Questions about confession

[GoGoDiego]

Can a priest withhold the absolution of someone who did a criminal act (rape, murder etc.) unless he/she submits him/herself to the authorities or make it as a prescribed penance?

Suppose that I broke a certain school rule and I confessed that to my principal who is a priest. Can he have the right to carry out the correspo ding sanction and punishment then and there during the time of my confession?

 

[Generic_Name]

From forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=31504

Q: Can absolution be withheld from a murderer until he agrees to give himself up to authorities?

A: Absolutely not. A priest may withhold absolution from a murderer if he has reason to believe that the penitent is insincere. He also may assign the penitent to atone for his sin by helping those he has harmed, anonymously if necessary. For example, if the victim was a husband and father, the priest may direct the penitent to contribute to the support of the widow and children. In order to avoid revealing the murderer’s identity, the support may be given through the mediation of the parish’s charitable funds. The priest also may encourage the penitent to turn himself in to authorities. But he may not condition absolution upon the murderer’s confession to civil authorities. No one—not even the priest—can require an action that would reveal to outsiders the contents of his sacramental confession and thus violate the seal of the confessional.

 

[FrDavid96]

Can a priest withhold the absolution of someone who did a criminal act (rape, murder etc.) unless he/she submits him/herself to the authorities or make it as a prescribed penance?

No.

Suppose that I broke a certain school rule and I confessed that to my principal who is a priest. Can he have the right to carry out the correspo ding sanction and punishment then and there during the time of my confession?

He can give you a penance for the sin. The fact that he is the principal doesn’t change anything.

However since he’s in a position of authority over you, he cannot use any information he learned in confession when he is acting as principal (that is, outside of Confession).