Confessing to a Priest who knows you

[mercygate]

AndyF – Try and rent the old Alfred Hitchcock film I Confess. It is about a priest who is wrongly accused of murder, but who knows who the real murderer is because he heard the man’s confession.

SUSPENSE!!!

 

[gardenswithkids]

That is correct. I heard a priest say that if somebody comes to him in confession and tells him that he just murdered the priest’s mother, he may not in any way acknowledge that he knows that information. Not in ANY way.

With all respect for the seal of the confession, there may be a difference between how a priest should behave following confession of a very serious sin verses how a priest might behave. Notice the priest you sited who suffered bodily torture for refusing to break the seal of confession is no longer called Father John Nepomucene but now SAINT John Nepomucene.

If someone has a serious felony to confess and knowledge of such a crime might place their priestly friend in complicated legal situation, I think it would be prudent to seek an annonymous confession with someone else. While it might be against Church law for a priest to break the seal of the confessional, it’s not against most civil laws. In some places, civil authorities might even persecute priest to try to get them to break the seal of the confessional. Grant you, the priest who refuses to break the seal of the confessional dispite threats of imprissonment or his tongue cut out might be on the fast track for sainthood, but not every priest is that saintly. Nor do I think a real friend would put their priestly friend in a potentially compromised situation. God offers grace and forgiveness, but Catholics shouldn’t make priest face jail and persecution if that can be easily be avoided by finding another confessor to hear the confession annonymously.

 

[goofyjim]

A priest is a priest is a priest. If you have to go to one who does not know you that would require changing priests for every confession. What do you do when you run out of priests? Settle down with one and he can not only absolve you of your sins but make recommendations on how to avoid them in the future based on your personality.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

SuscipeMeDomine:

Even for repugnant sins?

I’m not sure I understand the question. Would I confess repugnant sins to my spiritual director? Yes, if I’ve committed them I will confess them.

What of the reverse. While he/she handles your case, you learn she has committed a repugnant sin, would you seek another and also still remain friends?

Now I’m definitely confused. “While he/she handles your case…” I confess to a priest so there’s no “she” involved. By “handling my case” you do mean hearing my confession?

 

[mercygate]

With all respect for the seal of the confession, there may be a difference between how a priest should behave following confession of a very serious sin verses how a priest might behave. Notice the priest you sited who suffered bodily torture for refusing to break the seal of confession is no longer called Father John Nepomucene but now SAINT John Nepomucene.

If someone has a serious felony to confess and knowledge of such a crime might place their priestly friend in complicated legal situation, I think it would be prudent to seek an annonymous confession with someone else. While it might be against Church law for a priest to break the seal of the confessional, it’s not against most civil laws. In some places, civil authorities might even persecute priest to try to get them to break the seal of the confessional. Grant you, the priest who refuses to break the seal of the confessional dispite threats of imprissonment or his tongue cut out might be on the fast track for sainthood, but not every priest is that saintly. Nor do I think a real friend would put their priestly friend in a potentially compromised situation. God offers grace and forgiveness, but Catholics shouldn’t make priest face jail and persecution if that can be easily be avoided by finding another confessor to hear the confession annonymously.

Again, I recommend Hitchcock’s film, I Confess.

You will find it difficult to identify any priest who has ever broken the Seal. . . . but we’re deviating this thread from topic.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

Isnt confessing to god better then a priest? Arent u forgiven for your sins once u ask god to forgive you