Confession quandary

[Ianjo99]

I was thinking about the unbreakable seal of confession tonight, and was puzzled by a (albeit stretched) possibility:

Imagine you are a priest somewhere. What if a small child or young teenager were to confess (thinking that they were somehow responsible) being abused by another local priest? Obviously they would be innocent of any wrongdoing, but how would one go about procuring justice and preventing any further abuses?

I can’t imagine just ignoring this and pretending you forgot this particular incident.

The only solution I could come up with would be to plead with the child during the confession to tell his/her parents or someone else with the authority about the incident. If that child refused, however, what could be done?

Also, could you ask the child to tell you again (obviously have it not be contingent on their absolution) outside of the confessional? Would it be permissible to take action even though you first heard about it while under the seal of confession?

Just some hypotheticals that I was mulling over.

Your thoughts?

 

[Teeliumtrozzle]

I think you should confront the other priest and tell them you know they are abusive, but do not say how you know.Then the bad priest will have to stop being abusive and get sacked.

 

[LilyM]

The seal of the confessional is absolutely binding on a priest, even if the penitent voluntarily brings up the content outside the confessional - the priest can’t ever discuss it with anyone else, nor make the penitent discuss it with anyone else.

 

[Inman]

I thought the penitent could give the priest permission to disclose the information, assume the consent was freely given? Is that not the possible.

 

[thistle]

I thought the penitent could give the priest permission to disclose the information, assume the consent was freely given? Is that not the possible.

The seal of Confession cannot be broken. Even if the penitent gives the priest permission to disclose information heard in Confession the priest cannot do so.

 

[mommyof4]

I found this:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=164701

 

[Titus]

While such a case would be heart-wrenching for any holy priest, there are absolutely no circumstances where they can violate the Seal.

A question: if the priest told his bishop he suspected Fr x without a reason, would that be reasonable/ permissible?

 

[Trevelyan]

The priest cannot confront or report someone who has commited any wrong, not can he ask the penitent about it outside confession (because canon law says the seal of confession ‘extends to the penitent outside confession’)
(All he can do is urge the person themself to report it)

In short he cannot act on any information he hears under the seal of confession, because as a man, he does know those things.
(Even if he knew the president was going to be assasinated, he could not do anything based on knowledge he gained in confession.)

 

[4HisChurch]

Could the priest, in confession, encourage the penatent to disclose the abuse him/herself?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I was thinking about the unbreakable seal of confession tonight, and was puzzled by a (albeit stretched) possibility:

Imagine you are a priest somewhere. What if a small child or young teenager were to confess (thinking that they were somehow responsible) being abused by another local priest? Obviously they would be innocent of any wrongdoing, but how would one go about procuring justice and preventing any further abuses?

I can’t imagine just ignoring this and pretending you forgot this particular incident.

The only solution I could come up with would be to plead with the child during the confession to tell his/her parents or someone else with the authority about the incident. If that child refused, however, what could be done?

Also, could you ask the child to tell you again (obviously have it not be contingent on their absolution) outside of the confessional? Would it be permissible to take action even though you first heard about it while under the seal of confession?

Just some hypotheticals that I was mulling over.

Your thoughts?

The confessor could not use any information obtained in the Sacrament of Confession. Being abused is not sinful for the one being abused. But is still ubder the seal. The only way the priest could act on the information is if it is given him again outside the Sacrament of Confession. The priest could suggest that the child come to see him outside the confessional.