"... I absolve you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." - these were the concluding words of the absolution I heard pronounced over me in the confessional this morning. Now, I know that they should have been preceded by the phrase "in the name of the"; my question is, was the actual form used sufficient for validity?
(I should add that there was a short but distinct pause between the Name of Each Person of the Trinity; while I was kneeling behind the screen, I had moral certainty that the priest was making the sign of the cross as he said these words: hence the slight pauses I heard.)
It seemed to me that the words "in the name of" are to be understood as implied - it would be ridiculous to suppose that the priest was using the vocative and attempting to absolve the Trinity!
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I left the confessional, knelt down at the back of the church and said five Pater's and five Ave's as was my penance, then prayed the O sacrum convivium with versicle and collect (as a spiritual communion), and went out into the city restored.
Oh, and I'm planning a trip to New Zealand in late May and early June: I went and saw the travel agent later on in the morning.
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