If a guy enters a church confession booth and tells the priest he just killed someone , does the priest have to report him to the police ?
If a guy enters a church confession booth and tells the priest he just killed someone , does the priest have to report him to the police ?
Comments
Yes. It’s not some magical loophole.
Depending on the local law, nobody has to report to the police if someone confesses a murder to them. However, people in general may be compelled to answer if asked in court.
Depending on the local law, there may be confessional privilege, similar to solicitor privilege and patient-doctor privilege. If the law does not allow it, then they can compelled the priest to answer. However, the priest follows canon law, so they are unlikely to say anything. Priests have chosen martyrdom over breaking the seal of the confession.
Depending on jurisdiction, regular folk don’t have a legal obligation to report him to the police.
In more jurisdictions, the clergy are protected.
A few years ago Congress tried to make clergy "mandated reporters" meaning that if they learned of a child being abused, they would be legally required to report it, but this legislation was blocked by Republicans.
And everyone knows "what happens in church, stays in church"
They can’t absolve you of murder which is why people go to confession, you can’t pray some Hail Marys and be ok. I knew a Monsignor so severe that for the slightest of sins, regular stuff like lying, thinking dirty thoughts, he had harshest penance of anyone from what I heard. if you came to him and about Murder – Hoo-Boy!! he’d not let that slide you’d actually think hell was easier to go to than confess anything to him.
From a religious standpoint no, they would lose their job as it goes against the whole idea of confession. They can only listen and help guide. The church forbids them to go to the police with confessions. It would be a serious offence against the church.
Legally I don’t think that defense would hold up in court too well.
Asking for a friend?
Most Catholic priests that I know wouldn’t, regardless of the law. The seal of confession is sacred to them, it’s a sacred duty from their god and most would rather die than break it. They will, however, almost certainly request of the parishioner that they confess and face justice, since that’s the best penance for the crime.
Historically no. Mandatory reporting laws may override that but even then I think the church would say no. The priest may tell the person to turn themselves in.
Why you asking bro? You can tell us.
If its a Catholic priest he is absolutely NOT allowed in any way to interfere, under threat of excommunication (this means being kicked out of the priesthood, and the religion in general…..basically the worst punishment possible).
Under no circumstance, for any reason, at all, is a priest allowed to report to the police anything they were told during confession.
This goes further though…..imagine you are a priest and one of your congregation confesses to raping their child, not only can the priest do nothing (in a legal sense) he is also not allowed to act differently to the person afterwards. He cant mention it to the wife/mother of the child, he cant drop subtle hints to anyone, he cant even stop this person from going to church.
Theres reasons for this of course, but this is something i find extremely difficult to agree with, and its one of the small reasons (of many)as to why i left the religion.
A priest absolutely can absolve someone for murder (at least in the Catholic religion).
I had a family member as part of the Catholic church, who nearly left the church because of the following incident.
Local priest takes confession. Man confessed to all types of abuse of his young child including photos and videos hidden in places. Priest goes straight to the police and informs them of the crime and where the evidence is.
Obviously it’s clear who told as the guy only told the priest.
He was kicked out of the church for breaking confessional.
My family member spent a long time thinking if he could continue practicing as part of the church as a construct following that.
As a health professional we will absolutely break your confidentiality without a second thought for safety concerns or significant crimes.
Have to by what laws?
By internal church guidelines it’s likely they’re discouraged from it and will possibly suffer consequences for divulging it.
By the actual law anyone with knowledge about a crime that led to a person’s death will be held responsible for not divulging it to the police.
This law can be different from country to country ofc.
They won’t do shit, even if they find out about a pedo priest.
Is the man entering the confessional Catholic?
A regular citizen has no duty to say anything…. So trying to force a priest to won’t work…. Same with lawyers about what you tell them… And same with Dr’s about your medical treatment or plan…
Yea there are tons of reasons why it should be changed but until a regular citizen has to step up and say something I doubt anyone will get far with priests
You could tell a random person on the street that you just killed someone, and they wouldn’t have to report you. Why would a priest be any different?
The priest is NOT allowed to tell the cops. He is bound by the confessional. However, he must and will do everything possible to get the individual to turn himself in and he won’t be forgiven until he does and proves that he is, in fact, repentant.
Now I wonder, if I’m planning to kill someone and confess to the preist, will he report to the police?
Some countries governments tried to pass a bill to do this, but i haven’t heard of any that stuck.
Priests will go to prison first before they do this. Things like this have happened it’s called persecution because of their faith. Thankfully more westernized countries have the constitutional rights and such that protect from this.
If they support a democratic and secular state of law, they should, if they value their religion, they won’t.
That’s why religions are opposed to democracy and states of law: It makes their religious "holy law" an unimportant hobby and clearly establishes them as irrelevant.
No. The priest can strongly encourage the murderer to confess to the authorities and refuse the murderer absolution until the murderer confesses their crime to the police, but a priest can NEVER break the seal of the confessional.
There is a difference between “i killed a guy” and “i killed a guy with a knife last night and the body is under my porch.” One is circumstance one is actionable.
I’m not seeking penance for what I’ve done, Father. I’m asking forgiveness for what I’m about to do.