Under Canon 144, if a priest confesses without proper faculties but the faithful reasonably believe he has them, what is the consequence?

Under Canon 144, if a priest confesses without proper faculties but the faithful reasonably believe he has them, what is the consequence?

• A. Absolution is invalid
• B. Absolution is valid because the Church supplies the authority
• C. The faithful must seek absolution elsewhere
• D. The bishop must confirm

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that the power to absolve in confession comes from the priest having proper faculties, but the law accommodates situations where the penitent is genuinely unaware of a deficiency. Canon 144 provides that if a priest lacks the required faculties yet the faithful reasonably believe he has them, the Church supplies the missing authority. Because the confession is received under the belief that the confessor is legitimately empowered, the absolution is valid. This protects the penitent’s conscience and salvation when a good-faith belief about the confessor’s authority exists. The bishop’s confirmation or the need to seek another priest aren’t required in this scenario, since the act of absolution stands as valid due to the Church supplying the necessary authority.

The main idea here is that the power to absolve in confession comes from the priest having proper faculties, but the law accommodates situations where the penitent is genuinely unaware of a deficiency. Canon 144 provides that if a priest lacks the required faculties yet the faithful reasonably believe he has them, the Church supplies the missing authority. Because the confession is received under the belief that the confessor is legitimately empowered, the absolution is valid. This protects the penitent’s conscience and salvation when a good-faith belief about the confessor’s authority exists. The bishop’s confirmation or the need to seek another priest aren’t required in this scenario, since the act of absolution stands as valid due to the Church supplying the necessary authority.