Absolution without Confession?

[ac_claire]

In preperation for my upcoming wedding, my dad approached the priest who regularly visits his nursing home and asked for confession. The priest asked how long it had been since his last confession and my dad said 50 years. The priest said something to the effect of “That’s ok, you don’t have to tell me anything, you just have to want to be forgiven” and he gave my dad absolution. There was no penance.

So…I think that the absolution is binding, but is it? And was there something wrong with this? And most importantly what needs to happen now? Is this sort of like a general absolution where my dad needs to go again and make a proper confession?

Thanks in advance for any insight/answers y’all can help me with.

 

[Trishie]

On a simply human level this seems insensitive of the priest as it fails to assure a sincere elderly man of peace. Whatever courage led the dear man to ask for confession and whatever he may have needed to get off his mind…the poor man was denied. Being elderly he might also have needed things to be done correctly to feel at peace. However, any of us who have sins to confess could feel hurt and confused by this. The priest may have been in a hurry…but he may need to re-think his pastoral approach.

Confession surely involves confessing? If there is any lack here it’s not on your Dad’s conscience but is the responsibility of the priest.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

That priest did your dad a great disservice. Whether the absolution was valid or not, I don’t know. But people need to be able to confess their sins out loud and to be SURE that they are forgiven.

My parents used to take my grandmother to those (illicit) penance services with general absolution without individual confession. When Grandma was close to death, she lay there wondering and worrying whether her sins had really been forgiven. No one should be put in that situation.

I would recommend that your dad make a real confession to a different priest.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

In preperation for my upcoming wedding, my dad approached the priest who regularly visits his nursing home and asked for confession. The priest asked how long it had been since his last confession and my dad said 50 years. The priest said something to the effect of “That’s ok, you don’t have to tell me anything, you just have to want to be forgiven” and he gave my dad absolution. There was no penance.

So…I think that the absolution is binding, but is it? And was there something wrong with this? And most importantly what needs to happen now? Is this sort of like a general absolution where my dad needs to go again and make a proper confession?

Thanks in advance for any insight/answers y’all can help me with.

f course the absolution was valid. Considering that your dad is in a nursing home, ?His access to Confession or the priests time while at the nursing home may be limited. That would be between your dad and the priest.

 

[ac_claire]

f course the absolution was valid. Considering that your dad is in a nursing home, ?His access to Confession or the priests time while at the nursing home may be limited. That would be between your dad and the priest.

Obviously the priest was busy or somehow short on time. That’s why I think it might be a good idea to call him back or call another priest to come visit him again.

My dad has been away from the Church for over 50 years, so he didn’t really know what to think. He was just like, “um, ok” lol. But this seems to me more like a general absolution that he received. And don’t those carry the stipulation that the person must go to a regular, proper confession if possible after receiving the general absolution?

 

[FrDavid96]

In preperation for my upcoming wedding, my dad approached the priest who regularly visits his nursing home and asked for confession. The priest asked how long it had been since his last confession and my dad said 50 years. The priest said something to the effect of “That’s ok, you don’t have to tell me anything, you just have to want to be forgiven” and he gave my dad absolution. There was no penance.

So…I think that the absolution is binding, but is it? And was there something wrong with this? And most importantly what needs to happen now? Is this sort of like a general absolution where my dad needs to go again and make a proper confession?

Thanks in advance for any insight/answers y’all can help me with.

Ac Claire,
Remember that absolution is a juridic act of the Church. In other words, it is the priest “pronouncing sentence” that the person has been absolved–pardoned so to speak. Forgiveness is very much related, but forgiveness itself comes directly from God.

If any priest pronounces absolution and uses the proper formula (I absolve you…) absolution has certainly occured–by definition. The forgivess of those sins depends upon the individual’s genuine desire to be forgiven (genuine, not perfect).

Since absolution is a juridic act of the Church, the priest has a certain “license” or “judgment” in how this is done in individual circumstances. That doesn’t mean the priest is at liberty to do whatever he pleases. The Church provides liturgical norms (“rules”) for the usual circumstances, and also for unusual circumstances (like when a person is literally at the moment of death). Not all circumstances can be addressed in the laws of the church (nor can any body of laws address every possible situation).

In a nursing home, here are some reasons why a priest might do what you’ve described:

The person is unable to make a verbal confession because the faculty of speech has failed, or speaking causes physical pain, or the speech cannot be understood by the priest, or because medical equipment gets in the way of speaking.

The person is unconscious.

The person has a disease (say Alzheimer’s) that would prevent him from making a proper confession because he cannot distinguish between what happened a long time ago and what happened a few minutes ago. Confession simply isn’t possible.

Because family, friends, or medical personnel are near the patient and it would be imprudent or even impossible to insist that they leave. Likewise if there’s a patient in the next bed and speaking aloud would violate the penitent’s privacy.

Whether or not any of that applies to your father, I don’t know, and I do not intend to speculate.
The reason I say that is to express that it is possible under some circumstances for a priest to give absolution without a verbal confession. That doesn’t mean it’s intended to be the norm, nor does it mean that a priest can simply do this whenever he feels like doing it. It does mean that the priest can do it if he has a very good reason for doing so.

I don’t know if that priest had a “very good reason” Apparently that priest felt at that moment that he did. And since he pronounced absolution, absolution happened.

If your dad is able to go to confession and speak his sins aloud to the priest, he should do so. Especially if he has a desire to confess. Absolution is one thing, and it happened.
The elements of confession are contrition, confession, satisfaction (penance), and absolution. Your father may have a spiritual need for the other three.

 

[mystified]

Would this not be similar to the circumstance where, in a hospital for example, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction relieves the penetent without a verbal confession?

