I asked this same question and didn’t get much answer except that in trent it says that the words of absolution, “I absolve you from your sins” must be present.I went to confession yesterday, I didn’t hear the priest gave me the absolution, except the part …Holy Spirit, Amen." I asked him whether he gave the absolution, he said yes. Mortal sin involved. My question is, can I receive the Holy Communion at mass this week?
CHAPTER III.
On the parts, and on the fruit of this Sacrament.
I am not sure how the dynamics of the Sacrament work if these conditions are not met. As I understand, for every Sacrament there are the “matter” and “form”. The Matter of the Sacrament of hte Eucharist are the bread and the wine. The form is the rite of the Eucharist ( the words ( “this is my body…” and I would imagine the Epiclesis(the invocation of the Holy Spirit) too)The holy synod doth furthermore teach, that the form of the sacrament of penance, wherein its force principally consists, is placed in those words of the minister,*** I absolve thee***, &c: to which words indeed certain prayers are, according to the custom of holy Church, laudably joined, which nevertheless by no means regard the essence of that form, neither are they necessary for the administration of the sacrament itself. But** the acts of the penitent himself, to wit, contrition, confession and satisfaction, are as it were the MATTER of this sacrament**. Which acts, inasmuch as they are, by God’s institution, required in the penitent for the integrity of the sacrament, and for the full and perfect remission of sins, are for this reason called the parts of penance. But the thing signified indeed and the effect of this sacrament, as far as regards its force and efficacy, is reconciliation with God, which sometimes, in persons who are pious and who receive this sacrament with devotion, is wont to be followed by peace and serenity of conscience, with exceed ing consolation of spirit. The holy Synod, whilst delivering these things touching the parts and the effect of this sacrament, condemns at the same time the opinions of those who contend, that, the terrors which agitate the conscience, and faith, are the parts of penance.
Actually, the matter is the sins of the penitent, and the form is the words of the priest, “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”INow for confession, most people would say that the “matter” is the words of the priest, “I absolve thee”, and that the “form” would be your sins. On the surface this does make sense, but it doesn’t make sense theologically. It turns out that the form is actually your sorrow and contrition.
Actually, the matter is the sins of the penitent, and the form is the words of the priest, “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
That’s one reason that in a devotional confession, one must mention some sin from the past in order for the absolution to have matter to work on.
If your priest said “…Holy Spirit. Amen,” I think it is safe to assume that he said the rest that comes before it. Vince2Paul, you spend a lot of time worrying about liturgical irregularities and such. You would do well to cultivate an attitude of trust and thanksgiving for what Our Lord does for you through the Church.
Betsy
Matter and Form
src: newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htmAccording to St. Thomas (Summa, III, lxxiv, a. 2) “the acts of the penitent are the proximate matter of this sacrament”. This is also the teaching of Eugenius IV in the “Decretum pro Armenis” (Council of Florence, 1439) which calls the act’s “quasi materia” of penance and enumerates them as contrition, confession, and satisfaction (Denzinger-Bannwart, “Enchir.”, 699). The Thomists in general and other eminent theologians, e.g., Bellarmine, Toletus, Francisco Suárez, and De Lugo, hold the same opinion. According to Scotus (In IV Sent., d. 16, q. 1, n. 7) “the Sacrament of Penance is the absolution imparted with certain words” while the acts of the penitent are required for the worthy reception of the sacrament. The absolution as an external ceremony is the matter, and, as possessing significant force, the form. Among the advocates of this theory are St. Bonaventure, Capreolus, Andreas Vega, and Maldonatus. The Council of Trent (Sess. XIV, c. 3) declares: "the acts of the penitent, namely contrition, confession, and satisfaction, are the quasi materia of this sacrament". The Roman Catechism used in 1913 (II, v, 13) says: “These actions are called by the Council quasi materia not because they have not the nature of true matter, but because they are not the sort of matter which is employed externally as water in baptism and chrism in confirmation”. For the theological discussion see Palmieri, op. cit., p. 144 sqq.; Pesch, “Praelectiones dogmaticae”, Freiburg, 1897; De San, “De poenitentia”, Bruges, 1899; Pohle, “Lehrb. d. Dogmatik”. Regarding the form of the sacrament, both the Council of Florence and the Council of Trent teach that it consists in the words of absolution. “The form of the Sacrament of penance, wherein its force principally consists, is placed in those words of the minister: “I absolve thee, etc.”; to these words indeed, in accordance with the usage of Holy Church, certain prayers are laudably added, but they do not pertain to the essence of the form nor are they necessary for the administration of the sacrament” (Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, c. 3). Concerning these additional prayers, the use of the Eastern and Western Churches, and the question whether the form is deprecatory or indicative and personal, see ABSOLUTION. Cf. also the writers referred to in the preceding paragraph.