The Seal of the Confession(al) is the absolute confidentiality for Roman Catholic priests, of anything that they learn from penitents during the course of confession.

History

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In the Decretum of Gratian who compiled the edicts of previous councils and the principles of Church law which he published about 1151, we find the following declaration of the law as to the seal of confession:

- and he goes on to say that the violator of this law should be made a life-long, ignominious wanderer.

Canon 21 of the Fourth Council of the Lateran (1215), binding on the whole Church, laid down the obligation of secrecy in the following words:

Notably, neither this canon nor the law of the Decretum purports to enact for the first time the secrecy of confession. The great fifteenth century English canonist William Lyndwood speaks of two reasons why a priest is bound to keep secret a confession, the first being on account of the sacrament because it is almost (quasi) of the essence of the sacrament to keep secret the confession. (Cf. also Jos. Mascardus, De probationibus, Frankfort, 1703, arg. 378.)

In practice

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According to Roman Catholic Canon law 983 §1:

In a criminal matter, a priest may encourage or require the penitent to surrender to authorities and may withhold absolution if the penitent refuses to do so. However, this is the extent of the leverage they wield. They may not directly or indirectly disclose the matter to civil authorities themselves. However, see priest-penitent privilege.

There are limited cases where portions of a confession may be revealed to others, but always with the penitent's permission and always without actually revealing the penitent's identity. This is the case, for example, with more serious offenses, as some excommunicable offenses are reserved to the bishop or even to the Holy See, and their permission to grant absolution must be obtained.

Recognition by civil authorities

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The doctrine is respected in various degrees by civil governments, see: Priest-penitent privilege.

Sources

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(incomplete)

Beichtgeheimnis

Canon law (Catholic Church)