Absolution is what the priest pronounces over you after you’ve confessed your sins. He prays for God’s mercy on you and then, by the authority Christ gave His Church, absolves you. The authority is Christ’s, not the priest’s own.
This happens at the end of the Mystery of Confession, which we also call Holy Repentance. You’ve just told the priest your sins. He’s listened, maybe asked a question or two, and given you some counsel or a small penance to help you grow. Now comes the moment when he places his epitrachelion, that’s the stole he wears, over your head and prays the Prayer of Absolution.
At St. Michael, the priest pronounces the absolution in the first person, as the Antiochian service book gives it: “…I, an unworthy priest, through the power given unto me, forgive and absolve…”
The first-person form doesn’t mean the priest is exercising his own authority. He calls himself unworthy, and he speaks “through the power given unto me,” the authority Christ gave His apostles and, through them, the Church. He absolves as the Church’s minister, by Christ’s authority, not his own.
The Priest as Witness and Physician
Think of the priest as a spiritual doctor. You come to him sick with sin. You tell him your symptoms. He listens, diagnoses, prescribes treatment. Then he administers the medicine, which is Christ’s forgiveness given through the Church. The priest doesn’t manufacture the medicine. He dispenses what Christ provides.
This is why the priest stands slightly to the side during confession in most Orthodox churches. You’re not confessing to him personally. You’re confessing to God, and he’s the witness. The icon of Christ is right there in front of you as a reminder. But the priest’s presence isn’t optional or just for accountability. Christ gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins, and that authority has been passed down through apostolic succession. The priest exercises that authority sacramentally when he prays the absolution over you.
Without genuine repentance, though, the prayer does nothing. You can’t game the system. God knows your heart. If you’re not actually sorry, if you’re not trying to change, the words the priest says are just words. The Mystery requires your participation.
Why We Need This
Some of you may be wondering, especially if you grew up Baptist or non-denominational here in Southeast Texas. Why can’t I just confess directly to God? Why do I need a priest involved?
You can confess directly to God. We do that all the time in our personal prayers. But the Church practices sacramental confession because Christ instituted it. He breathed on the apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” That’s a commission, a task He gave to the Church, not just a nice metaphor.
There’s also something healing about saying your sins out loud to another human being. Shame lives in darkness and silence. When you speak your sins aloud, when another person hears them and doesn’t recoil in horror but offers you counsel and prays for your forgiveness, something breaks. The isolation ends. You’re not alone with your guilt anymore.
And you get guidance. The priest knows you. He knows your struggles. He can tell you, “Here’s where I see a pattern,” or “Try this prayer rule for a few weeks,” or “You need to reconcile with that person.” You don’t get that from private confession in your bedroom.
The absolution itself brings peace. Some people weep with relief when they hear those words prayed over them. The burden lifts. Your conscience is cleansed. You walk out of that confession feeling lighter, freer, ready to start again. That’s not just psychological. It’s grace, actual grace, given through the Mystery.
What Happens Next
After the priest prays the absolution, you kiss the cross and the Gospel book, and that’s it. You’re forgiven. You go back to your pew or head home. The priest is bound by the seal. What you told him stays between you, him, and God.
You might have a small penance to work on. Maybe he told you to read Psalm 51 every day for a week, or to apologize to someone, or to give alms. That’s not punishment. It’s medicine, something to help you heal and grow. Do it.
And then you keep going. Confession isn’t a one-time thing. We’re not “saved” in one moment and done. We’re being saved, continually, and that means we’ll be back in confession again. Monthly is common for many Orthodox Christians. Some go more often, some less. Your priest will guide you.
If you’ve never been to confession and you’re thinking about it, talk to Fr. Michael. He’ll walk you through it. It’s not scary. It’s one of the most freeing things you’ll ever do.
