Seal of Confession

[Razer144000]

Is the Seal of Confession binding only on the priest, or on the penitent as well? Is the penitent not allowed to say any of their sins once the sins have been absolved?

 

[brad90956]

Is the Seal of Confession binding only on the priest, or on the penitent as well? Is the penitent not allowed to say any of their sins once the sins have been absolved?

The seal is only binding on the priest or anyone who overhears the confession. The penitent is not obligated but it is probably best to be prudent about sharing such information.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=92306

 

[Mark1970]

The seal is only binding on the priest or anyone who overhears the confession. The penitent is not obligated but it is probably best to be prudent about sharing such information.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=92306

This is my understanding as well. As the seal of confession is to protect the penitent, then it is really up to them whether they would want to disclose what they have confessed, but as to the wisdom of that?

There is also the related issue, which the OP doesn’t explicitly mention, of whether the penitent is obliged to keep secret any comments made by the priest who hears their confession.

I don’t know the definitive answer to this, perhaps somebody else does. But informally I’ve heard opinions that although it’s not covered by the seal of confession, it may be wise for the penitent to keep these to yourself.

PS. As an addition, I think the seal applies to anyone who discovers the contents of someone’s confession by any means. So it applies to someone kneeling outside the confessional who accidentally overhears, the (probably very rare) situation of needing a translator for the priest and penitent to communicate, and so on. I believe it also applies in the situation where someone writes down their sins beforehand so they don’t forget anything then e.g. accidentally leaves the list in the confessional! Perhaps someone with greater knowledge could confirm this?

 

[Reuben_J]

Is the Seal of Confession binding only on the priest, or on the penitent as well? Is the penitent not allowed to say any of their sins once the sins have been absolved?

I was taught by my catechism teacher when I was a kid not to tell to my friends the sins I confessed. It was such a long ago thing. Since then have never given a thought about it. You know at that impressionable age what the teacher said was like being cast in stone.

So I never disclosed the sins I confessed to a third party at the pain of death.

Am I still right?

 

[Mark1970]

I was taught by my catechism teacher when I was a kid not to tell to my friends the sins I confessed. It was such a long ago thing. Since then have never given a thought about it. You know at that impressionable age what the teacher said was like being cast in stone.

So I never disclosed the sins I confessed to a third party at the pain of death.

Am I still right?

It may not be “written in tablets of stone”, but it’s probably a good idea to keep your sins between yourself, the priest and God. Unless you feel that you have a good reason for talking to a particular person about a specific problem. Human nature being what it is, you never know whether somebody may gossip and word gets round. Would be a bit of a problem if the sin that was talked about was the one you found most embarrassing or there was some other reason why you didn’t want everybody to know about it!

 

[Reuben_J]

It may not be “written in tablets of stone”, but it’s probably a good idea to keep your sins between yourself, the priest and God. Unless you feel that you have a good reason for talking to a particular person about a specific problem. Human nature being what it is, you never know whether somebody may gossip and word gets round. Would be a bit of a problem if the sin that was talked about was the one you found most embarrassing or there was some other reason why you didn’t want everybody to know about it!

Thanks.

 

[e_c]

There is no such rule. The penitent has no special restrictions on what was said in the confession by either party.

 

[Mark1970]

There is no such rule. The penitent has no special restrictions on what was said in the confession by either party.

Nobody is saying that there is a binding rule, just that from a practical point of view it’s probably better to keep your sins private apart from the confessional. With respect to the priest’s comments, personally I would keep those to myself as well, due to the possibility of the priest’s comments being misinterpreted or taken out of context. In that situation the priest would still be bound by the seal of confession and unable to defend himself if, hypothetically, a distorted version of his comments became common knowledge. So for that reason I’d be careful about repeating what a priest said.

 

[thistle]

I was taught by my catechism teacher when I was a kid not to tell to my friends the sins I confessed. It was such a long ago thing. Since then have never given a thought about it. You know at that impressionable age what the teacher said was like being cast in stone.

