Case 29. The Seal Not Broken

Titius, the confessor of pupils in a certain Catholic college, when he learned from confession that a certain boy imbued with evil morals was drawing others into grave sins, warned their Prefect to watch more diligently over the flock committed to him. The Prefect, however, who was also a priest and not altogether a stranger to moral theology, doubted whether it was lawful for him to use the information given. Hence it is asked:

1. To what does the secrecy of the seal oblige, and by what law is it established?

2. Is it lawful to use knowledge obtained from confession?

3. Is it lawful for superiors to use the said knowledge in external government?

4. What is to be said of the case?

1. To what does the secret of the seal bind and by what law?

By divine, natural, and positive law the confessor is bound to say or do nothing which could make known any sin, or circumstance connected with sin, confessed to him, or which would cause the penitent reasonable displeasure, or make confession more burdensome than it is.¹

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, 231.

2. Is it allowed to make use of knowledge gained from confession?

Of course, such knowledge must not be so used as to violate the seal. Otherwise the confessor may use knowledge gained from confession to correct his own faults, to preach and to hear confessions with more fruit, to treat his penitents and others with greater kindness, i

3. May Superiors use knowledge gained from confession for the government of their subjects?

No, this may not be done, as it would make confession odious, and cause displeasure to penitents. The contrary opinion was virtually condemned by a decree of Clement VIII, May 26, 1593, and another of the Holy Office, Nov. 18, 1682, and it is now obsolete.²

2 Ibid., 232.

4. The case. Titius, of course, was not justified in doing what he did if any suspicion was likely to fall on the culprit in consequence of what he said. If what he said to the prefect would betray neither the delinquent nor anything that had been told him in confession, it would seem that Titius was not to blame, and that the prefect may follow his admonition without scruple. St. Alphonsus says: “ Commonly, however, they admit that a confessor may use knowledge from confession to render himself more cautious in a household matter, to shake off sloth, and to watch more diligently over his flock, provided that no suspicion of sin is given to others and that the penitent is neither burdened by this nor implicitly reproved... from D. Thomas in IV, d. XXI, q. 3, a. 1, q. 3 ad 1, where he says: ' The confessor may say to the prelate that he should watch more diligently over his flock, however, so that he does not say anything by which the penitent may be betrayed by word or gesture.' ”³

3 St. Alphonsus, Theol. Moral., lib. vi, 657.

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, 232.