Mentioning another person's sin during *your* Confession, implications for Seal of Confession

[Ana_v]

If during Confession you mention another person’s sin (for the purpose of providing context for your own situation, e.g. you recently discovered that a very close friend is sexually involved with your mutual high school history teacher, and you feel guilty about not reporting it), does the Seal of Confession require that the priest never reveal the sin of your friend/teacher, or, does the Seal of Confession only apply to your wrongdoing (i.e. failure to report the teacher-student affair)?

 

[Mark1970]

I would imagine the Seal of Confession would apply to everything. The purpose of the Seal is that somebody can go to confession with confidence that what they say to the priest isn’t going to be told to anybody - period. The logic is that if you consider some of the very private, personal sins that can get mentioned in confession - would you want some of yours to be repeated to you family, or anybody? So whatever gets said in Confession has to remain secret, even though it relates to somebody else, so that people aren’t deterred from going by the thought the priest may tell somebody

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

If during Confession you mention another person’s sin (for the purpose of providing context for your own situation, e.g. you recently discovered that a very close friend is sexually involved with your mutual high school history teacher, and you feel guilty about not reporting it), does the Seal of Confession require that the priest never reveal the sin of your friend/teacher, or, does the Seal of Confession only apply to your wrongdoing (i.e. failure to report the teacher-student affair)?

The seal applies to everything. But you do not need to detail so much. Were I the priest I would stop references to other people, specially with names.
The confession intends you to state before Go that you are are a sinner and that you ask for forgiveness and that you want to do better in the future.
Too many people concentrate on the details of the guilt, which are useless. Pst is past and what God wants is not you to modify the past but to modify the future.
I did not sy that you would not say your sins, I repeat, I feel from the questions here, and yours, that there is too much detailing in some people (not in all!!!).

 

[purplesunshine]

From what I heard if the occurence is a recent threat to human health and well being the priest can make your comming forward a condition of absolving your sin.

He can also stop the confession.

Also, if this is an ongoing issue and you dont say something tomorrow then its a sin again. As you were not truly sorry this negates the validity of the confession. Since you’re in the situation your actual culpibility may be little or none…but its a bad habit.

Consider telling a mandated reporter in confidence. You are confusing a sacramental need with a civil duty.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

You should not be confessing other people’s sins, only your own. You do not need to go into too much details abut your sins either. If the priest needs more explanation, he will ask.

About the situation you describe, if it is true (and not just an example) than you should definitely speak to a trusted adult about the situation. You should be able to talk to your guidance counselor or another teacher in confidence.

As another poster said, guilt itself is not a sin. What could be sinful is not acting in a situation where someone is likely to be hurt. If you don’t want to talk to anyone at school, speak to your priest outside the confessional and get his advice. Or simply tell your parents.

 

[Blossoming]

Consider telling a mandated reporter in confidence. You are confusing a sacramental need with a civil duty.

I think this is on target.

You should not be confessing other people’s sins, only your own. You do not need to go into too much details abut your sins either. If the priest needs more explanation, he will ask.

Actually confessing other people’s sins might be a sin in and of itself, akin to gossip or slander.

As another poster said, guilt itself is not a sin. What could be sinful is not acting in a situation where someone is likely to be hurt. If you don’t want to talk to anyone at school, speak to your priest outside the confessional and get his advice. Or simply tell your parents.

I agree with Mrs. Sally. Why wouldn’t you tell your parents and let the adults who are capable of that responsibility take the proper actions.

 

[Ana_v]

Thank you for the helpful responses. To clarify – in case concern has been raised – the example I gave in the OP is hypothetical. However, I do find myself in a situation in which I don’t see how I can relate my own (passive) failure without mentioning another person’s (active) moral failure, since (in my case) they are very directly linked.

 

[Blossoming]

Thank you for the helpful responses. To clarify – in case concern has been raised – the example I gave in the OP is hypothetical. However, I do find myself in a situation in which I don’t see how I can relate my own (passive) failure without mentioning another person’s (active) moral failure, since (in my case) they are very directly linked.

