Latin absolution

[katy]

I went to Confession to a priest who is a member of an order that says the indult Latin mass. He also said the prayers before absolution and the absolution itself in Latin. He asked me to go ahead and say the Act of Contrition as he began. OK, fine, I recognize Ego te absolvo, and am certain he did what he was supposed to, but was he saying exactly the same thing in Latin as the priest says in English now? If not, what was he saying, and why say the Act of Contrition at the same time? Just quite curious.

 

[NetNuncio]

*Deus, Pater misericordiarum,
qui per mortem et resurrectionem Fílii 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.

=

*God, the Father of mercies,
who through the death and resurrection of His own Son
reconciled the world to Himself
and poured out the Holy Spirit
for the forgiveness of sins,

through the ministry of the Church
may He grant to you pardon and peace…

And I absolve you from your sins*,
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

So yes, the prayer is the same.
*

 

[katy]

Thank you very much for the info!!!

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Now that you have that much in Latin, how does one begin a confession in Latin?

Typically we start with something like, “Father, forgive me for I have sinned”. I know there are different openers, but what would a comparable latin opener be?

I have found the Act of Contrition online in Latin:

**Actus Contritionis - Act of Contrition
**Deus meus, ex toto corde poenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum, eaque detestor, quia peccando, non solum poenas a Te iuste statutas promeritus sum, sed praesertim quia offendi Te, summum bonum, ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris. Ideo firmiter propono, adiuvante gratia Tua, de cetero me non peccaturum peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum. Amen.

 

[katy]

My part was as you described, in English. I don’t really know Latin anyway, just phrases. The priest only said the absolution and the prayer preceeding it in Latin. Do you begin in a different way now than when you were younger?

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

katy:

My part was as you described, in English. I don’t really know Latin anyway, just phrases. The priest only said the absolution and the prayer preceeding it in Latin. Do you begin in a different way now than when you were younger?

No, I’ve been just trying to learn Latin by using it. For example, the Act of Contrition above, just pondering it and using some of the core words I already know, I can understand it for the most part.

I’ve got some Latin books, but just need to get off these forums so I can take time to study it formally. I was just wondering if there is a way that one can begin a confession by expressing themselves in Latin for the opener.

 

[twiztedseraph]

Man i wish priest’s did it in latin that way I wouldn’t have to cart my self over to the sacristy and bother a busy priest to hear confession because one of his colleagues figured he’d mess with a sacrament.

 

[katy]

I just went that way because it was convenient at a time when I got myself together to go. This parish has confessions 1/2 hour before daily masses and 45 min. before weekend masses. Sometimes it’s the Latin indult priest and sometimes the English pastor. I took potluck, so to speak. I am planning to attend a class in ecclesiastical Latin at the same parish this school year. So maybe I will learn more then. I can see that using Latin would prevent various language problems concerning translation.

 

[MeaCulpa]

As long as I can remember and that was way before Vatican II, confession was always given in the language of your country and absolution was given in Latin. No one is or was expected to confess in Latin.

 

[HagiaSophia]

MeaCulpa:

. No one is or was expected to confess in Latin.

Nor did I ever hear of anyone saying the Act of Contrition in anything but their vernacular.

 

[katy]

Why was it that he asked me to go ahead and say the Act of Contrition as he was saying the preliminary prayer? He made sure I heard the actual absolution part all by itself.