Confession of Crime

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Sir_Knight said:
If someone commits a crime and is truly sorry for their sins, then they would want to pay their debt to society and turn themselves in. Failure to do so would be a sign that they do not intend to make reparations for their crimes. Thus, invalidating the confession.
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It seems like not intending to turn oneself in in certain cases could be a defect in the intention to make satisfaction or even a defect in firm purpose of amendment. For instance, if someone else is in prison for a crime that I’ve committed, then by not turning myself in I am committing the further sin of allowing an innocent person to be imprisoned.

I’m still trying to work this out in my head since it is also clear that a priest can’t even indirectly disclose what he’s heard in confession, which seems like it would include requiring someone to turn himself in.
 
The PRIEST can not do ANYTHING outside of the confessional with regards to the confessions that he has heard. He CAN give to the penitent the penance of turning himself in for a crime committed. That penance, however, can NOT be a condition for absolution. An absolution is NEVER conditional on a penance being performed.

Any penance that is not performed in this life, will be required in purgatory.
 
Sir_Knight said:
If someone commits a crime and is truly sorry for their sins, then they would want to pay their debt to society and turn themselves in. Failure to do so would be a sign that they do not intend to make reparations for their crimes. Thus, invalidating the confession.
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It depends on the circumstances. If a person stole something, in Turkey by law, the punishment is to cut the thief’s hand off. I doubt that the person would be required to go to the government and confess.

Jim
 
I agree that it would be UNLIKELY that the person would be required to go to the government and confess, but there’s always Mark 9:47 …

" … It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into hell … "
 
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