PENANCE 



169 



Nor does it cease with the death of the penitent, 

 but binds always and for ever, regardless of 

 the inconveniences that may arise for the confes- 

 sor, the penitent, a third party, or the common 

 welfare. 7 The confessor is not allowed to re- 

 mind the penitent outside of confession of any- 

 thing he has heard in the sacred tribunal, much 

 less to communicate confessional matter to oth- 

 ers. 8 



In some countries the civil law expressly ad- 

 mits the right, nay upholds the duty of the con- 

 fessor to preserve the seal of confession, though 

 sometimes with restrictions which Catholic 

 theology cannot approve. 9 Whether confession 

 made to a priest is privileged in English law is a 

 matter of doubt. 10 In the United States of 

 America the position of the question at common 

 law is the same as in England, but some of the 

 States have made the privilege a matter of statu- 

 tory law. 11 



What a priest hears in sacramental confession, 



etiam levissima, includit totam ra- 

 tionem praecepti." 



7 Gury, op. cit., n. 495 : "Obli- 

 gatio sigilli confessionis semper in 

 omni casu urget, ita ut in nullo casu 

 possibili liceat revelare quidquam in 

 confessione auditum et acceptum. 

 Obligatio enim sigilli confessionis 

 nullam patitur exceptionem ex eo 

 quod, si aliqua posset dari exceptio, 

 semper homines timerent, ne tale 

 peccatum foret ilia causa frangendi 

 licit e sigillum, et proinde odiosum 

 evaderet sacramentum. Porro nulla 



causa assequendi vel mali fugiendi 

 istud malum odii sacramenti com- 

 pensar-e potest." 



8 Cfr. N. Knopp, Der kath. Seel- 

 sorger als Zeuge vor Gericht, Ratis- 

 bon 1849. 



9 F. H. Vering, Lehrbuch des 

 Kirchenrechtes, 3rd ed., Freiburg 

 1893. PP. 211, 739 sqq. 



10 Cfr. R. S. Nolan in the Cath. 

 Encyclopedia, XIII, 649 sqq. 



11 C. Zollmann, American Civil 

 Church Law, N. Y., 1917, pp. 333 sq. 



