Going to confession? The priest will say something a little differently now
By FATHER DAREN ZEHNLE
Special to Catholic Times
You may have noticed that your confessor spoke a slightly different formula for sacramental absolution over the last several weeks. Perhaps you wondered about the different wording he used.
Why is there a change to the formula of absolution?
In 1973, the then-Congregation for Divine Worship published the Rite of Penance under the authority of a special mandate from the Roman Pontiff. Originally published in Latin, this liturgical book was translated into English in 1974. The translators of the English text used a translation method known as dynamic equivalence. Rather than producing a literal translation of the Latin text, they preferred to translate ideas which did not always produce an accurate translation. This translation was approved by the Holy See.
In 2001, the then-Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published the Instruction Liturgiam authenticam on the Use of Vernacular Languages in the Publication of the Books of the Roman Liturgy. This Instruction ordered the retranslation of the liturgical books according to a literal translation instead of the method of dynamic equivalence.
The retranslation of the Rite of Penance was completed 2022 and published this year as the Order of Penance.
What has changed in the formula of absolution?
There are two subtle changes in the formula of absolution, in addition to changes in formatting. You will find the former translation on the left and the new translation on the right, with the changes to the wording in bold:
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.
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, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
When does the change take place?
Confessors were allowed to begin using the revised translation this past Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22. The Order of Penance must be used beginning Divine Mercy Sunday, April 16.
What if my confessor continues to use the previous translation?
The essential words of absolution have not changed so if your confessor continues to use the old translation, the absolution will be valid. For a valid absolution, it is necessary for the priest to say, “I absolve you.” While it is recommended for a priest to say the entirety of the formula of absolution, it is not necessary for him to say the part that includes, “God, the Father of mercies … pardon and peace.
Father Daren Zehnle, J.C.L., K.C.H.S., is pastor at St. Augustine in Ashland; parochial administrator of St. Alexius in Beardstown, St. Fidelis in Arenzville, and St. Luke in Virginia; and is the director for the Office of Divine Worship and the Catechumenate for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.