Father Edward McNamara answers question on validity of confession

Father Edward McNamara stated that most experts consider a confession invalid if a priest says he forgives all sins instead of using the required phrase, I absolve you of your sins. McNamara, a Legionary of Christ and professor of liturgy and sacramental theology at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum University, provided this clarification in response to a question from a person in Calgary, Alberta.

The priest explained that while the Trinitarian invocation and other prayers are necessary for a licit celebration, they are not required for the sacrament to be valid. He noted that the expression I absolve you of your sins is traditionally viewed as the essential part of the formula that a priest may use alone during emergencies involving imminent danger of death. McNamara added that St. Thomas Aquinas and most classical manuals identified I absolve you as the core of the formula, though some argued that the words from your sins are also necessary.