**So I never disclosed the sins I confessed to a third party at the pain of death.

Am I still right?**

NO! The Seal of Confession does NOT bind the penitent.

 

[beckie_clark]

it’s just on the priest:thumbsup:

 

[Phemie]

it’s just on the priest:thumbsup:

And anyone who overhears.

IOW, if I overhear someone confessing to murder I may not contact the police and let them know. The seal binds me too. Good reason to stay out of earshot when confessions are ongoing.

 

[thistle]

And anyone who overhears.

IOW, if I overhear someone confessing to murder I may not contact the police and let them know. The seal binds me too. Good reason to stay out of earshot when confessions are ongoing.

You are right of course but if the person who overhears is not a Catholic they would not care.

 

[PJM]

Is the Seal of Confession binding only on the priest, or on the penitent as well? Is the penitent not allowed to say any of their sins once the sins have been absolved?

ONLY ON THE PRIEST & ANYONE EVES-DROPPING WHICH is nearly impossible}

 

[Mark1970]

ONLY ON THE PRIEST & ANYONE EVES-DROPPING [WHICH is nearly impossible}

Deliberate eavesdropping is certainly very difficult; however, a few anecdotes coming!!

In my parish, the end of the bench people use for the confessional is about 4 feet from the confessional door - which until recently was poorly-fitting and not completely sound-proof. Anybody sitting right at the end of the bench (which people waiting for confession tended to do) could certainly hear voices coming from the confessional, although they would probably have had to strain a bit to hear what was being said. And a couple of years ago I had the experience of actually being in confession, hearing voices outside, and the door opening behind me - and the person coming in actually stood there with the door open, turned to their friend and said “There’s already somebody in!” before closing the door. Fortunately I’d completed my confession but it could easily have been otherwise. The worst thing from my point of view is that many years ago I used to be an altar boy, the sacristy was next to the confessional and the priest would hear confessions before the Saturday night Mass - and sometimes forgot to close the door on his side of the confessional, and also the sacristy door would be open!
[/quote]

 

[Phemie]

The worst thing from my point of view is that many years ago I used to be an altar boy, the sacristy was next to the confessional and the priest would hear confessions before the Saturday night Mass - and sometimes forgot to close the door on his side of the confessional, and also the sacristy door would be open!

You had doors in your confessionals when you were a kid?? We had curtains. It was easy to overhear confession if you were at the head of the line.

Most of the confessionals I saw in Europe had no door and no curtain, you confessed in the open. Easy enough to overhear if you sit too close.

 

[Mark1970]

You had doors in your confessionals when you were a kid??

Yes, although one has now been converted to house the boiler for the church’s heating system. There were two, both on the right hand side of the nave as you look towards the altar. There was/is a “back corridor” leading from the sacristy to the priest’s house. As you go from the sacristy to the house, the door to the priest’s side of the confessional is along the corridor. So the confessional currently used is the room next to the sacristy, which is why someone in the sacristy was in danger of overhearing things if the priest didn’t close the doors properly.

 

[Kay_Cee]

What, exactly, does the seal cover? I’ve overheard things that are totally not related to the confession of sins–for example, a discussion about sports.

Does the seal cover that as well?

 

[Phemie]

What, exactly, does the seal cover? I’ve overheard things that are totally not related to the confession of sins–for example, a discussion about sports.

Does the seal cover that as well?

Preferably you should be like Sgt. Schultz and pretend you “heard nawthing” no matter what it is.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Preferably you should be like Sgt. Schultz and pretend you “heard nawthing” no matter what it is.

Thank you, but that doesn’t actually answer the question. Are such things covered by the seal?

 

[Kay_Cee]

Found the canon law:

Can. 983 §1. The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.
§2. The interpreter, if there is one, and all others who in any way have knowledge of sins from confession are also obliged to observe secrecy.