Telling without violating the confessional

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Mike1w

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please consider this hypothetical situation. A person commits a crime. The victim tells a priest outside of the confessional. The perpetrator also tells the same priest in confession about the crime. Neither of the people know what the other said to the priest. if the priest tells the cops or other authorities, has he violated the seal of the confessional. Does the timing of these events affect the status.?
 
Mike1w said:
if the priest tells the cops or other authorities, has he violated the seal of the confessional. Does the timing of these events affect the status.?
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The priest can say “Sally told me Bob did X to her”, but he cannot say “Bob did X to Sally because they both told me so” because Bob’s admission was protected by the Seal.
 
From the Catechism

1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry
and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that
every priest who hears confessions is bound under very
severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins
that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no
use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents’
lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called
the “sacramental seal,” because what the penitent has made
known to the priest remains “sealed” by the sacrament.
 
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Canon law also prevents anyone who overhears a confession from divulging any information.

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.
 
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this answers my question. i was only wondering if anyone could claim that such a declaration would be violatory of the seal of the confessional, or would the priest be okay because the source was not the confessional.
 
If he knows something outside of the sacrament of confession he may share it. If his knowledge is based on a confession then no, he can´t share it.
 
The priest violates the seal of confession if he says anything to anybody.
 
OldCAFMember said:
These hypothetical confession scenarios wear me out. 🥺
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I agree it is wearying.

But until the script writers stop coming up with television plots about things like this and the networks stop showing re-runs, the topic isn’t going away.
 
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@SMHW
But until the script writers stop coming up with television plots about things like this and the networks stop showing re-runs, the topic isn’t going away.
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I quite agree. It’s a ridiculous distortion of the sacrament. But I doubt that any mainstream TV show or movie would show the beauty and holiness of the sacrament.
 
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