Prayer Book

The Prayer Book tells people about the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the first of the Long Exhortations in the Eucharist.  After speaking about self-examination, it goes on, “…if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned Minister of God’s Word, and open his grief (make his Confession); that by the ministry of God’s holy Word he may receive the benefit of absolution (forgiveness), together with ghostly (spiritual) counsel and advice, to the quieting of his conscience, and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness”. (3)

The actual Sacrament of Reconciliation, being private and not public, is tucked away in the Visitation of the Sick.  “Here”, it says, “shall the sick person be moved (urged) to make a special confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter (serious sin – gravis res).  After which confession the Priest shall absolve him…after this sort.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences: And by his authority committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  Amen.” (4)

Common Worship

In Common Worship, orders for the Reconciliation of a Penitent “may be appropriately used when a person’s conscience is burdened with a particular sin, when a person wishes to make a new beginning in the Christian life, or as part of a regular personal discipline”.  Common Worship explains that the “reconciliation of a penitent, even when celebrated privately, remains a corporate action of the Church, because sin affects the unity of the body; through the absolution the penitent is restored to full fellowship in Christ”. (5)

Common Worship has several different forms of absolution, including the following which is a modern language version of the Prayer Book form:

“Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has left power to his Church to absolve all sinners
who truly repent and believe in him,
of his great mercy forgive you your offences:
and by his authority committed to me,
I absolve you from all your sins,
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen”. (6)