Pius X Catechism – The Tenth Article of the Creed

Location: Preliminary Lesson > The Apostle’s Creed > The Tenth Article of the Creed

Q1: What are we taught by the Tenth Article: The Forgiveness of sins?

A1: The Tenth Article of the Creed teaches us that Jesus Christ has left to His Church the power of forgiving sins.

Q2: Can the Church forgive every sort of sin?

A2: Yes, the Church can forgive all sins, no matter how many or how grave they may be, because Jesus Christ has given her full power to bind and to loose.

Q3: Who exercises this power of forgiving sins in the Church?

A3: Those who exercise the power of forgiving sins in the Church are, first of all, the Pope, who alone possesses this power in all its plenitude; then the bishops, and, dependent upon the bishops, the priests.

Q4: How does the Church forgive sins?

A4: The Church forgives sins through the merits of Jesus Christ by conferring the Sacraments instituted by Him for this purpose; especially the sacraments of baptism and penance.