“SEAL of CONFESSION real?”

The Seal of Confession is the vow taken by Catholic Church priests never to reveal to anyone for any reason what was spoken by the penitent in the Sacrament of Confession. “Ancient . . . in Catholic history is the seal of the confessional.” Throughout the centuries (including in modern times), priests have braved torture and death to protect the seal.

Why is the Seal of Confession so important? Because “it assists a person in recognizing the evil of an actionand in admitting personal responsibility in committing the evil. . . . Admitting sin, and wishing not to sin again, are what the sacrament is all about. Long, long experience that enabling people in this process of facing facts and sinning no more is in trusting that sacramental confession is private.” {Msgr. Owen F. Campion, in Our Sunday Visitor, Sep. 27–Oct. 3, 2020, p 18}