noun /æbsəˈluːʃən,æb.solˈu.ʃʌn/
a) An absolving, or setting free from guilt, sin, or penalty; forgiveness of an offense.
, Government ... granting absolution to the nation.
b) The exercise of priestly jurisdiction in the sacrament of penance, by which Catholics believe the sins of the truly penitent are forgiven.
Note: In the English and other Protestant churches, this act regarded as simply declaratory, not as imparting forgiveness.
Wikipedia foundation.