n all our trials and to
whom we can confide our secrets with the hope of obtaining advice and
relief.

Q. 725. {188} How does the Sacrament of Penance remit sin, and restore
to the soul the friendship of God?
A. The Sacrament of Penance remits sin and restores the friendship of
God to the soul by means of the absolution of the priest.

Q. 726. What is Absolution?
A. Absolution is the form of prayer or words the priest pronounces over
us with uplifted hand when he forgives the sins we have confessed. It is
given while we are saying the Act of Contrition after receiving our
Penance.

Q. 727. Does the priest ever refuse absolution to a penitent?
A. The priest must and does refuse absolution to a penitent when he
thinks the penitent is not rightly disposed for the Sacrament. He
sometimes postpones the absolution till the next confession, either for
the good of the penitent or for the sake of better
preparation--especially when the person has been a long time from
confession.

Q. 728. What should a person do when the priest has refused or postponed
absolution?
A. When the priest has refused or postponed absolution, the penitent
should humbly submit to his decision, follow his instructions, and
endeavor to remove whatever prevented the giving of the absolution and
return to the same confessor with the necessary dispositions and
resolution of amendment.

Q. 729. Can the priest forgive all sins in the Sacrament of Penance?
A. The priest has the power to forgive all sins in the Sacrament of
Penance, but he may not have the authority to forgive all. To forgive
sins validly in the Sacrament of Penance, two things are required: (1)
The power to forgive sins which every priest receives at his ordination,
and (2) the right to use that power which must be given by the bishop,
who authorizes the priest to hear confessions and pass judgment on the
sins.

Q. 730. What are the sins called which the priest has no authority to
absolve?
A. The sins which the priest has no authority to absolve are called
reserved sins. Absolution from these sins can be obtained only from the
bishop, and sometimes only from the Pope, or by his special permission.
Persons having a reserved sin to confess cannot be absolved from any of
their sins till the priest receives faculties or authority to absolve
the reserved sin also.

Q. 731. Why is the absolution from some sins reserved to the Pope or
bishop?
A. The absolution from some sins is reserved