ACTION ITEM! Form of absolution to CHANGE in 2023. OPPORTUNITY: Inform priests who have been screwing around with the form of absolution.

As of ASH WEDNESDAY – 22 February 2023 – the Novus Ordo form of absolution in English is to change slightly in these USA.

There has been an official tweak of the English translation of the Latin.

In 2021 the US Bishops voted for the new translation.  Rome approved it in April 2022.  It goes into effect in 2023.

I can foresee an ACTION ITEM by lay people.

Make sure that priests who are doing dodgy things with the form of absolution are informed about the correct form precisely because this change is going into effect.

It is an OPPORTUNITY to help some priests stop screwing about with the form of absolution.  If the priests resist, get authorities involved if they keep up their shenanigans.

New translation of the prayer of absolution incoming next year.

God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and poured out [Latin: effudit] the Holy Spirit [among us] for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church may God grant [Latin: tribuat] you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, [sign of the cross] and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

And here’s what the prayer was before:

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, [sign of the cross] and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

Use Latin and there is ZERO question of validity.

The Latin for the post-Conciliar form:

Deus, Pater misericordiarum, qui per mortem et resurrectionem Filii Sui mundum Sibi reconciliavit et Spiritum Sanctum effudit in remissionem peccatorum, per ministerium Ecclesiae indulgentiam tibi tribuat et pacem. Et ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

Priests of the Latin Church should know this Latin form of absolution by heart… yes, in Latin.

Here is the new form without my red inserts.  Note the cancellation:

New translation of the prayer of absolution incoming next year.  Changes underscored.

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 among us 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, [sign of the cross] and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

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, [sign of the cross] and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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6 Comments

  1. Gab says:

    ”remissionem peccatorum”. I wonder why this is not included in the N.O form?

  2. in remissionem peccatorum … for the forgiveness of sins”

  3. Nicholas Shaler says:

    Good to see this. This is a positive development well in line with the 2011 retranslation. That bore good fruit and helped the faithful better understand the Mass. Perhaps this will help refoster devotion to Penance.

  4. Gab says:

    in remissionem peccatorum … I always thought that translated to the remission of sins. Thank you for the correction, Father Z.

  5. Fr Richard Duncan CO says:

    I was once hearing the first confessions of children in our primary school. After I had given one child her penance, she said “Please say, ‘I absolve you from your sins’. I don’t know whether her parents had been reading your blog, but she had obviously been told that priests sometimes mess around with the formula for absolution!

  6. LOL!

    My work here is done.

    [mic drop]

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