The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""408 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained."these words do not mean that the minister receiverby the imposing of the Bishop s hands, the power offorgiving sin, they mean nothing at all. And whenthe Bishop pronounces this sentence, either heintends to convey this power of absolution, or hedoes not. If he intended to confer this power, becould not employ more clear and precise languageto express his idea ;if he did not intend to conferthis power, then his islanguage calculated to mislead.Just imagine that prelate addressing a candidatefor Holy Orders, in the morning, with the words :Whose sins thou dost forgive they are forgiven ;and after divine service, saying to the young minister :Remember, sir, you have no power to forgivesins. The words of ordination are a mere figure ofspeech.When a Catholic Bishop ordains priests, he usesthe precise words which I have quoted, because theBook of Common Prayer borrows them from ourPontifical. But he means exactly what he says,viz. : That the Priest receives through the ministration of the Bishop the power of forgiving sins.To sum up: We have seen that tjie Sacramentof Penance and absolution by the priest is taughtin Scripture; proclaimed by the Fathers; upheldnot only by Roman Catholics throughout the world,but also by all the schismatic Christians of the East ;If1The Ordering of Priests.