Who does a priest confess to?

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do they confess to other priests or does it have to be someone higher in authority?
 
Any other priest. They can confess to someone in higher office, but that would just mean they are confessing to a priest who happens to hold a higher office.
 
Reminds me of a story about John Paul II:

There was a parish priest who absconded with parish funds. He got caught and fled in shame. He wandered about and ended up in Rome, eventually somehow meeting the Pope in person. The priest told the pope his story and about how ashamed he was and that he wished he hadn’t ruined his priestly calling. The priest ended up confessing to the pope himself. Though sacramentally back in good graces, the priest still didn’t feel worthy of being a priest. To show the priest the effects of the sacrament and God’s full and forgiving love, the pope asked the priest to hear his confession. The shocked priest protested that he was unworthy to do so, but the pope told him that because of the sacrament of reconciliaion he was as worthy as ever to be a priest. That priest, who had considered himself so unworthy of his calling as a parish priest, who had wandered around ashamed for letting God down, then heard Pope John Paul II say these words: “Bless me father, for I have sinned…”

The priest went back to his parish and got back to working for God.
 
Other priests - and it’s a wonderful thing to see (as I have on several occasions) priests lined up among the laity to go to confession. Reminds me of Who is REALLY dispensing the sacrament here!
 
NPS said:
Reminds me of a story about John Paul II:

There was a parish priest who absconded with parish funds. He got caught and fled in shame. He wandered about and ended up in Rome, eventually somehow meeting the Pope in person. The priest told the pope his story and about how ashamed he was and that he wished he hadn’t ruined his priestly calling. The priest ended up confessing to the pope himself. Though sacramentally back in good graces, the priest still didn’t feel worthy of being a priest. To show the priest the effects of the sacrament and God’s full and forgiving love, the pope asked the priest to hear his confession. The shocked priest protested that he was unworthy to do so, but the pope told him that because of the sacrament of reconciliaion he was as worthy as ever to be a priest. That priest, who had considered himself so unworthy of his calling as a parish priest, who had wandered around ashamed for letting God down, then heard Pope John Paul II say these words: “Bless me father, for I have sinned…”

The priest went back to his parish and got back to working for God.
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This is a lovely story. Thank you.
 
NPS said:
Any other priest. They can confess to someone in higher office, but that would just mean they are confessing to a priest who happens to hold a higher office.
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I think there is a bar against a priest confessing to someone who has authority over him, lest there might be a perceived violation of the seal.
 
NPS said:
Reminds me of a story about John Paul II:

There was a parish priest who absconded with parish funds. He got caught and fled in shame. He wandered about and ended up in Rome, eventually somehow meeting the Pope in person. The priest told the pope his story and about how ashamed he was and that he wished he hadn’t ruined his priestly calling. The priest ended up confessing to the pope himself. Though sacramentally back in good graces, the priest still didn’t feel worthy of being a priest. To show the priest the effects of the sacrament and God’s full and forgiving love, the pope asked the priest to hear his confession. The shocked priest protested that he was unworthy to do so, but the pope told him that because of the sacrament of reconciliaion he was as worthy as ever to be a priest. That priest, who had considered himself so unworthy of his calling as a parish priest, who had wandered around ashamed for letting God down, then heard Pope John Paul II say these words: “Bless me father, for I have sinned…”

The priest went back to his parish and got back to working for God.
Click to expand...
I recall reading that story. It was told by some well known priest, I have forgotten who. As I recall he was a classmate of the fallen priest. He met the priest while in Rome and, upon meeting with Pope John Paul II mentioned him and asked the Pope’s prayers for him. Pope John Paul insisted that he find him and bring him to dinner. He found him again, got him cleaned up and brought him to the Vatican for dinner. The rest evolved as you related.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I think there is a bar against a priest confessing to someone who has authority over him, lest there might be a perceived violation of the seal.
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Well, the seal is still in place regardless.

Many people use the same person for spiritual direction as well as confession.

The way the seal operates, the SD can only discuss what was revealed in confession with the permission of the penitent. I imagine it would be handled the same way in your situation.

Besides which, the priest could confess anonymously - the confessor wouldn’t even know who it was, most likely, and shouldn’t reveal if he does know.
 
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