Can seal of confession ever be broken

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hello friends,

if something is confessed to a priest can the priest ever discuss it with another priest or bishop without the penitents permission? is there any circumstances in which the seal can be broken?

thanks and God bless.
 
No. It can never, ever be broken. A priest may never disclose anything that is told to him in the sacrament.
 
custardcream said:
hello friends,

if something is confessed to a priest can the priest ever discuss it with another priest or bishop without the penitents permission? is there any circumstances in which the seal can be broken?

thanks and God bless.
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No there are no circumstance in which the seal can be broken. This includes the penitents permission.

That is, the priest can not break the seal even if the penitent says its okay to do so.
 
Greetings Custardandcream,

From the CIC [Code of Canon Law]

Canon 983
  1. The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason.
  2. An interpreter, if there is one present, is also obliged to preserve the secret, and also all others to whom knowledge of sins from confession shall come in any way.
Canon 984
  1. Even if every danger of revelation is excluded, a confessor is absolutely forbidden to use knowledge acquired from confession when it might harm the penitent.
  2. One who is placed in authority can in no way use external governace knowledge abourt sins which has has received in confession at any time.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
 
custardcream said:
hello friends,

if something is confessed to a priest can the priest ever discuss it with another priest or bishop without the penitents permission? is there any circumstances in which the seal can be broken?

thanks and God bless.
Click to expand...
No.
 
If a priest breaks the seal of Confession he will be excommunicated.

From the Code of Canon Law

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.

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P54.HTM
 
Just to split hairs: Yes, the seal can be broken (i.e. there is nothing magical or mechanical that would prevent a Priest being physically able to tell anyone about the confession he heard) however I have never heard of a Priest violating the seal for any reason.
 
TheDoctor said:
Just to split hairs: Yes, the seal can be broken (i.e. there is nothing magical or mechanical that would prevent a Priest being physically able to tell anyone about the confession he heard) however I have never heard of a Priest violating the seal for any reason.
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The seal can NEVER be broken. It’s not a matter of whether or not a confessor is physically capable of breaking the seal. It is a mandate from the Church that no one may ever under any circumstances whatsoever break the seal.
 
Matthew_Holford said:
The seal can NEVER be broken. It’s not a matter of whether or not a confessor is physically capable of breaking the seal. It is a mandate from the Church that no one may ever under any circumstances whatsoever break the seal.
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He didn’t say it may be broken, only that it can be. 😃
 
Matthew_Holford said:
The seal can NEVER be broken. It’s not a matter of whether or not a confessor is physically capable of breaking the seal. It is a mandate from the Church that no one may ever under any circumstances whatsoever break the seal.
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Uhm, yes it can be broken, which is why Canon Law provides the penalty if it is. Using big fonts or color does not change that.
 
thistle said:
The OP clearly is asking in his own words if the seal is ALLOWED to ever be broken. The answer is NEVER.
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I got that, however when I hear folks advocate it can never be broken I wonder if some of our brothers and sisters will see it as some supernatural gift such as infallability and miss the point that Priests, while still only human, perform this superhuman feat on a daily basis.
 
TheDoctor said:
I got that, however when I hear folks advocate it can never be broken I wonder if some of our brothers and sisters will see it as some supernatural gift such as infallability and miss the point that Priests, while still only human, perform this superhuman feat on a daily basis.
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When someone says it cannot be broken they are not thinking about English grammar. Like the OP they are simply pointing out in their words that it is never allowed to break the seal of Confession.
Don’t get bogged down in cannot, should not, may not etc. This thread is not an English lesson.
 
thistle said:
When someone says it cannot be broken they are not thinking about English grammar. Like the OP they are simply pointing out in their words that it is never allowed to break the seal of Confession.
Don’t get bogged down in cannot, should not, may not etc. This thread is not an English lesson.
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Not only that but…
TheDoctor said:
Priests, while still only human, perform this superhuman feat on a daily basis.
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Keeping things secret that should be kept secret. Not participating in gossip. These are not “superhuman” feats.
 
thank you all very much for your replies. i was reading something the other day which said in certain circumstances it can be broken which confused me as i always thought it couldnt be broken. if someone confesses to something they might do is this still bound by the seal?

thanks and God bless
 
custardcream said:
hello friends,

if something is confessed to a priest can the priest ever discuss it with another priest or bishop without the penitents permission? is there any circumstances in which the seal can be broken?

thanks and God bless.
Click to expand...
no, none whatever
custardcream said:
i was reading something the other day which said in certain circumstances it can be broken which confused me s
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if you don’t have a source and exact quote we cannot help you
 
custardcream said:
thank you all very much for your replies. i was reading something the other day which said in certain circumstances it can be broken which confused me as i always thought it couldnt be broken. if someone confesses to something they might do is this still bound by the seal?

thanks and God bless
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Technically you can not confess to something you might do. You can only confess what you have done.

What you “might” do is not a sin. Only what you have done can be a sin.

But a priest should really be careful discussing anything that happens in the confessional. The best thing to do is to treat it all as being under the seal.
 
TheDoctor said:
Uhm, yes it can be broken, which is why Canon Law provides the penalty if it is. Using big fonts or color does not change that.
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OK it could be broken. However, the OP was not asking: is a Catholic priest capable of going in to his local pub and gossiping about what he’s heard in confession. They were asking: are there any circumstances in which a priest might reveal what he’s heard in confession, e.g. bringing something to his bishop’s attention. If you knew this I don’t understand why you found it necessary to post such a hair-splitting matter. It probably is not too necessary to have the canonical penalties; I’m sure most priests keep the seal because they believe that’s what should be done not because of the existence of penalties. There is no reason why keeping the seal of the confession needs to be difficult for priests. In my job I am privy to a lot of confidential information and am quite capable of maintaining that confidentiality.
 
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