Is a person aloud to distribute what they said in Confession with others?

[TheHolyTrinity9]

Hello, is a person aloud to distribute their confession to family for example but not the priest? Or does the Seal of Confession entitle both people? Please explain.

 

[Jon_S_1]

Hello, is a person aloud to distribute their confession to family for example but not the priest? Or does the Seal of Confession entitle both people? Please explain.

It’s your life, you can share it with whoever you like.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Allowed.

You can say whatever you want. You generally should not repeat whatever your confessor tells you as he is not allowed to respond.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Hello, is a person aloud to distribute their confession to family for example but not the priest? Or does the Seal of Confession entitle both people? Please explain.

The seal of the confessional applies to the priest. He may not disclose what you have said.

The penitent can tell the whole world if he wishes but a) it may not be prudent and b) it may not be fair.

Telling even one other person a “secret” means it’s not a secret any more. That person mentions it to a third person who mentions it to a fourth, and before you know it, everyone knows whatever it is. In addition, the sin you’ve confessed may now come back to bite you. You tell your friend that you’ve confessed gossiping and now he’s going to wonder if he can trust you to keep his secrets. You tell your co-worker how you stole office supplies but will never do it again, it gets back to your boss, and no one trusts you.

The fairness part comes from the priest’s side. You tell someone that you went to Fr. X for confession and here’s what he told you. And the person says “Fr. X is a heretic, that’s not what the Church teaches on that topic.” Of course you’ve left out (either accidentally or deliberately) all of the circumstances that led Fr. X to say what he did. He may have been talking about specific advice for a specific person in a specific circumstance, but you’ve made it sound like it was general advice for everyone. Or maybe you misheard or misunderstood what he said. And he can’t defend himself because he can’t talk about what happened in the confessional.

I’m not sure what good you think will come from telling an outsider about your sins.

 

[Purgatory_Pete]

I agree with JonS, you can reveal everything about yourself to anyone.
That is, anything you said in there, not what the Priest may have asked or said.

The Seal of Confession is the Priests duty / responsibility.
Once the confession has ended and you leave the confessional,
my understanding is that the Priest can’t even discuss the confessed sins
with the confessor. (which would be you in this case)

Most Priests don’t remember anything heard in the confessional anyway,
and they really don’t want to remember them.
They are there to cleans our souls and make us acceptable to the Lord.

Don’t forget, sometimes a Priest might even suggest you talk with the
person you have sinned against as a part of your penance.
You could not do this if you were bound by the Confessional Seal.

The best thing to do it to ask your Priest to explain it.

Hope this helped.
:tiphat:
Pete.

 

[ServusHumilis]

I suppose as long as one isn’t boasting of repented mortal sins, which is a mortal sin it itself.

 

[TheHolyTrinity9]

I agree with JonS, you can reveal everything about yourself to anyone.
That is, anything you said in there, not what the Priest may have asked or said.

The Seal of Confession is the Priests duty / responsibility.
Once the confession has ended and you leave the confessional,
my understanding is that the Priest can’t even discuss the confessed sins
with the confessor. (which would be you in this case)

Most Priests don’t remember anything heard in the confessional anyway,
and they really don’t want to remember them.
They are there to cleans our souls and make us acceptable to the Lord.

Don’t forget, sometimes a Priest might even suggest you talk with the
person you have sinned against as a part of your penance.
You could not do this if you were bound by the Confessional Seal.

The best thing to do it to ask your Priest to explain it.

Hope this helped.
:tiphat:
Pete.

It’s not to reveal something big but to possibly prove something. It is just a question that I have wondered and wouldn’t blatently say what I confess, it’s between God and I.

 

[Purgatory_Pete]

Fair enough, so you are just talking to them about a subject that
may have been a part of your confession, (but they won’t know that it was)
in which case there is nothing to worry about,
provided you are comfortable with them knowing these things.
and what ServusHumilis said about boasting of repented mortal sins, doesn’t apply,
which sounds like it doesn’t.

But as we said the Seal of Confession is for the Priest and not you.

God Bless.
:tiphat:
Pete