M
mrsarchieleach
Guest
Hello!
I am hoping that perhaps a priest (or anyone that would know) could shed some light on my question - I am enquiring about the seal of the confessional. I would like to know some specifics about this seal - I understand that a priest cannot mention anything that he has heard in the confessional or attempt to imply a specific sin to a specific person outside the confessional that would “rat” someone out in effect - the seal is to be honored all the way to death if need be. My question is: if you made your confession and the preist gave you a bit of advise about a particular sin and when you return to confession (with the same priest) the next time you wish to make reference to what happened based on you following the advice he gave you in your prior confession. Is this asking the priest to break the seal by the necessity of having to talk about an issue from your PRIOR confession? What limits do priests have in this situation? I have done a bit of research and I only find the seal pertaining to sins not allowed to be discussed by priests to OTHER people outside of the confessional. If you need/want to bring something up that you have already spoken about in a prior confession, can the priest talk about it again with you and act like he knows what you’re talking about (assuming he remembers the issue)? Will you have to talk about it as if he knows nothing about it because he is “under the seal”? If YOU bring up a conversation from a past confession with the same priest, that “seems” permissible because it only and ever has pertained to YOU and furthermore, it’s being done in the confessional again and is perhaps an ongoing struggle you might be having and you want to talk about progress being made or lack thereof based on the priest’s advice.
One last question: I understand that a priest may never inquire or bring up something that you mention to him in the confessional outside of confession but is the penitent allowed to bring up something that was said in confession outside the confessional - for example, if you were to see the same priest in his office in a non-confessional conversational way for deeper spiritual guidance pertaining to issues that indirectly deal with sin (things one would need further direction with that confession really doesn’t address nor should it take the time to address)?
I am hoping that perhaps a priest (or anyone that would know) could shed some light on my question - I am enquiring about the seal of the confessional. I would like to know some specifics about this seal - I understand that a priest cannot mention anything that he has heard in the confessional or attempt to imply a specific sin to a specific person outside the confessional that would “rat” someone out in effect - the seal is to be honored all the way to death if need be. My question is: if you made your confession and the preist gave you a bit of advise about a particular sin and when you return to confession (with the same priest) the next time you wish to make reference to what happened based on you following the advice he gave you in your prior confession. Is this asking the priest to break the seal by the necessity of having to talk about an issue from your PRIOR confession? What limits do priests have in this situation? I have done a bit of research and I only find the seal pertaining to sins not allowed to be discussed by priests to OTHER people outside of the confessional. If you need/want to bring something up that you have already spoken about in a prior confession, can the priest talk about it again with you and act like he knows what you’re talking about (assuming he remembers the issue)? Will you have to talk about it as if he knows nothing about it because he is “under the seal”? If YOU bring up a conversation from a past confession with the same priest, that “seems” permissible because it only and ever has pertained to YOU and furthermore, it’s being done in the confessional again and is perhaps an ongoing struggle you might be having and you want to talk about progress being made or lack thereof based on the priest’s advice.
One last question: I understand that a priest may never inquire or bring up something that you mention to him in the confessional outside of confession but is the penitent allowed to bring up something that was said in confession outside the confessional - for example, if you were to see the same priest in his office in a non-confessional conversational way for deeper spiritual guidance pertaining to issues that indirectly deal with sin (things one would need further direction with that confession really doesn’t address nor should it take the time to address)?