 

[FrDavid96]

Would this not be similar to the circumstance where, in a hospital for example, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction relieves the penetent without a verbal confession?

Yes. Auricular confession is the norm, and is required if it’s possible, but common sense prevails, and if a person cannot make a confession for some legitimate reason, the Unction “takes the place of” auricular confession.

 

[ac_claire]

Thanks for all the replies, esp. Fr. David.

In a nursing home, here are some reasons why a priest might do what you’ve described:

The person is unable to make a verbal confession because the faculty of speech has failed, or speaking causes physical pain, or the speech cannot be understood by the priest, or because medical equipment gets in the way of speaking.

The person is unconscious.

The person has a disease (say Alzheimer’s) that would prevent him from making a proper confession because he cannot distinguish between what happened a long time ago and what happened a few minutes ago. Confession simply isn’t possible.

Because family, friends, or medical personnel are near the patient and it would be imprudent or even impossible to insist that they leave. Likewise if there’s a patient in the next bed and speaking aloud would violate the penitent’s privacy.

The reason for my concern is that none of these stipulations applied to my dad’s case. I have a suspicion that the priest might have been in a hurry, although I can’t say that for certain and I don’t want to be uncharitable. I only say that because of some other circumstances surrounding this particular parish where the priest came from. As you suggested, I think in my dad’s case he might have a spiritual need for confession and penance. Of course that’s not for me to judge, and I understand that the absolution was valid nonetheless. I’m going to tell my dad that if he wants, I’ll arrange another visit for him.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[puzzleannie]

In preperation for my upcoming wedding, my dad approached the priest who regularly visits his nursing home and asked for confession. The priest asked how long it had been since his last confession and my dad said 50 years. The priest said something to the effect of “That’s ok, you don’t have to tell me anything, you just have to want to be forgiven” and he gave my dad absolution. There was no penance.

Soh.

trying to figure out w/o prying how it comes you are party to this, since the entire conversation should have been absolutely confidential. and that worries me a lot more than how the priest absolved an elderly gentlement in the nursing home.

 

[thistle]

In preperation for my upcoming wedding, my dad approached the priest who regularly visits his nursing home and asked for confession. The priest asked how long it had been since his last confession and my dad said 50 years. The priest said something to the effect of “That’s ok, you don’t have to tell me anything, you just have to want to be forgiven” and he gave my dad absolution. There was no penance.

So…I think that the absolution is binding, but is it? And was there something wrong with this? And most importantly what needs to happen now? Is this sort of like a general absolution where my dad needs to go again and make a proper confession?

Thanks in advance for any insight/answers y’all can help me with.

Sorry but I seem to be missing something. How would you know what the priest said to your dad when Confession/Absolution is done in private?

 

[FrDavid96]

Thanks for all the replies, esp. Fr. David.

The reason for my concern is that none of these stipulations applied to my dad’s case. I have a suspicion that the priest might have been in a hurry, although I can’t say that for certain and I don’t want to be uncharitable. I only say that because of some other circumstances surrounding this particular parish where the priest came from. As you suggested, I think in my dad’s case he might have a spiritual need for confession and penance. Of course that’s not for me to judge, and I understand that the absolution was valid nonetheless. I’m going to tell my dad that if he wants, I’ll arrange another visit for him.

Thanks again, everyone!

Keep in mind that my list of possiblilities was just to show by way of example some ways that this might happen, not to provide a list of “exceptions” in the sense that one of these things must be met. It’s up to the pastoral judgment of the priest (keeping in mind that the priest himself must work within the teachings of the Church).

If you dad feels a need to go to confession to actually confess his sins aloud, then making arrangements for this to happen would indeed be the right and proper thing to do.

 

[jfallaw]

Obviously the priest was busy or somehow short on time. That’s why I think it might be a good idea to call him back or call another priest to come visit him again.

My dad has been away from the Church for over 50 years, so he didn’t really know what to think. He was just like, “um, ok” lol. But this seems to me more like a general absolution that he received. And don’t those carry the stipulation that the person must go to a regular, proper confession if possible after receiving the general absolution?

I always thought that the priest should at least ask the person to state any mortal sins they could remember and give an approximate number as to how many times they committed each one. Just saying, “You’re absolved” without knowing what he is absolving the man of doesn’t seem right.

 

[Holland]

That priest did your dad a great disservice. Whether the absolution was valid or not, I don’t know. But people need to be able to confess their sins out loud and to be SURE that they are forgiven.

I agree. I came back into the Catholic Church through my parent’s parish that does the Penance Service with general absolution on a regular basis with the permission of the Bishop. Not being able to say those sins out loud to a priest caused me a lot of pain and still does on occasion.

 

[ac_claire]

Sorry but I seem to be missing something. How would you know what the priest said to your dad when Confession/Absolution is done in private?

My dad told me. He was happy, but he didn’t quite know what had just happened when the priest left, so he told me.

 

[puzzleannie]

My dad told me. He was happy, but he didn’t quite know what had just happened when the priest left, so he told me.

no way to judge your dad’s condition but perhaps the priest felt, was told, or assumed your dad was not able, physically or mentally, to confess and simply wanted to assure him his sins are absolved. I would certainly not distress your father by suggesting otherwise, as this was a pastoral decision by the priest involving matter for confession.

 

[cirruslogic]

Good that your dad was happy. He should go to another priest if he were not. We must expect that priests are human and sometimes err. A good priest, I think, would be one who takes the time to listen to the lay person, give advice and then does absolution. I think one should understand the Sacrament of Reconciliation as being a Sacrement of inner healing, so that you know after, that you are freed from the slavery of sin. And you can most aptly do that if you examine your conscience, and confess all the sins that have prevented you from showing love to God and to one another.