seal of Confession

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Monica4316

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Are we allowed to talk to a priest about our sins (as in what is a sin, mentioning particular examples etc) outside of Confession? can we mention past confessions in that context? what about writing, using email, etc?

I’m just hoping that - this wouldn’t somehow break the seal of Confession… if we write to the priest about such things, should the letter/email/message/etc be erased afterwards? let’s say if someone emails a priest asking questions about a sin and mentioning past confessions, and then someone else hacks into his account and reads the email (I know this is far fetched lol, but it’s just a scenario) - would the priest have broken the seal and would he be responsible?

does anyone know? I don’t want to do something wrong.

thank you!
 
In all your cases it may not be prudent to do so, since there may be no expectation of privacy. Where are the talks. Why not set up a meeting to discuss such things and be clear about it up front so he will be under the seal of confession. Putting it on paper may not be the best idea. To many opportunities for things to go wrong. If you talk to a priest about your past sins as a spiritual director they also have an obligation, maybe not with the full force of a confessor. I was told by my SD that he could not and would not talk to anyone about any specifics we discussed.
 
With regard to the Seal of Confession, it is on the priest, not you. You are free to discuss what occurred as necessary.

I don’t know the Church’s position on all of the details you mentioned, but I do know confessions must be done in person. Phone calls, emails, etc. don’t suffice, and I don’t believe that these would fall under the Seal of Confession. These type of discussions could be confidential, but that is different from being under the Seal of Confession.
 
Monica4316 said:
Are we allowed to talk to a priest about our sins (as in what is a sin, mentioning particular examples etc) outside of Confession? can we mention past confessions in that context? what about writing, using email, etc?

I’m just hoping that - this wouldn’t somehow break the seal of Confession… if we write to the priest about such things, should the letter/email/message/etc be erased afterwards? let’s say if someone emails a priest asking questions about a sin and mentioning past confessions, and then someone else hacks into his account and reads the email (I know this is far fetched lol, but it’s just a scenario) - would the priest have broken the seal and would he be responsible?

does anyone know? I don’t want to do something wrong.

thank you!
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You are allowed to talk about your sins anywhere, at any time, to anybody. If you wanted to start a blog called ListOfAllMySins.blogspot.com, that is completely fine. If you wanted to start a Twitter feed @SinsOfMonica and update the world every time you committed a sin, that’s fine too.

If you talk or write to a priest about your sins outside the context of the sacrament of Confession, then he is not bound under church law by the seal of the confessional. Similarly, if somebody hacks into his email account, he is not responsible for it, much like he would not be responsible if somebody planted a secret listening device inside the confessional.
 
Monica4316 said:
… let’s say if someone emails a priest asking questions about a sin and mentioning past confessions, and then someone else hacks into his account and reads the email (I know this is far fetched lol, but it’s just a scenario) - would the priest have broken the seal and would he be responsible?

does anyone know? I don’t want to do something wrong.

thank you!
Click to expand...
No, the priest would not have broken the seal of confession because of what someone else did.
 
Monica4316 said:
Are we allowed to talk to a priest about our sins (as in what is a sin, mentioning particular examples etc) outside of Confession? can we mention past confessions in that context? what about writing, using email, etc?

!
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the seal binds the priest and anyone who ovehears the confession (such as an interpreter) not the penitent. Yes you can can talk to the priest in other converstaions but it is certainly not wise to put such information in email or in writing.
 
I understand that it is not wise, - but is it because it puts the priest in danger regarding the seal of Confession? or just because it’s better to discuss it in person for certain reasons, etc?
 
Why put the priest between a rock and a hard place? If you have something to say to him regarding a past confession, just go to confession and address it there.

I learned that lesson when I once emailed my priest with a follow-up on something I mentioned in confession. (It was vague enough so that if someone else did happen to read it, they wouldn’t know what I was referring to.) He did not respond to the email nor acknowledge it in person. He simply can not talk about it outside the confessional.

If you have questions about what a sin is or regarding particular examples, you can talk about that with him in general conversation because it is not a confession, but rather a teaching moment.
 
Monica4316 said:
I understand that it is not wise, - but is it because it puts the priest in danger regarding the seal of Confession? or just because it’s better to discuss it in person for certain reasons, etc?
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You contacting the priest outside of the Confession regarding what happened in the Confession does not violate the priest’s obligation. I don’t believe that the priest can discuss what happened during the Confession outside the Confessional (without just cause, which doesn’t appear applicable in your case), so he will not be able to address what you’ve sent via email, etc.
 
the previous confession was not to him… does that change anything?
 
Monica4316 said:
I understand that it is not wise, - but is it because it puts the priest in danger regarding the seal of Confession? or just because it’s better to discuss it in person for certain reasons, etc?
Click to expand...
it is unwise because everything you put on the internet is potentially available to the whole wide world, and because anything you put in writing also can potentially be seen by someone else. The purpose of the seal is to maintain your confidentiality, so why would you want to jeopardize it?

If you want to talk to the priest who heard your confession outside the confessional (perhaps, say it is a marriage issue and you now need advice on how to proceed) make an appointment and discuss the issue. If you have something further to confess, go to confession. Why are you discussion your confession with a third party, even another priest? To iterate, you cannot break the seal, it binds the priest, not you. The priest cannot discuss your confession at all, with your or anyone else, unless you go to him raise the matter, and ask him to give you further advice or counsel on the matter. A priest will not get into an email or paper mail discussion with you on matter for confession.
 
Monica4316 said:
I understand that it is not wise, - but is it because it puts the priest in danger regarding the seal of Confession? or just because it’s better to discuss it in person for certain reasons, etc?
Click to expand...
It’s not wise because you do not want to take your private life into what could be the public arena. It’s that simple.
 
Whatever you decide to discuss outside of the sacrament is not protected by the seal.

For example, if you robbed a bank and shot a guard, then confessed – that it would be protected. If later, outside the confessional (e-mail, phone, letter, casual conversation, whatever) met with a priest (the one you confessed to or not) and said “what can I do about the continuing guilt I feel for robbing a bank” – that you robbed a bank would no longer be under the seal (although any details you confessed but not disclosed later would be). That you had shot a guard would be.

You can always ask for strictest confidence and the priest will probably honor that, but it is outside the sacrament and thus outside the seal. The purpose of the seal is to protect the sacrament.
 
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