Just how inviolable is the confessional seal?

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StephenBales

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Are there any circumstances in which the seal can be licitly broken? Say, if someone in confession reveals suicidal thoughts and intentions for that very night. Would it count as breaking the seal to alert the police or their parents or other people with charge over them? They’d have to reveal what they heard if they were to tell someone, I’d imagine. Or if someone were to confess intentions and plans to commit a public violent attack, and they were trying to get around the sin and confess it in advance (I realize that isn’t licit or valid, but I know people try it because…well, movies 😂). Would the priest be obligated to alert authorities, and would that count as breaking the seal of confession?

Genuinely curious. Thanks all, in advance!
 
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StephenBales said:
Are there any circumstances in which the seal can be licitly broken?
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There are absolutely no circumstances in which the seal may be broken, whether someone confesses suicidal thoughts or even confesses they are going to murder someone.
 
Under no circumstance can a priest break the seal. Even if the priest were to be accused of doing something horrible in confession he can’t say anything at all (which is why confessional boxes should be used)
 
The seal of confession prevents the priest from revealing the sin if the person can be reasonably known or the person if the sin can reasonably known.

It is theoretically possible that the one confessing can reveal something but not confess a sin. In that case the priest could reveal it to authorities. Admittedly this is hair splitting and the priest would only do this after much prayer.

I have heard in the history of the church there are very few cases where the seal was broken!
 
StephenBales said:
Are there any circumstances in which the seal can be licitly broken?
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No, there aren’t.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 2490:
The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext. “The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason.”
 
Interesting. Thanks all!

EDIT: In hindsight, this was poor choice of words. “Interesting… cue evil laugh

Thought I should clarify, I have no intentions for ne’er-do-well-ship!
 
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StephenBales said:
Are there any circumstances in which the seal can be licitly broken?
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No.
StephenBales said:
Would it count as breaking the seal to alert the police or their parents or other people with charge over them?
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Yes.
StephenBales said:
Would the priest be obligated to alert authorities
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No. However, one hopes that he would counsel the person appropriately, and perhaps even offer to be with him to help him resist his intentions…
 
A priest does, however, have the right to impose penance. A priest may make it a condition for absolution (the penance) that a person turn themselves into the police.
 
SeraficLeo said:
A priest may make it a condition for absolution (the penance) that a person turn themselves into the police.
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🤦‍♂️

No. NO!

First, penance isn’t a condition for absolution.

Second, the priest may not require that a person publicly out himself as a condition for absolution, nor may he impose that as penance!
 
SeraficLeo said:
A priest may make it a condition for absolution (the penance) that a person turn themselves into the police.
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Um, no. The priest can, of course, withhold absolution if he does not think there is true contrition and intention to avoid the sin going forward. But he can’t make turning oneself in to police a condition of absolution.
 
I am talking about the penance, though. Unless I have been living in “la-la-land,” the priest prescribes a penance but still grants me absolution.
 
The Road to Canossa, sometimes called the Walk to Canossa or Humiliation of Canossa, refers to Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV’s trek to Canossa Castle, Italy, where Pope Gregory VII was staying as the guest of Margravine Matilda of Tuscany, at the height of the investiture controversy in January 1077 to seek absolution
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I’m going to take a wild guess that the current Code of Canon Law didn’t exist yet in 1077.
 
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In theory the Pope would be able to licitly break the seal and not suffer any earthly consequences. As the Pope is the supreme arbiter of Canon Law, the provisions in Canon Law that automatically excommunicate priests for breaking the seal would not apply to him.

Not that I would ever expect this to happen, and it would probably be a mortal sin against God for a Pope to do this, but in theory there would be nothing stopping the Pope from violating the seal.

Other than this extremely remote possibility the seal is completely inviolable.
 
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What could the Holy Church do about it? Would a transcontinental interdict be in the cards?

ICXC NIKA
 
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