Catholics: During confession, does the priest have to keep EVERYTHING secret? No matter what he hears?

Question

<> Um, WOODAT, I see 99% of your questions are about football and a couple on Hotmail/Yahoo! Nuff said..........

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

The general answer is yes, as it is aconfidential revelationn between a man of God and the sinner seeking repentance, the forgiveness only ther Lord God can truly give.
There is an episode of Law and Order in which this was debated- a man confessed to a priest of murder, but the argument was that as he was in confession, the admittance of guilt couldn't be revealed. The state case argued that the confession may actually be a conversation- so the priest would have to testify. Otherwise the man would go free. I think the verdict was that the priest was fully and legally correct in not revealing the murder.
Another legal case in the UK saw a man hand in several grenades and a machine gun to a priest, but as he was in confession the priest couldn't reveal the mans name or any crime he had admitted to.
Only under very specific circumstances can a priest go against this, and it is also very rare that this happened.

Answer 3

Everything told to a priest in the confessional must be strictly kept secret.

I am not aware of any exceptions, although certain other rules may come into effect when a priest is confessing to another priest.

Priests may not alert authorities, or force criminals to turn themselves in. Priest to priest confession may be subject to additional rules.

A priest is not required to offer absolution for sins if he is not convinced that the penitent is truly sorry (contrition), or if the penitent is not able or willing to amend his ways (repentance).

Additionally, anyone outside the confessional, who might accidentally overhear something is also bound to maintain the same absolute secrecy.

Finally, our U.S. legal system provides for the confidentiality of communications between the faithful and their priests and/or ministers. Nothing a person tells his or her priest or minister can be used against them in a court of law. This typically applies whether it is done in the setting of the confessional, or elsewhere.

Answer 4

Correct.
This allows them to hear full confessions from people who would otherwise refrain from revealing those sins that either they were embarassed about the wider community knowing or may be illegal in nature.

However certain serious crimes such as murder may be anonymously reported to the police (as required by law). Anonymity prevents the priest from being a witness, of course, so the state must provide all evidence to convict.

Answer 5

Yes

Answer 6

Yes! Definitely! There have been priests martyred for refusing to reveal the secret of confession (St. John Nepomuk for instance).

Answer 7

a priest must keep everything heard in the confessional confidential. it is between you, him, and god.

if a priest hears something in the confessional which he feels needs to be passed on outside then he can ask the penitent to repeat his confession to relevant authorities.

if the penitent refuse to repeat his confession outside the confessional the priest at his discretion may withhold the form of absolution.

but a priest taking confession is there only as god's representative. what his ears hear is addressed to his private knowledge.

Answer 8

Go ask him, lol !!!

I love these pointless questions... they give everyone 2 easy points, the asker is totally defeating the original purpose of Yahoo Answers. I don't care at all... as long I get the 2 points.

Answer 9

In the name of God and Jesus - a priest has to listen to everything and even about him and keep it as secret.Also he has to prey to God for all sins done by the confessioner since he has now chosen the right path for his life.

Answer 10

In many cases it is true. the priest cannot tell anything you say in confession. the exceptions are murder and child abuse. He is requires under law and by the church to report these anonymously and cannot testify in court to this.

Answer 11

I suppose thay are allowed to pass on any good jokes told by the other person during the confession.