oned His
priests and gave them the power to forgive sins, and whatever they do in
the Sacrament of Penance He Himself does. At the very moment the priest
pronounces the words of absolution on earth his sentence is ratified in
Heaven and the sins of the penitent are blotted out.

It may increase your veneration for the Sacrament to know the precise
manner in which absolution is given. After the confession and giving of
the penance, the priest first prays for the sinner, saying: "May
Almighty God have mercy on you, and, your sins being forgiven, bring you
to life everlasting. Amen." Then, raising his right hand over the
penitent, he says: "May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon,
absolution, and remission of your sins. Amen." Then he continues: "May
Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you, and I, by His authority, absolve you
from every bond of excommunication and interdict, as far as I have power
and you stand in need. Then I absolve you from your sins, in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." At these last
words he makes the Sign of the Cross over the penitent. In conclusion he
directs to God a prayer in behalf of the penitent in the following
words: "May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of the
Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, and whatsoever good you may
have done or evil you may have suffered, be to you unto the remission of
your sins, the increase of grace, and the recompense of everlasting
life. Amen." Then the priest says, "God bless you," "Go in peace," or
some other expression showing his delight at your reconciliation with
God.

*189 Q. How do you know that the priest has the power of absolving from
the sins committed after Baptism?
A. I know that the priest has the power of absolving from sins committed
after Baptism, because Jesus Christ granted that power to the priests of
His Church when He said: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you
shall forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they
are retained."

Every Christian knows Our Lord Himself had power to forgive sins:--(1)
because He was God, and (2) because He often did forgive them while on
earth, and proved that He did by performing some miracle; as, for
example (Mark 2; John 5), when He cured the poor men who had been sick
and suffering for many years, He said to them, "Thy sins are forgiven
thee; arise, take up thy bed, and walk," and the men did so. Since Our
Lord