The bishops of Italy allow general absolution at Christmas due to the pandemic

The Catholic bishops of north-eastern Italy affirmed that the risk of illness in the midst of the ongoing pandemic constitutes a "grave necessity" that allows priests to confer the sacrament of reconciliation under the "Third form", also called general absolution, before and during the Christmas period.

General absolution is a form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation that can be imparted, as defined by canon law, only at times when death is believed to be imminent and there is no time to hear the confessions of individual penitents, or to another “grave necessity. "

The Apostolic Penitentiary, a department of the Roman Curia, issued a note in March stating that it believed that during the COVID-19 pandemic there were cases that would have constituted a serious need, and therefore made general absolution lawful, "especially in those affected by the pandemic contagion and until the phenomenon subsides. "

A penitent who receives absolution in this way - sometimes known as collective absolution - must also individually confess his mortal sins whenever possible.

The Triveneto Episcopal Conference said last week that it had decided to allow the administration of the sacrament in this way in their dioceses from December 16 to January 6, 2021 "due to a series of objective difficulties and also to avoid other infections and further risks to the health of the faithful and ministers of the sacrament “.

The decision was made in consultation with the Apostolic Penitentiary, responsible for matters relating to the forgiveness of sins.

The bishops stressed the importance of keeping community penitential celebrations separate from Mass and of giving adequate instruction on the "extraordinary nature of the form adopted for the sacrament".

They also encouraged to teach Catholics "the gift of God's forgiveness and mercy, the sense of sin and the need for a real and continuous conversion with the invitation to participate - as soon as possible - in the sacrament itself in tradition and in the ordinary. ways and forms ”, that is, individual confession.

The Triveneto is a historic area in northeastern Italy which now includes three modern regions. It includes the cities of Verona, Padua, Venice, Bolzano and Trieste. The area is sometimes also referred to as Northeast or Tre Venezie.