If you subscribe to the Boston Globe, as we do at the rectory, I’m sure you saw the story on Friday the 5th on the top portion of the front page about a priest from Rhode Island who was removed from ministry because of inappropriate questions he is alleged to have asked children in the context of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Because of what is called the ‘Seal of Confession’, the priest in question, Fr. Eric Silva, is not at liberty to speak publicly about anything that transpired in the celebration of that Sacrament. My remarks here are not to pass any judgment on this particular case, since all I know about it comes from my having read the Globe article, but I want to speak about how we as priests are supposed to act when hearing Confessions. I was blessed growing up to having known some great priests who were very formative of my own vocation to priesthood, and to have benefited from their wise counsel and their kindness, especially when I went to Confession to them. I am blessed to have a great priest to whom I go for spiritual direction and Confession, and, when I am not able to see him, I often go the Chapel of our Savior at Westgate Mall in Brockton. These very positive experiences in my own life, I hope rub off on the way I treat people who come to me for Confession.
First off, the Confessional is not an interrogation room! Now, there may be times when I don’t hear clearly everything that a penitent says to me in Confession, or when I’m unclear about something he or she says to me, and, in those situations, I might ask a question just for my own clarity in understanding what the penitent is saying to me. My hope is that I reflect to the person going to Confession the mercy of the Lord Jesus, as I myself have been so blessed to receive the Lord’s mercy through the priests who have absolved me of my sins over the course of my life. In general, I think most of us would agree, it’s not that easy to open up your heart and soul to the priest, because we are sharing with him things about which we are not proud and often deeply regret. The often-heard expression, “What would Jesus do?” is of utmost importance for the priest to consider and try to emulate when hearing Confessions. Although the actual act of confessing one’s sins can seem unpleasant, receiving absolution and knowing that we have been forgiven the sins we’ve confessed, is for me as a penitent feeling like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
The other point I often mention is that if a person goes to Confession, confesses the sins he or she can recall, receives absolution, intends to do the penance the priest proposes, but steps outside the Confessional and recalls a sin he or she forgot to confess, the good news is that, so long as the person didn’t intentionally withhold confessing that sin, but truly forgot it, that sin has been forgiven also. The priest who celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation is bound by the Seal of Confession, and cannot disclose anything that takes place there to anyone. So, even if the penitent goes face-to-face to Confession, the priest cannot say anything to the penitent about what was confessed, even if he sees the penitent outside the Confessional. As I mentioned above, the kindness and compassion I experienced throughout my life by the priests who have heard my confession through the years has, I hope, had a positive impact on the way I serve as Confessor myself. It is an awesome privilege for me to be able to serve as a minister of the mercy, compassion, and forgiveness of Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to help those who come to Confession to experience that loving mercy that Christ has for them, so that they may have a fresh start in living as Christ would have them do.
Have a blessed and (we hope) cooler week!
Fr. Palardy