General absolution at a home Mass

[jmpoppy]

I recently attented a Sunday Mass in a private home. During the Mass and before the consecration the priest blessed the congregation and gave everyone present absolution of their sins.
I have never before heard of this being done, especially during a Mass. I am pretty sure that all present may have thought that even mortal sins were forgiven. I could find no reference to this type of absolution in the Catholic catechism. What is the answer to this perplexing situation?

Thanks,
John

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

General absolution is one of the forms of the sacrament of Reconciliation. However, it is to be used only in rare circumstances.

Per the USCCB web site the three forms for Reconciliation are:

The Rite for the Reconciliation of Individual Penitents—“The first [form] is the reconciliation of an individual . . . with a new emphasis on the demand for personal dispositions and on the relationship to the word of God. . . . This form of reconciliation is the accustomed one, but enriched by a greater awareness, seriousness, listening, and so to speak, by a new outpouring of divine love and our own inexpressible joy in the knowledge of being restored to divine life. . . .”​

The Rite for the Reconciliation of Several Penitents—“The second way of reconciliation is that of a communal preparation followed by individual confession and absolution. It combines the two values of being a community act and a personal act. It is a preferable form of reconciliation for our people when it is possible but it usually presupposes the presence of many ministers of the sacrament and this is not always easy.”​

The Rite for the Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Absolution—“Then there is the third way, a collective form of reconciliation with a single, general absolution. This form, however, is by way of exception, of necessity, in cases sanctioned by the bishops, and with the continuing obligation of individual [confession] of grave sins, that is, mortal sins, at a later time.”​

The first form is what I think of as the traditional form. You go as an individual to a priest for confession.

The second form is a communal reconciliation service. Many people come together to pray before confessing their sins individually.

The third form is general absolution. You’ll note that it says it is 'by way of exception, of necessity, in cases sanctioned by the bishops…" The same document goes on to say this about general absolution:

Such absolution is in fact “exceptional in character” and “cannot be imparted in a general manner unless: (1) the danger of death is imminent and there is not time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents; [or] (2) a grave necessity exists, that is, when in light of the number of penitents a supply of confessors is not readily available to hear the confessions of individuals in an appropriate way within an appropriate time, so that the penitents would be deprived of sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time through no fault of their own; it is not considered sufficient necessity if confessors cannot be readily available only because of the great number of penitents, as can occur on the occasion of some great feast or pilgrimage” (Code of Canon Law [CIC], c. 961 §1).10

Also note in the first quote above, that after general absolution there is a “continuing obligation of individual [confession] of grave sins, that is, mortal sins, at a later time.”

 

[benedictgal]

Actually, what the priest did was not licit at all. The Australian bishops got taken to the sacramental woodshed by Pope John Paul II because of this matter. This resulted in the promulgation, in the Year 2000, of the Circular Letter Concerning the Integrity of the Sacrament of Penance:

1. In giving consideration to the authenitic discipline of the Church concerning “general absolution”, the recent interdicasterial meeting of the Roman Curia with a representation of Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Australia noted that:

. . . communal celebrations have not infrequently occasioned an illegitimate use of general absolution. This illegitimate use, like other abuses in the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, is to be eliminated.

The teaching of the Church is reflected in precise terms in the requirements of the Code of Canon Law (cf. esp. canons 959-964). In particular it is clear that “A sufficient necessity is not … considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage” (canon 961, § 1, 2°).

The bishops will exercise renewed vigilance on these matters for the future, aware that departures from the authentic tradition do great wrong to the Church and to individual Catholics.10

1. With respect to the administration of “general absolution”, the exclusive authority enjoyed by diocesan bishops to determine whether a grave necessity is truly present in a given case in their diocese 11 does not permit them "to change the required conditions, to substitute other conditions for those given, or to determine grave necessity according to their personal criteria however worthy."12 Indeed, the Diocesan Bishop makes "this judgment graviter onerata conscientia, and with full respect for the law and the practice of the Church."13

Perhaps you are confusing the prayer that the priest says after the Confiteor where he says:

May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

That is not general absolution. But, in any case, from what you described, what happened at this “home” Mass was not licit; unless, of course, you were in a location where persecution of the Church was rampant and expression of the Faith carried an automatic death sentence, or, if you were faced with a national disaster where survival may not have been likely.

