Abuses of Confession

Special Abuses.—Two abuses to which confession is especially exposed are defamation and impurity, and hence the law of the Church provides special safeguards against these dangers (see 2753, 2757, 2759).

(a) Defamation.—The fame of third parties is protected by the law which forbids the confessor to inquire about the penitent’s accomplice, the fame of the penitent by the law of the sacramental seal, and the fame of the confessor by the law which subjects those who bring a false accusation of solicitation against a confessor to excommunication specially reserved to the Pope, to retractation, reparation, and severe penance (Canons 888, n. 2, 889 sqq., 2363).

(b) Impurity.—The danger that a confessor will be tempted to solicitation by his knowledge of the frailty of a penitent is provided for by the law which severely commands formal denunciation of those guilty of solicitation (Canon 904); the danger that a penitent may be induced to yield to solicitation by a promise to absolve the sin is met by the law which invalidates absolution of an accomplice (Canon 884).

Absolutio Complicis.—Absolutio complicis in peccato turpi invalida est praeterquam in mortis periculo (Canon 884).

(a) Objectum legis est peccatum turpe, i.e., quodvis peccatum contra sextum, consummatum vel non consummatum, colloquiis, aspectibus vel factis patratum. Necesse est autem quod peccatum sit utrinque certum (quoad factum et jus), externum, et grave (qua internum et qua externum). Unde non agitur de peccatis contra alias virtutes, neque de peccatis luxuriae mere internis vel levibus.

(b) Subjectum de quo in lege est complex seu socius immediatus et formalis in ipso actu peccati; et sic non sufficit ad complicitatem cooperatio etiam proxima (1507), nec peccatum mere materiale, quale fit ab amente, dormiente, ebrio, infante, renitente. Non requiritur tamen quod compar sit puber vel alius sexus, neque quod confessarius tempore complicitatis jam inter clericos adscriptus sit.

Effectus Legis de Absolutione Complicis.—(a) Quoad Absalutionem.—Invalida et illicita est absolutio directa peccati nondum remissi si extra periculum mortis datur. Est valida sed illicita: absolutio directa peccati nondum remissi, in periculo mortis data, quando alius sacerdos confessionem recipere potest; necnon absolutio indirecta peccati nondum remissi, extra periculum mortis data, quando poenitens bona fide peccatum reticet. Est valida et licita absolutio directa peccati nondum remissi, in periculo mortis vel in gravissima necessitate (utputa urgente praecepto ecclesiastico et divino confessionis et communionis annuae) data, quando alius sacerdos aut nullimode aut nonnisi cum gravi incommodo (scil. infamiae, scandali, periculi confessionis sacrilegae) haberi potest; necnon absolutio directa peccati jam remissi, etiam extra hoc periculum et hanc necessitatem facta. Non una tamen est sententia auctorum in interpretandis dubiis hujus legis, nec omnes conveniunt cum placitis hic positis, nam de dubiis alii strictius, alii mitius judicant.

(b) Quoad Censuram.—Excommunicatio specialissime reservata S. Sedi ipso facto incurritur a confessario qui illicite absolvit vel fingit absolvere, sive directe, sive (quando poenitens ad tacendum inductus est a confessario ipso) indirecte. Censura non incurritur igitur si confessio tantum auditur, si poenitens propria sponte peccatum reticet, si sacerdos dubitat num poenitens complex sit (Canon 2367).

Sacerdos reus delicti sollicitationis in confessione intra mensem denuntiandus est a poenitente loci Ordinario vel S.C.S. Officii (Canon 904).

(a) Delictum sollicitationis est provocatio, etiam inefficax, poenitentis eujuscumque ut actum quemcumque gravem contra castitatem committat. Provocatio fit vel per verba (e.g., declarationes amoris, invitationes, laudes), per facta (e.g., dona), per sermones (e.g., colloquia de turpibus a poenitente confessis), per tractatus (scil. colloquia de re turpi agenda), per consensum internum-externum sollicitationi poenitentis datum.

(b) Delictum sollicitationis est provocatio quae ordinem habet ad confessionem, i.e., quae fit tempore factae confessionis (i.e., inter, immediate ante, immediate post confessionem), vel tempore confessionis faciendae (i.e., occasione confessionis petitae a poenitente, praetextu confessionis falso allegatae a confessario, in loco confessionis cum confessionis simulatione).

Confessarius debet, graviter onerata ejus conscientia, de onere denuntiationis poenitentem monere.

(a) Obligatio confessarii gravis est. Sed antequam moneat, serio consideret utrum poenitens persona fide digna sit, utrum certo constet de facto, de turpitudine, de gravitate, de ordine ad confessionem, utrum detur causa excusans (e.g., mors sollicitantis; probabiliter, ejus plena emendatio per plures annos manifestata; grave damnum poenitentis quoad vitam, famam, fortunam, nisi gravius damnum simul immineat bono communi). Si de delicto sollicitationis et de obligatione poenitentis nullum dubium est, confessarius moneat, etiamsi poenitens in bona fide sit et praevideatur certo non obtemperaturus, mortis periculo autem excepto. Si poenitens irrationabiliter renuat denuntiare, absolvi non potest, sed confessarius de casu consulere debet Ordinarium.

(b) Obligatio poenitentis etiam gravis est. Denuntiatio facienda est intra mensem a cognita obligatione., Ordinario sollicitantis, vel loci delicti, vel poenitentis, personaliter et judicialiter. Poenitens qui nec comparere nec scribere potest, interea excusatur; sed ille qui justa causa exemptionis carens scienter omittit denuntiare intra terminum unius mensis incurrit in excommunicationem latae sententiae nemini reservatum, non absolvendus nisi postquam obligationi satisfecerit aut se satisfacturum serio promiserit (Canon 2368, n. 2). Confessarius non tenetur in se suscipere onus denuntiationis, nisi secus gravissimum damnum bono publico inferretur.

Preliminary Note. A heinous abuse of confession is committed especially in two ways, namely, if a confessor absolves his own accomplice, or if on the occasion of confession he solicits a penitent to shameful things. There was already discussion above, n. 381, of a third abuse of confession, namely, of the illicit inquiry into the name of an accomplice. Since an abuse of confession is a crime inducing suspicion of heresy, judgment concerning it pertains to the Holy Office or its delegate, who by the law itself is the bishop. It is clearer than light that a confessor who, on the occasion of confession, solicits a penitent to shameful things notably abuses confession. But a confessor absolving his own accomplice also, at least ordinarily, gravely abuses confession, since such a criminal priest scarcely ever gives salutary counsels and is not a suitable judge, because he himself is a co-culprit. We shall treat: 1. of the absolution of an accomplice; 2. of solicitation to shameful things.