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The Church's side is simple: this is a sacrament and the information heard cannot be used at all by the priest, for anything- whatsoever, without exception. "G

by camcil 1y ago

The Church's side is simple: this is a sacrament and the information heard cannot be used at all by the priest, for anything- whatsoever, without exception. "Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament." [CCC 1467]

jll29 1y ago
It seems there is not a single attested case where this was violated in human history, which - if true - is most remarkable.
- camcil 1y ago
  It certainly happens [0]. [0] https://aleteia.org/2018/02/10/australian-priest-excommunicated-for-breaching-the-seal-of-the-confessional https://aleteia.org/2018/02/10/australian-priest-excommunica...
BobaFloutist 1y ago
So if someone confesses that they have made concrete, actionable plans to shoot up a school and have the guns and they're still planning to do it but they want forgiveness for their actions so far, the priest is supposed to just sit tight? Or if they confess "Yeah I put a bomb under this church and it's going to go off in five minutes, but wait don't go I have more to confess" the priest is supposed to just sit there and let them finish and not make any efforts to leave or even cause others to evacuate? Or if someone says "I was part of a plan to assassinate the pope, there's a guy scaling the Sistine Chapel with a sniper rifle right now but I feel pretty bad about it" to a priest in the Vatican who just needs to holler to prevent the pope being assassinated, he's supposed to just sit there and wait for God to make his choices?
- GeoAtreides 1y ago
  Yes.
  - BobaFloutist 1y ago
    Fascinating. I wonder how well this would hold up if these circumstances actually took place. I guess at the end of the day the priest can always go to confession for violating confession. Nice little relief valve for if their secular conscience happens to overpower their religious conscience. Ingenious, really.
    - Aloisius 1y ago
      Mmm. Priests who break the seal of confessional can't have their excommunication lifted by confessing to another priest. It can only be done by the Holy See. The last time it happened for breaking the seal, afaik, was in 2018 when Ezinwanne Igbo was excommunicated.
      - BobaFloutist 1y ago
        Right, but if they do it and don't get caught they can get their soul saved by confessing to another priest, who presumably can't break the seal of confession to out them.
        Aloisius 1y ago
        A regular priest can't grant absolution to another for breaking the seal of the confessional.

by camcil 1y ago

jll29 1y ago

It seems there is not a single attested case where this was violated in human history, which - if true - is most remarkable.

camcil 1y ago
It certainly happens [0]. [0] https://aleteia.org/2018/02/10/australian-priest-excommunicated-for-breaching-the-seal-of-the-confessional https://aleteia.org/2018/02/10/australian-priest-excommunica...

BobaFloutist 1y ago

So if someone confesses that they have made concrete, actionable plans to shoot up a school and have the guns and they're still planning to do it but they want forgiveness for their actions so far, the priest is supposed to just sit tight? Or if they confess "Yeah I put a bomb under this church and it's going to go off in five minutes, but wait don't go I have more to confess" the priest is supposed to just sit there and let them finish and not make any efforts to leave or even cause others to evacuate? Or if someone says "I was part of a plan to assassinate the pope, there's a guy scaling the Sistine Chapel with a sniper rifle right now but I feel pretty bad about it" to a priest in the Vatican who just needs to holler to prevent the pope being assassinated, he's supposed to just sit there and wait for God to make his choices?

GeoAtreides 1y ago
Yes.
- BobaFloutist 1y ago
  Fascinating. I wonder how well this would hold up if these circumstances actually took place. I guess at the end of the day the priest can always go to confession for violating confession. Nice little relief valve for if their secular conscience happens to overpower their religious conscience. Ingenious, really.
  - Aloisius 1y ago
    Mmm. Priests who break the seal of confessional can't have their excommunication lifted by confessing to another priest. It can only be done by the Holy See. The last time it happened for breaking the seal, afaik, was in 2018 when Ezinwanne Igbo was excommunicated.
    - BobaFloutist 1y ago
      Right, but if they do it and don't get caught they can get their soul saved by confessing to another priest, who presumably can't break the seal of confession to out them.
      - Aloisius 1y ago
        A regular priest can't grant absolution to another for breaking the seal of the confessional.