The Minister of the Keys

The priesthood of the Old Law was not dowered with the power of the keys. But the priest of the Old Law had powers whichforeshadowed and prefigured the power of the keys.

Before all others, our Lord himself has mostexcellently the power of the keys. He owns this power as God;he merits it as man. And this wondrous power he conferred on the priests of his Church.

The power of the keys pertains to holy order, and exclusively to priests. {-Sometimes the phrase”the power of the keys” is used, by extension of meaning,for the power of jurisdiction in Church or diocese; that is, the power and right to rule, to authorize, to excommunicate. But this use of the phrase is not common.-}

No matter how holy a layman may be, he has not the power of the keys, nor can he, as a layman, acquire it.

The power of the keys belongs to the priesthood as such. It does not depend for its effect on the state of soul (grace or sin) of the priest who exercises it.

Schismatical, heretical, and excommunicated priests retain the essence of the power of the keys, but they lack theright to use it, that is, they lack jurisdiction. The Church, by withdrawing jurisdiction from priests who are outside her pale,removes all true penitents from such confessors. No penitent could sincerely present himself to such confessors; if he did so knowingly he would sin, and no man can obtain absolution from sin by sinning.