Point II. On the Object of the Sacramental Seal

The object or matter of the seal is all things known from confession which, according to what was set forth in n. 430, carry with them the obligation of the seal, and whose revelation or use would render confession more difficult. Therefore the object of the seal is:

I. Mortal sins, both in species and in genus, namely that such a penitent has sinned gravely.

II. Venial sins, both in species and in some other manner at least somewhat determinate, for instance by saying that such a penitent declared a venial sin in this confession (St. Alphonsus, VI, 640). It is otherwise if he said only that the person had at some time sinned venially.

Notorious sins also are matter of the seal: both because the confessor, insofar as he knows something as God, must always be silent; and because the liceity of manifesting a notorious confession would render confession more difficult, since penitents would easily fear that the confessor might take as notorious what was not notorious. There is added the fact that the said sins, by the declaration of the confessor, would commonly be rendered more notorious and more certain.

III. The causes, object, and circumstances of sins; for example, the blasphemies of the father on account of which the penitent was angry, or the homicide concerning which he rejoiced. If, however, the matter concerns a public fact, the penitent commonly is not judged to close it by the seal (St. Alphonsus, VI, 641, doubt 2).

IV. An accomplice and his or her sin; for the liceity of revealing these things would render confession more difficult (St. Alphonsus, VI, 640). It is licit, however, with the license of the penitent, to admonish the accomplice (St. Alphonsus, 641, doubt 1).

V. The penance imposed, unless it is very slight (St. Alphonsus, Homo Apostolicus, tr. 16, n. 153).

VI. Natural and moral defects are the object of the seal: 1. if they are manifested by the penitent for explaining sins; 2. probably, if they become known to the confessor from the penitent's manner of confessing or acting, and are odious or occult; but not if they are not odious and are public, such as stammering, deafness, blindness. For in this case, contrary to the former ones, no burden to confession would arise from manifestation (St. Alphonsus, Homo Apostolicus, tr. 16, n. 154; VI, 642, 643).

VII. The condition and status of the penitent are to be judged in the same way as defects. Hence it is not matter of the seal that someone is unmarried, married, a magistrate, a workman. Nevertheless, let the confessor beware lest he speak of these things in such a way that he suggests that the penitent has sinned against the obligations of his or her state (St. Alphonsus, cited place).

VIII. Scruples are the object of the seal; for they are declared by the penitent as sins, at least doubtful ones. Likewise scrupulosity, insofar as it designates, as commonly happens, a confused and wavering conscience, is the object of the seal, and this holds even if the scrupulosity is publicly known; for it is an odious defect, or one which is a cause of shame (St. Alphonsus, VI, 644).

IX. Virtues and gifts are not the object of the sacramental seal, unless "they are spoken of in order to explain some defect or one's own ingratitude toward God" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 641). This, however, does not prevent them from being able to be the object of a non-sacramental secret.