Chapter — Slater, Cases II
Case 30. Confession with Unexpected Results
Caius and Tullia, betrothed for some months, went together to confess to Titius, a priest, who sat in a wooden confessional exposed in the church, Caius on this side and Tullia on that. Caius began first and accused himself, among other things, of fornication committed several times with various women. Not only Titius but also Tullia heard the whole confession of Caius, since the opening had been left uncovered on each side of the confessional. After absolution was given to Caius, Titius turned to Tullia, who first explained that she had indeed been betrothed to Caius, but after what she had heard she in no way wished to marry him; indeed, she asserted that she had conceived hatred against him. Hence it is asked:
- What just causes are admitted for withdrawing from betrothal?
- To what extent and by what law is the use of knowledge acquired from sacramental confession prohibited?
- What is to be said of the case?
An engagement to marry may be broken off by mutual consent, by the happening of an event which would have prevented the engagement if it had happened before it, by entering into a Religious Order or by taking sacred Orders, and by the Pope for good reason.1
1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, 260 f.
- This question was answered above, p. 222.
- The case. Tullia of course did wrong in listening to the confession of her betrothed. She should have gone out of the confessional or called the attention of the priest to the fact that the grating was not closed. Having heard the confession, she is per se bound like the confessor not to allow the knowledge which she has gained to influence her conduct. She probably does not know this, and certainly she does not seem able to control her feelings. Women were never intended to be confessors. Caius will hear immediately of what has happened, and he will probably be content to release Tullia from her engagement, as under the circumstances the marriage could hardly turn out well.
i / l