Can a priest break the secrecy of confession to save lifes?

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cristyd

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I know that the priest is not supposed to break the secrecy if confession no matter what. What if a killer comes to confession. He confesses of several murders and of his intention of killing more people. Is the priest allowed to take actions to stop the murders. If the killer confesses also the names or gives clues as to what people he will murder, can the priest contact police or the potential victims to help them. How will he do this without breaking the secrecy?
Another example, if an innocent person is accused of murder and the priest knows who is the real murderer, can he say it or he can’t do anything?
 
As far as I have ever known, there are no exceptions to the confidentiality of a priest. If the murderer is not repentant, he may not receive absolution for his sins, though. You have set up a very unlikely scenario, since a murderer who intends to keep murdering would ask for absolution - it would be meaningless.
 
Short answer is No. The Rules concerning the seal of the confessional make no exceptions…

Peace
James
 
cristyd said:
I know that the priest is not supposed to break the secrecy if confession no matter what. What if a killer comes to confession. He confesses of several murders and of his intention of killing more people. Is the priest allowed to take actions to stop the murders. If the killer confesses also the names or gives clues as to what people he will murder, can the priest contact police or the potential victims to help them. How will he do this without breaking the secrecy?
Another example, if an innocent person is accused of murder and the priest knows who is the real murderer, can he say it or he can’t do anything?
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You already answered your own question.

No, a priest cannot break the seal of confession for any reason, including those you give as examples. Nor could he “give clues” or other hints as you suggest above.
 
No, not for any reason, at all, ever, no, nada. The seal of confession is absolute. Even if the penitent were to go out and commit a crime, the priest would have no guilt, as that person had full free will and would bear the entire guilt of any wrong action.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
As far as I have ever known, there are no exceptions to the confidentiality of a priest. If the murderer is not repentant, he may not receive absolution for his sins, though. You have set up a very unlikely scenario, since a murderer who intends to keep murdering would ask for absolution - it would be meaningless.
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I agree that it is a highly unlikely scenerio, but there certainly are those who are so messed up mentally, emotinally, and spiritually as to try to gain absolution even while planning new crimes.
The other possibility for such a person might be that they are possessed and in need of the services of an exorcist.

Peace
James
 
cristyd said:
I know that the priest is not supposed to break the secrecy if confession no matter what. What if a killer comes to confession. He confesses of several murders and of his intention of killing more people. Is the priest allowed to take actions to stop the murders. If the killer confesses also the names or gives clues as to what people he will murder, can the priest contact police or the potential victims to help them. How will he do this without breaking the secrecy?
Another example, if an innocent person is accused of murder and the priest knows who is the real murderer, can he say it or he can’t do anything?
Click to expand...
I don’t believe in either instance the priest would be allowed to say anything, even if the confessions themselves weren’t valid or were done in a way to mock the priest or the sacrament the priest would still have to abide by the seal. The real life cases that do come to light about this sort of thing are usually years if not decades apart, which isn’t to say we know every instance it happens, but it makes me think it is rare.

These are tough questions and the answer may not be popular or seen as unjust, but we should also remember that these examples, even if real are extremely rare and it would be bad and injurious to our faith if the priest all of a sudden had guidelines he could use when to decide to break the seal. Would we be as willing to confess things if we thought there was a chance, even a remote one, that the priest could run to a parent, spouse or employer with our misdeeds if he felt somebody else needed to know about this? I really don’t think so.

ChadS
 
Still, I think you would have a hard time finding a priest who wouldn’t break the seal of confession if someone came in and specifically said they were going to murder someone and gave details about it, although I think the first course of action would be to try and convince the person to turn themselves in.
 
Can. 983 §1. The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.

Can. 984 §1. A confessor is prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to the detriment of the penitent even when any danger of revelation is excluded.

Can. 1388 §1. A confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; one who does so only indirectly is to be punished according to the gravity of the delict.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
Still, I think you would have a hard time finding a priest who wouldn’t break the seal of confession if someone came in and specifically said they were going to murder someone and gave details about it, although I think the first course of action would be to try and convince the person to turn themselves in.
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There is no option to break the seal. We swear that oath before God, and before God we will be judged if we break it.

That being said, the priest has a responsibility to speak Law and Gospel to any soul that comes for Holy Confession and Absolution. If this were to happen in my confessional, I would make it a point to inspire them by the Word to repent of their intentions. If that were to fail, I might have to go ninja with my pastoral staff / ax handle. 😉
 
cristyd said:
I know that the priest is not supposed to break the secrecy if confession no matter what. What if a killer comes to confession. He confesses of several murders and of his intention of killing more people. Is the priest allowed to take actions to stop the murders. If the killer confesses also the names or gives clues as to what people he will murder, can the priest contact police or the potential victims to help them. How will he do this without breaking the secrecy?
Another example, if an innocent person is accused of murder and the priest knows who is the real murderer, can he say it or he can’t do anything?
Click to expand...
No.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
Still, I think you would have a hard time finding a priest who wouldn’t break the seal of confession if someone came in and specifically said they were going to murder someone and gave details about it, although I think the first course of action would be to try and convince the person to turn themselves in.
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No way! Absolutely no way! Do you have no experience with Catholic priests at all? They DO NOT break the seal - rat out the criminal - they hear of crimes ALL THE TIME, probably every time they are in the confessional. I am sure they hear about murders, rapes, burglaries, etc. Why would they break the seal for one crime and not another?

They cannot do this.
 
WorkerPriest said:
There is no option to break the seal. We swear that oath before God, and before God we will be judged if we break it.

That being said, the priest has a responsibility to speak Law and Gospel to any soul that comes for Holy Confession and Absolution. If this were to happen in my confessional, I would make it a point to inspire them by the Word to repent of their intentions. If that were to fail, I might have to go ninja with my pastoral staff / ax handle. 😉
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😃 Thank you for the answer and the explanation.
 
Very simplistic: when a Priest plays God, God ends his priesthood, entirely.
 
cristyd said:
I know that the priest is not supposed to break the secrecy if confession no matter what. What if a killer comes to confession. He confesses of several murders and of his intention of killing more people. Is the priest allowed to take actions to stop the murders. If the killer confesses also the names or gives clues as to what people he will murder, can the priest contact police or the potential victims to help them. How will he do this without breaking the secrecy?
Another example, if an innocent person is accused of murder and the priest knows who is the real murderer, can he say it or he can’t do anything?
Click to expand...
you’ll love this movie:

I Confess

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Confess_%28film%29
 
Sounds like an interesting movie. It’s now in my Netflix queue.
 
cristyd said:
I know that the priest is not supposed to break the secrecy if confession no matter what. What if a killer comes to confession. He confesses of several murders and of his intention of killing more people. Is the priest allowed to take actions to stop the murders. If the killer confesses also the names or gives clues as to what people he will murder, can the priest contact police or the potential victims to help them. How will he do this without breaking the secrecy?
Another example, if an innocent person is accused of murder and the priest knows who is the real murderer, can he say it or he can’t do anything?
Click to expand...
The fact that he intends to murder more people proves he is not repenting, therefore it is not a vaild confession at all. Thus the priest would be in the position of a private person who overheard a conversation, and thus he should contact the police. Likely, the priest would tell the murder to contact the police and turn himself in as proof of his repentance too. :o
 
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