Can you talk to a priest about anything?
Any person is free to approach a priest to talk, discuss life issues, etc with “conversion” being absolutely NO precondition. But realise… while most priests have some background in psychology, counseling, marriage and family issues, we are not psychologists nor marriage counselors nor therapists.
Can a priest tell anyone your confession?
The CLME website says that “if a penitent has indicated that he fully intends to kill or harm ‘Person X’, a priest may be able to warn the police that Person X is in danger, but without fully explaining how he obtained this information”.
Are Catholic confessions anonymous?
Confession — also known as reconciliation — is done in a confessional box, or simply a confessional, usually in a church. The confessor can come face-to-face with the priest or remain anonymous behind a curtain.
Is it OK to text a priest?
This was answered definitively by the Church. Confession, a.k.a. the Sacrament of Reconciliation, cannot be validly received online, via phone, teletype, telegraph, morse code, e-mail, snail mail, carrier pigeon, messages in a bottle, smoke signals, nor by any other means other than one-to-one contact with a priest.
Can you ask a priest for advice?
Absolutely, and they’ll be happy to give it. You can ask them for advice outside of confession too, they might be busy, but even if they are they’ll tell you when they can talk. Most priests are very kind and supportive, so definitely ask for advice if you feel the need.
Do priests have confidentiality?
All U.S. states have laws protecting the confidentiality of certain communications under the priest-penitent privilege. The First Amendment is often considered the basis of such a privilege.
When can a priest reveal a confession?
Under Roman Catholic law, it is forbidden for a priest to disclose information — under any circumstances — obtained in the form of religious confession. If a priest breaks what’s called “the sacred seal of confession,” he will be subject to excommunication from the church.
Do priests hear confession?
In the Catholic Church, the seal of confession (also known as the seal of the confessional or the sacramental seal) is the absolute duty of priests or anyone who happens to hear a confession not to disclose anything that they learn from penitents during the course of the Sacrament of Penance (confession).
Can I talk to a priest online?
Father Z’s blog is a means by which you can ask a question of a priest (Fr. Z) online, particularly about Catholic issues, pre-Vatican II rites, and that sort of thing. He offers the options of contacting him via e-mail, voicemail, and occasionally posts a physical address with a post office box.
Is a confession to a priest confidential?
Statements made to a minister, priest, rabbi, or other religious leader are generally considered privileged or confidential communications. State laws generally exempt a pastor from having to testify in court, or to law-enforcement, about what was discussed in a church confession.
What is anonymous confession?
Anonymous confession posts can vary from sexual fantasies for another student, to a crush on someone, to revealing one’s sexual orientation or another thing that may often be stigmatized or judged.
Is confession in the Catholic Church confidential?
To be sure, confidentiality is clearly defined in some churches. In Roman Catholic churches, for instance, the sacred act of confession is held as absolutely confidential. Nothing disclosed to a priest in the act of confession can be disclosed by the priest to anyone else.
How do I have a confidential conversation with a priest?
Conversations are presumed confidential only in the Sacrament of Penance. If you would like to have your conversations with a priest confidential then I would start off the conversation letting the priest know that, “Father, I am coming to you in confidence…” “Father I wish to keep this between…
When is a communication considered confidential in a clergy case?
There are two views held by state courts regarding confidentiality as it pertains to clergy privilege. In two-thirds of the states, a communication is considered confidential if made privately and not intended for further disclosure except to other persons present for the purpose of the communication.
What can a priest disclose in confession?
Nothing disclosed to a priest in the act of confession can be disclosed by the priest to anyone else. Such ecclesial definition has developed over a long period of time. The existence of such precedent within the church is responsible, in large part, for the exemptions allowed in mandated reporting laws.