Should family members ask about a relative's confession?

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jasm

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My daughter and husband both asked me questions about my confession today and I answered their questions and gave more information besides. Is it a sin to discuss your confession with others? If so, is it a mortal sin?
 
No, it is not a sin for a penitent to discuss his confession with others. However, he should be aware that those others with whom he discusses his confession are not bound by the seal of confession. Only those involved in facilitating the actual confession (e.g., confessor, translator, etc.), or who may have overheard, inadvertantly or otherwise, the actual confession are bound by the sacramental seal.

What concerns me is that your daughter and husband were questioning you about your confession. Other than perhaps a very general question such as “So, were you able to go to confession today, after all?” even family members should not presume to ask about someone’s confession – including parents to children. Such questions can put a penitent “on the spot,” and can make him feel “obliged” to share what he would otherwise wish to keep private. I recommend answering any such questions in the future with, “I’d rather not talk about it.” If your daughter is still a minor, she can be told, “It’s not right to ask questions about something so private as someone else’s confession.”
 
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