Please don’t think I’m being rude. It’s just that there are conditions that must be met in order for General Absolution to be granted. What was described in the OP doesn’t fit the bill, not by a long-shot.

 

[jmpoppy]

Thank you for the answers to my question. I am familiar with the three general rites of absolution. Unfortunetly none of those three
situations prevailed at this home Mass. It seems that this was not a licit absolution but I guess we must let the Lord decide.

Thanks,
John

 

[John_Hiner]

I recently attented a Sunday Mass in a private home. During the Mass and before the consecration the priest blessed the congregation and gave everyone present absolution of their sins.
I have never before heard of this being done, especially during a Mass. I am pretty sure that all present may have thought that even mortal sins were forgiven. I could find no reference to this type of absolution in the Catholic catechism. What is the answer to this perplexing situation?

Thanks,
John

Laudatur Iesus Christus.

Is a Mass in a private home licit itself? What conditions apply?

This idea surprised me, because of this paragraph:

“The celebration of the Eucharist is to be carried out in a sacred place, unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise. In this case the celebration must be in a decent place.” The diocesan Bishop shall be the judge for his diocese concerning this necessity, on a case-by-case basis. (Congregation for Divine Worship, Redemptionis Sacramentum, (2004), 108.)

What was the occasion for the Mass?

It sounds like an exciting religious life: Mass out of the public eye, general absolution on threat of imminent death. What is going on in St. Louis?

Spiritus Sapientiae nobiscum.

John Hiner

 

[benedictgal]

Thank you for the answers to my question. I am familiar with the three general rites of absolution. Unfortunetly none of those three
situations prevailed at this home Mass. It seems that this was not a licit absolution but I guess we must let the Lord decide.

Thanks,
John

Actually, I don’t think any of us caught the crux of the issue. What a prevoius poster described was the three forms of the Sacrament of Penance. What the OP described was something that was embedded within the context of the Mass.

In the Penitential Rite of the Mass, there are three forms. This is a good explanation of the Rite from the Liturgy section of the ZENIT website:

There is no musical notation provided for the “I confess” of the first form of the penitential rite. It would appear that when this form is used it is intended that all recite it rather than sing it.

The second form of the penitential rite — “Lord, we have sinned against you” — receives a complete musical accompaniment in the new Roman Missal which means that it may also be sung in the vernacular according to any setting approved by the episcopal conference or the local bishop.

In both of these forms the penitential rite is always followed by the “Kyrie” (“Lord / Christ / Lord have mercy”) which should be sung whenever possible. It may be sung according to any Gregorian or approved vernacular setting, of which there are many.

The priest may intone the first part of each “Lord / Christ have mercy” with the people responding. If necessary he may be substituted by a cantor or by the choir.

The third form of the penitential rite incorporates the “Kyrie” within it, preceded each time by a brief invocation. Many variant texts of the invocations before the “Lord / Christ / Lord have mercy” are found in the vernacular missals, often adapted to the liturgical season.

What the OP described doesn’t seem to have followed the normal format for the Mass. Furthermore, the Mass has no provisions for General Absolution, unless, as I noted in my post, the OP were to have lived during the time of Blessed Miguel Pro when the Mexican regime was killing Catholics left and right, sometimes right in the middle of Mass.

John is right on target regarding his observation of the issue of the “home” Mass.

 

[jmpoppy]

The absolution given had nothing to do with the penitential rite. It occured after the homily but before the sign of peace. To paraphrase what was said: “I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This occured at a family reunion in the home of the priest’s reletives.

John

 

[benedictgal]

The absolution given had nothing to do with the penitential rite. It occured after the homily but before the sign of peace. To paraphrase what was said: “I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This occured at a family reunion in the home of the priest’s reletives.

John

This was still wrong, regardless of where he inserted it. Only the bishop has the aurhority to grant general absolution and only under the most severe of conditions.

 

[Seatuck]

The absolution given had nothing to do with the penitential rite. It occured after the homily but before the sign of peace. To paraphrase what was said: “I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This occured at a family reunion in the home of the priest’s reletives.

John

It wasn’t valid . Everyone who needs to needs to go to individual confession.

General absolution reserved for extreme conditions like a battlefield, a plane in distress, some of the conditions in China where they cannot possibly go to individual confession. One of the qualifiers of general absolution is that if you survive the incident you go to individual confession as soon as possible.

zenit.org/article-15344?l=english