Question for anyone

[Mateo el Feo]

[quote name='TLJC' date='Jul 11 2005, 10:17 AM']No religion can claim above the law.[/quote]
The seal of Confession exists even if the law doesn't recognize it. In that sense, it is above the civil law.

In the US, the confidentiality between a minister and confessor is recognized in law. This is along side the confidentiality of "client/lawyer" and "patient/doctor" relationships.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jul 11 2005, 10:11 AM']The priest sees the man eating a pepperoni pizza after Mass.
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:freak:

[TLJC]

you all make very good points...

[mulls]

didn't Hitchcock make a movie about this scenario?

[Jaime]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jul 11 2005, 10:11 AM']Ok.

A man confesses to gluttony.

The priest sees the man eating a pepperoni pizza after Mass.

Can he tell him to take it easy on the eating, based on what he knows from the confession?


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Well he can if the man brought the pizza to mass with him.

Otherwise no.

Literally (and I'm sure some of the priests will jump in here) all of the priests that I know walk out of the confessional like they've never heard a thing. It must be a gift of ordination. They don't hold on to the confessions heard for a moment. I hope some of the good fathers will back me up on this.

[peach_cube]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jul 11 2005, 12:07 PM']Here's a more likely scenario:

A person confesses to the priest that he molested children. The confession is sincere, his repentance is sincere, he receives absolution, etc.

The person subsequently joins the parish, and gets involved with various groups in the parish. He volunteers to help out with CCD, and with the youth group.

Can the priest forbid his participation in these groups, based on what he knows from the confession?
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I think that in this scenerio, most priests would make the penance involve turning themselves into the authorities.

[Jaime]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jul 11 2005, 10:07 AM']Here's a more likely scenario:

A person confesses to the priest that he molested children. The confession is sincere, his repentance is sincere, he receives absolution, etc.

The person subsequently joins the parish, and gets involved with various groups in the parish. He volunteers to help out with CCD, and with the youth group.

Can the priest forbid his participation in these groups, based on what he knows from the confession?
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The priest can talk with the person in a private conversation after confession. He can make the request to meet with the person and counsel him on the best participation.Subsequently tell him, "Nobody is going to know why, but you will not be teaching CCD." That would not violate confession. The priest just can't talk about it with anyone else.

[Guest Eremite]

[quote]Subsequently tell him, "Nobody is going to know why, but you will not be teaching CCD." That would not violate confession. The priest just can't talk about it with anyone else.[/quote]

After the confession is over, a priest cannot talk about the content of the confession even with the penitent:

[quote]He cannot contact the police even annonymously. He cannot speak of the confession outside the confessional nor even to the penitent unless the penitent initiates the conversation in a confidential situation.

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=405597&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2004&Author=&Keyword=seal+of+confession&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=7&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start_at="]Link[/url]

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Furthermore, Canon 984 reads:

[quote]A person who is in authority may not in any way, for the purpose of external governance, use knowledge about sins which has at any time come to him from the hearing of confession. [/quote]

If a priest forbade this hypothetical man from volunteering for CCD and the youth group, it seems he would be using knowledge of a confessed sin "for the purpose of external governance" (ie, the governance of the parish).

Not that I'm a canon lawyer. It would be interesting to see what one has to say on that canon, though.

[Semperviva]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 11 2005, 08:36 AM']It really doesn't matter what your law says, the seal of the confessional is inviolate.

Ask any priest - jail time is better than hell time.
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haha-yeaah, very true reminds me of what my math teacher in high school used to say...who wants to be the best basketball player in Hell?

...............oh yeah and the movie was called [i]I confess[/i]

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jul 11 2005, 01:45 PM']After the confession is over, a priest cannot talk about the content of the confession even with the penitent:
Furthermore, Canon 984 reads:
If a priest forbade this hypothetical man from volunteering for CCD and the youth group, it seems he would be using knowledge of a confessed sin "for the purpose of external governance" (ie, the governance of the parish).

Not that I'm a canon lawyer. It would be interesting to see what one has to say on that canon, though.
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I would assume there is a way around this....
Father Cappie where are you?

[InCircles' brother]

some people lie in confession.

[infinitelord1]

dont forget about what the LAW says now in spain

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='infinitelord1' date='Jul 11 2005, 10:19 PM']dont forget about what the LAW says now in spain
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I have no clue what the law says in Spain, but it doesn't matter.
God's law is supreme.

[Christie_M]

[quote name='InCircles' brother' date='Jul 11 2005, 06:50 PM']some people lie in confession.
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no way!! that's like, a sin or something!

[kateri05]

ps. confession is so cool