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Saturday, August 10, 2019

SHOULD A PRIEST USE THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF ABSOLUTION TO REMOVE EXCOMMUNICATION AND INTERDICT?


In the Ordinary Form of the Sacrament, the prayer of absolution is:

God, the Father of mercies, (2 Cor. 1:3)
through the death and resurrection of His Son
has reconciled the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19; cf. Rom. 11:15; Col.1:20)
and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; (John 20:21-23)
through the ministry of the Church (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
may God give you pardon and peace, (Luke 7:50; Col. 1:14)
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, +
and of the Holy Spirit.


It is absolutely necessary for the priest to say the words in bold.

In the Extraordinary Form of the Sacrament (i.e. according to the liturgical books in use during the Second Vatican Council), the priest says:

May almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and lead you to everlasting life.
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, absolution, + and remission of your sins.
May our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you. And I by His authority release you from every bond of excommunication (suspension) and interdict, in so far as I am empowered and you have need. And now I absolve you from your sins; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.

It seems to me that the second form is more potent, no?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

No. The current form given by the authority of the Church is sufficient for the removal of excommunication and interdict.

Carol H. said...

More potent, yes!

As a penitent, the extraordinary formula has the "feel" of being scrubbed clean with a scrub-brush, while the ordinary formula has the "feel" of being rinsed with soapy water. I know that we cannot always rely on our feelings, but St. Ignatius taught that it can help with discernment in spiritual matters.

I know that both formulae would be legitimate, but I personally would prefer to hear the extraordinary one.