You should post the old by it for easier comparison :cool:

It really hasn't changed much.

The problem with NO confessions doesn't actually lie on the way that sins are absolved, but rather, by the questionable nature of the priest's ordination. If the "priest" isn't actually a priest at all, he has no power to absolve sins, or perform any ecclesiastical (I think that's the right word..) task for that matter.

I agree with that. But I've always wondered what would happen if you confess a sin and the priest doesn't believe its a sin, and doesn't forgive you for 'it', is it forgiven?

Thanks Daegus!

When I went to confession in the Novus Ordo (one of the few) I don't recall ever hearing the words you wrote prior to the "I absolve you..."

I generally tried to go to this one priest who seemed to try his best in many issues and he was generally a good confessor and gave good advice.  While I didn't think it mattered at the time, he was ordained in the late 1950s.  He wasn't very excited about the Novus Ordo, but he did confession in the traditional rite.  I don't think he did so out of any sense of disobedience; I truly don't think he even realized that there was any change in the sacrament.

Other priests I remember would, after I said the Act of Contrition say immediately, "I absolve you..."  I had always understood that this was the extent of the form.

But what of the average NO parishioner who isn't aware of these possibilities ? Invalid ordination, lack of true intent by a priest, etc.

Would God deny pardon to these sinners who leave the confessional believing they have received the Sacrament ?

I believe that this is the kind of question that we cannot know for certain the answer.  In this, only God can judge the true disposition of the penitent.  Forgiveness should not be assumed.  

This is this kind of questioning, I think, that caused so many other problems.

The concept of "invincible ignorance", for example, evolving from the certain doctrine that a lack of knowledge of a particular doctrine on the part of a Christian will not damn a soul to a sort of "get out of jail free card" in which the whole of humanity is saved through ignorance of the True God.  

Another example is the New Religion's doctrine that aborted babies most certainly go to heaven.

We have to recall that, while God is perfectly merciful He is also perfectly just.  Perhaps God will give such a Penitent some level of grace due to his own true disposition with regards to his sins (as He does in the case of a perfect contrition), but the priest cannot give to the penitent what he himself does not have to give--and that is true absolution from sins.

But what of the average NO parishioner who isn't aware of these possibilities ? Invalid ordination, lack of true intent by a priest, etc.

Would God deny pardon to these sinners who leave the confessional believing they have received the Sacrament ?

We should remember that the Church teaches that sins can be forgiven through perfect contrition and if the penitent plans to get to confession as soon as possible. In the case you cite, the penitent obviously has the intent to go to confession, as he just did. Even if the priest was invalidly ordained, if the penitent is truly sorry for his sins for love of God, I don't see how God could deny him sanctifying grace under perfect contrition.

But in the sacrament of reconciliation, it is the common teaching of theologians that imperfect contrition suffices for the forgiveness of sins. That is part of the grace conferred ex opere operato through the sacrament. Also, I think it is held that we cannot have a moral certainty that we do in fact have perfect contrition. That's why the traditional teaching of the Church is that no one dare ought to receive the Holy Eucharist without sacramental confession, even if he may have made an act of perfect contrition.

Correct, sins are forgiven with imperfect contrition within the sacrament of confession. What we are talking about here is an invalidly ordained priest, hence there is no sacrament. Therefore perfect contrition, in that case, would still absolve the penitent's sin.