use the form: "I absolve
thee," but: "May Christ absolve thee."

Obj. 5: Further, some explain this form by stating that when they
say: "I absolve thee," they mean "I declare you to be absolved." But
neither can this be done by a priest unless it be revealed to him by
God, wherefore, as we read in Matt. 16:19 before it was said to
Peter: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth," etc., it was said to
him (Matt. 16:17): "Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh
and blood have not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in
heaven." Therefore it seems presumptuous for a priest, who has
received no revelation on the matter, to say: "I absolve thee," even
if this be explained to mean: "I declare thee absolved."

_On the contrary,_ As our Lord said to His disciples (Matt. 28:19):
"Going . . . teach ye all nations, baptizing them," etc., so did He
say to Peter (Matt. 16:19): "Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth,"
etc. Now the priest, relying on the authority of those words of
Christ, says: "I baptize thee." Therefore on the same authority he
should say in this sacrament: "I absolve thee."

_I answer that,_ The perfection of a thing is ascribed to its form.
Now it has been stated above (A. 1, ad 2) that this sacrament is
perfected by that which is done by the priest. Wherefore the part
taken by the penitent, whether it consist of words or deeds, must
needs be the matter of this sacrament, while the part taken by the
priest, takes the place of the form.

Now since the sacraments of the New Law accomplish what they signify,
as stated above (Q. 62, A. 1, ad 1), it behooves the sacramental form
to signify the sacramental effect in a manner that is in keeping with
the matter. Hence the form of Baptism is: "I baptize thee," and the
form of Confirmation is: "I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and
I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation," because these
sacraments are perfected in the use of their matter: while in the
sacrament of the Eucharist, which consists in the very consecration
of the matter, the reality of the consecration is expressed in the
words: "This is My Body."

Now this sacrament, namely the sacrament of Penance, consists not in
the consecration of a matter, nor in the use of a hallowed matter,
but rather in the removal of a certain matter, viz. sin, in so far as
sins are said to be the matter of Penance, as explained above (A. 2).
This removal is expressed by the priest saying: "I absolve thee":
b