Priests' confessions

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alliys

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When priests go to confession, do they have to confess to lying if those lies were to protect the seal of someone else’s confession?
 
they don’t have to lie to protect the seal of confession why would they. they would say I can’t answer that but who is going to ask them about confession anyway. plus seal of confession means they never speak about anyones confession under any circumstances.
 
I don’t mean that it would be necessary inherently, but in a case where the priest knows and interacts regularly with his parishioners and their families, I can imagine it would quite easily come up as a necessity at times. Not as in they are asked specifically about a confession, but that they know something about a person that they cannot admit to if a conversation with someone else is about that.
 
I don’t think so because I can’t see how it could happen. I am on friendly terms with my priest and we meet at many social and family events and I never heard him speak about anyone I guess he wouldn’t say anything just not answer. I can’t explain really but I just feel a priest who never lie to protect seal of confession just wish I could say it better.
 
I have never heard a priest discuss or even speak about anyone’s confession. It sure couldn’t happen at our parish. I went to confession last week before a weekday Mass–confessions are heard 30 minutes before Mass. We have a traditional confessional–no face to face is possible. There were about ten people lined up at first but the line kept growing. The priest heard perhaps 15 or 20 confessions total. If you had asked him afterwards who came to confession he would have no idea. Even if he knows them, it would be impossible to keep track of so many, day after day, not that he (or any priest) tries to keep track.
 
I was very fortunate to have a very old priest (in his late 80s, fought in WWII) involved in RCIA when I went through. Class one week was about confession and he said jokingly that the reason women can’t be priests is because they could remember confessions and men can’t. :D:p

I don’t think they dwell on hearing people’s sins. If they did, it would be quite depressing. Better to just forget, I suppose.
 
Several years ago I was in earshot when a priest (who knew my family and I very well) lied to my parents in order to not give away something I had told him in confession. What I am curious about is whether he would have to confess something like that, or if his obligation to secrecy makes it not a sin.
 
One of the characteristics of a lie is that the person who is inquiring has a right to know. No one has the right to know anything about someone else’s confession and therefore what you overheard (I would think) was not technically a lie.
 
KendraDZ1902 said:
I was very fortunate to have a very old priest (in his late 80s, fought in WWII) involved in RCIA when I went through. Class one week was about confession and he said jokingly that the reason women can’t be priests is because they could remember confessions and men can’t. :D:p

I don’t think they dwell on hearing people’s sins. If they did, it would be quite depressing. Better to just forget, I suppose.
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Kendra, I read your post to my DH…we both got a chuckle out of that priest’s reasoning for no women priests 🙂
 
Nelka said:
It must be strange being a priest and hearing the Pope’s confession, you would know his voice.

🙂
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The photos I’ve seen of Pope Francis making confession is of him face to face with the priest, so they know who he is anyway.
 
No priest repeats anything said during confession.
I once complimented a priest’s younger brother (he was my student).
He said “too bad I can’t share this with him…you gave him the compliment under the seal of the confessional…but I appreciate you kind words on his behalf”. 🙂
 
alliys said:
Several years ago I was in earshot when a priest (who knew my family and I very well) lied to my parents in order to not give away something I had told him in confession. What I am curious about is whether he would have to confess something like that, or if his obligation to secrecy makes it not a sin.
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He might have to confess lying but not about what he lied about or who he lied to.
 
808Catholic said:
He might have to confess lying but not about what he lied about or who he lied to.
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Ok, you’re really digging here.

Priests sin, like everybody else. Is that what you’re concerned about?
Yes, they do have regular confessors, as we all should.
:rolleyes:
 
I think part of the problem here is that we do not understand confession or what a priest feels about confession. a priest friend of mine once said as soon as confessions are over he says prayers and then moves on or offers it up. priests do not think about it again they don’t dwell on what they hear. I attended both face to face confession and confession in confession box I don’t mind which way and I confess to my friends sometimes and we never speak of it again and I never worry about it because first and foremost he is a priest bound by seal of confession.
 
I should have said when I confess to my friends I mean priest friend not friends in general now that would be weird. lesson learned read post before posting:)
 
alliys said:
When priests go to confession, do they have to confess to lying if those lies were to protect the seal of someone else’s confession?
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They shouldn’t have to lie, if a question comes up they can simply say that that is privileged information that can’t be shared.
 
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