Can I Forgive Sins?

[Michie]

(You are in the Catholic forum)

Recently, my grandson approached me with a question regarding forgiveness; it went something like this, “ Danny stole my skateboard. Two days later he returned it, saying that he found it in the street by his house. If I forgive him, is his sin forgiven?”

I thought that this was a pretty good question coming from a twelve year old, and I most certainly wanted to give him an appropriate answer. So, I did. I told him that when we forgive others, we are forgiving the person, but not the person’s sin. However, in my grandson’s mind the sinner and the sin are inseparable. So, I had to make a better distinction, as follows:

Yes, son, you forgive Danny for taking your skateboard, especially since he returned it. When you forgive Danny you pardon him for his offense against you, let go of resentment, anger, and that feeling of wanting to ‘get even.’ Your act of forgiveness is an act of kindness and mercy. This kindness and mercy given to him, returns to you, and by granting him peace, peace is given to you. In the final analysis your act of forgiveness is consistent with loving your neighbor as you love yourself (CCC 2842) , and by granting peace to your neighbor in your heart, that peace is returned to you ten-fold.

However, as far as Danny’s sin of theft is concerned, you cannot forgive his sin because you don’t have the authority or the grace to do so. “Only God can forgive sins because only God can restore grace when grace has been lost” (Catholic Dictionary, by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.).

This power to forgive sins has also been given by God to His priests in the Catholic Church when God works through the person of the priest in the sacrament of confession. Looking closely at the Lord’s prayer, we can see that we are asking God to forgive our sins, as we forgive the people who have sinned against us. It does not say, “as we forgive the sins of those who have sinned against us.

Continued below.

Can I Forgive Sins? – Catholic Stand

catholicstand.com

 

[Hoping2]

Recently, my grandson approached me with a question regarding forgiveness; it went something like this, “ Danny stole my skateboard. Two days later he returned it, saying that he found it in the street by his house. If I forgive him, is his sin forgiven?”
I thought that this was a pretty good question coming from a twelve year old, and I most certainly wanted to give him an appropriate answer. So, I did. I told him that when we forgive others, we are forgiving the person, but not the person’s sin. However, in my grandson’s mind the sinner and the sin are inseparable. So, I had to make a better distinction, as follows:
However, as far as Danny’s sin of theft is concerned, you cannot forgive his sin because you don’t have the authority or the grace to do so. “Only God can forgive sins because only God can restore grace when grace has been lost” (Catholic Dictionary, by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.).
This power to forgive sins has also been given by God to His priests in the Catholic Church when God works through the person of the priest in the sacrament of confession. Looking closely at the Lord’s prayer, we can see that we are asking God to forgive our sins, as we forgive the people who have sinned against us. It does not say, “as we forgive the sins of those who have sinned against us.

I disagree.
You showed no difference between the two groups forgiven by us.

Continued below.

Can I Forgive Sins? – Catholic Stand

catholicstand.com

Any sin we forgive, is forgiven.

 

[Chrystal-J]

At the blessing of the ashes of both of my husbands, I told God to never hold anything against them regarding anything they'd done to me. Same with my parents at their Mass.

 

[Michie]

From the op:

This power to forgive sins has also been given by God to His priests in the Catholic Church when God works through the person of the priest in the sacrament of confession. Looking closely at the Lord’s prayer, we can see that we are asking God to forgive our sins, as we forgive the people who have sinned against us. It does not say, “as we forgive the sins of those who have sinned against us.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from every evil (CCC 2759).

In essence, the Lord’s prayer is saying the same thing, that you forgive the person, and infers that the forgiveness of his sin is a matter between him or her and God.

But here is the catch, and it is essential, unless you forgive those who have sinned against you, —that is, forgive them in your heart–then God will not, absolutely will not, forgive you. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant clearly demonstrates this major premise: There was a servant who owed his king a very large amount of money. The king was going to send the servant and his family to prison. But the servant asked his master for mercy and promised to repay the debt. Moved with compassion, the master let him go and forgave him the complete loan. Later that same servant summoned one of his servants who owed him a lesser amount and demanded payment. His fellow servant begged him, “ Be patient with me, and I will pay you back”.


The full quotation from Fr. Harden is as follows:

FORGIVENESS: Pardon or remission of an offense. The Catholic Church believes that sins forgiven are actually removed from the soul (John 20) and not merely covered over by the merits of Christ. Only God can forgive sins, since He alone can restore sanctifying grace to a person who has sinned gravely and thereby lost the state of grace. God forgives sins to the truly repentant either immediately through an act of perfect contrition or mediately through a sacrament. The sacraments primarily directed to the forgiveness of sins are baptism and penance, and secondarily, under certain conditions, also the sacrament of anointing.

Good reading imo.

 

[RileyG]

At the blessing of the ashes of both of my husbands, I told God to never hold anything against them regarding anything they'd done to me. Same with my parents at their Mass.

My condolences. I didn't know you were widowed twice. May your parents and your husbands rest in the peace of the Risen Christ.

 

[FaithT]

At the blessing of the ashes of both of my husbands, I told God to never hold anything against them regarding anything they'd done to me. Same with my parents at their Mass.

I’m sorry for your losses.