The priest who refuses to remit someone's sins does in effect, condemn them to hell. Just because they leave God to do the dirty work, if they really believe that the the Church has the power to bind a man's sins to him or remit them, then they are the ones who are making the executive decision. That makes them responsible.
The Church, the Priest and God Himself do not condemn anyone to hell. God only permits the the consequences of our sin. The priest must and does refuse absolution to a penitent when he thinks the penitent is not rightly disposed for the Sacrament. When a penitent is not contrite and does not resolve to not repeat the sin then the penitent has chosen to remain in sin.
Peace be with you.
They get around this by claiming that the priest turns into Jesus during this operation...
They don't speak too loudly when mentioning this since they know they will be laughed into embarrassment by those of us who actually study the scriptures...
But they do get away with this in the presence of gullible Catholics...
When they forgive, it is Jesus forgiving...When they condemn, it is Jesus condemning...