I would think a proper confession would be to your own sin of omission by holding the data without going through the civil authorities to correct it. I don’t see why you would have to give anyone else’s name to do that.

I suspect you will be counseled to take action whether it’s reporting it to the proper authorities or telling your parents and you might not be able to take communion if you admit to sinning and then refuse to correct the sin. Absolution is for regretting a sin and it is not given if you tell the priest you plan to keep commiting the sin and aren’t penitant.

 

[Castello]

The seal ONLY applies to the priest and to any person who overhears your confession. It does not apply to you. Neither of them can reveal anything said in that confession.

You can scream from the mountaintops what was said in your confession.

If you get into confession someone else’s sin, your priest will guide you back on track.

 

[Ana_v]

I don’t see why you would have to give anyone else’s name to do that.

To further clarify, in my OP I did not mean to suggest that I felt the need to mention the other person’s name, rather, the noun that denotes that person’s relationship to me ( friend, uncle, co-worker, coach, etc)

 

[Blossoming]

To further clarify, in my OP I did not mean to suggest that I felt the need to mention the other person’s name, rather, the noun that denotes that person’s relationship to me ( friend, uncle, co-worker, coach, etc)

There is probably nothing wrong with that. God Bless.

 

[1ke]

From what I heard if the occurence is a recent threat to human health and well being the priest can make your comming forward a condition of absolving your sin…

This is absolutley false. It would be a violation of the seal of confession to do so. A priest may not require the OP do to any such thing nor may he withhold absolution.

He can also stop the confession.

Not sure what you mean by this.

Also, if this is an ongoing issue and you dont say something tomorrow then its a sin again. As you were not truly sorry this negates the validity of the confession. Since you’re in the situation your actual culpibility may be little or none…but its a bad habit.

It is not necessarily a sin for her to keep silent. It depends upon many factors. We do not know the situation (for example, the person in question might be 18. Then it is a serious lapse in judgment and professional ethics on the part of the teacher, but not illegal nor a criminal act). We should refrain from making such blanket statements as above indicating the OP is committing some sort of sin. Her priest would be the one in the position to counsel the OP on whether or not she can be absolved.

Consider telling a mandated reporter in confidence. You are confusing a sacramental need with a civil duty.

If the OP is a minor, she herself is not a “mandatory reporter”. That is typically confined to teachers, medical professionals, child care workers, etc.

The OP should talk to her priest or other trusted individual for advice. Certainly a teacher engaging in sexual relations with a high school student is serious. But she needs guidance from a trusted adult.

The OP has now clarified this example as a hypothetical. It doesn’t change my general answer but it is important to acknowledge this is not an actual situation.

 

[1ke]

Thank you for the helpful responses. To clarify – in case concern has been raised – the example I gave in the OP is hypothetical. However, I do find myself in a situation in which I don’t see how I can relate my own (passive) failure without mentioning another person’s (active) moral failure, since (in my case) they are very directly linked.

It’s fine to mention something in generalities, the priest will guide you. The priest is bound by the seal of confession and cannot reveal anything you say and cannot make you reveal anything either.

Just make your confession with whatever facts you think relevant and your priest will guide you.

 

[Corpus_Cristi]

The seal ONLY applies to the priest and to any person who overhears your confession. It does not apply to you. Neither of them can reveal anything said in that confession.

You can scream from the mountaintops what was said in your confession.

If you get into confession someone else’s sin, your priest will guide you back on track.

I’m going to agree with Castello. The seal of confession applies only to the confessor and to anyone who might overhear the confession (under certain circumstances, it’s possible). As for what YOU confess, the rules aren’t hard and fast. Basically you absolutely have to confess all your mortal sins committed since your last confession. As for mentioning the sin of someone else, I would use my better judgement about saying it, and if I DID decide that within reason, someone else’s sin was worthy of mention in relation to my own, I would protect the identity of the other person as best I could. There’s no such thing as “confessing” someone else’s sin, as the priest can really only absolve you.

Just to reiterate, though, the Church binds no restriction to the faithful from mentioning the contents of their own confessions after the fact.