament of Penance. The need for a formal absolution by an ordained minister is commonly denied among Protestants who generally do not ascribe any sacramental force to such an absolution. The indicative form of absolution (‘I absolve you’) is used in the W. for individuals; the precatory form, in which the priest formally prays that God will absolve an individual or congregation, is used for absolutions in the course of the liturgy and in the E. also for individuals.

Absolution. The statement and the enactment of the forgiveness of sins, and of release from them. It is a sacrament in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox (Gk., metanoia, exomologesis) Churches, with absolution being pronounced by a priest or bishop. In Russian Orthodoxy, the form of absolution is in the form of a prayer (precatory), ‘May our Lord and God Jesus Christ forgive you’, followed by the statement (indicative), ‘I, n., through the power given to me by him, forgive you and absolve you.…’ In the Catholic tradition, the indicative form became standard from the time of the Council of Trent onward. When the rite of penance was revised after Vatican II, a precatory form was added.

absolution Formal rite carried out by a Christian priest in which repentant sinners are forgiven the sins they have confessed. The rite is based on the authority given by Christ to his apostles to forgive sins. See also confession; penance

ab·so·lu·tion / ˌabsəˈloōshən/ • n. formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment. ∎  an ecclesiastical declaration of forgiveness of sins.

absolution XII. — (O)F. — L. absolūtiō, -ōn-, f. absolūt-, pp. stem of absolvere free, acquit (whence absolve XV), f. AB- + solvere SOLVE, rendering Gr. apolúein.

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