Sharing the spiritual advice I received during Confession

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Katsuobushi

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My priest told me to destroy my memos that had a list of my things to confess and the act of penance I wrote down after the priest told me during Confession. I destroy the memos every time. But am I allowed to tell the other the spiritual advice that I have received from the priest during Confession? I won’t disclose what exactly the confessions are. One hour ago, I saw a post who had the same dilemma I had before. So I posted the advice I received during Confession. 10 minutes later, the entire thread was moderated away. I only wrote very vaguely what I had confessed, before saying the priest’s advice.
 
The thread may have been removed for reasons that had nothing to do with your post. (They would have just removed your post.)

I don’t think there is anything wrong with you sharing the priest’s advice.
 
Katsuobushi said:
My priest told me to destroy my memos that had a list of my things to confess and the act of penance I wrote down after the priest told me during Confession. I destroy the memos every time. But am I allowed to tell the other the spiritual advice that I have received from the priest during Confession? I won’t disclose what exactly the confessions are. One hour ago, I saw a post who had the same dilemma I had before. So I posted the advice I received during Confession. 10 minutes later, the entire thread was moderated away. I only wrote very vaguely what I had confessed, before saying the priest’s advice.
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The priest is bound by the Seal of Confession. You are not.
 
Thank you. The priest’s spiritual advice can be very helpful. I wanted to help the person with it.
 
I agree with the other posters. I do it myself if it is helpful to someone else. It is like passing on information.
 
You are per se allowed to share the advice you receive in confession & even your sins. But the big question is whether you should. I have myself shared both advice I´ve received as well as some of what I´ve confessed with someone very close to me - outside of confession - but that´s because I gave tips and recommendations to someone with regards to a sin I had overcome.

In general - confession is a very personal thing and most of it should really be left in the confessional. At least I´d say that you shouldn´t share anything that implies what you´ve confessed if not you´re comfortable letting the other person know.
 
I agree that too. I view Confession as holy so anything done in it, I try not to disclose. I saw someone struggling with a habit I had before. I disclosed the person what the priest had told me in Confession. But the entire thread was closed soon. So, I became anxious if I broke some kind of Church’s rules.
 
Elf01 said:
I would just say the seal does not bind the peninent. My understanding is that it binds anyone else who may hear the confession.
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That is correct but this thread is about priest and penitent only and whether the penitent can speak about what was said in Confession.
 
thistle said:
That is correct but this thread is about priest and penitent only and whether the penitent can speak about what was said in Confession.
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Yes, and I know that Fr. @edward_george1 was focusing on the priest and penient. However, I was afraid that his phrasing may give the impression that if somebody heard the confession accidently they would not be bound by the seal and wanted it established that that is not the case.
 
Which brings to my mind the caveat that one should keep one’s voice down while confessing one’s sins. People outside of the confessional could overhear and some tend to gossip, or at the very least, to judge.

I know this is a serious subject, but to the point of this advice is the following story:

Several executives were sitting around the table in the board room, and the President of the company was late. They were becoming bored and decided to while away the time by each one confessing to the others his favorite vice.

The first executive confessed that he liked to drink excessively.

Another confessed that he liked to gamble.

A third admitted that he was a womanizer.

The fourth executive was staying quiet.

“Come on, now,” one of the others urged. “We all told ours – now it’s your turn to tell yours.”

“Well, okay,” replied the holdout. “… My favorite vice is gossiping, and I can’t wait to get the he** out of here!”

If it happened to them, it could happen to us. We need to speak only loud enough for the priest to hear us.
 
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