Fifth objection: “Confession was invented by priests to have control
of the people. And what about all the scandals associated with
confession!”
As shown above, the sacrament of Penance was ‘invented’ by no one
except Christ Himself. Far from binding the people under a form of
oppressive control, the sacrament of Penance has the real intention and
effect of freeing them from the bonds of sin and the slavery of the Devil. In
addition to the wonderful spiritual benefits for the soul, frequent use of the
sacrament of Penance can also give penitents genuine peace of mind by
alleviating many of the mental difficulties arising from the subconscious
fear of death and judgment. As multitudes discovered through St. John
Vianney in France last century, the sacrament of Penance is also an
excellent means of obtaining sound spiritual advice from one experienced
in the direction of souls.
In the history of the Church there have been cases when the seal of
confession has been broken and information obtained from the penitent
used for improper purposes—but this has occurred through eavesdropping
by outsiders. St. Joan of Arc was a victim of such an abuse. Nevertheless,
even these cases are very rare. Attention should be given to examples such
as St. John Nepomucene (+1393), who preferred to die a horrible death
rather than reveal what was said to him in confession. The Church’s law,
aimed at preserving the seal of confession, is perhaps one of its most
rigorous: “A confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a
latae sententiae [automatic] excommunication reserved to the Apostolic
See.”² This seal applies not only to the priest, but also to anyone who
overhears or learns of confessional sins in any way.³
Concerning alleged scandals, again one must avoid the trap of abolishing
use simply because of abuse. The theme of abuse and the sacrament of
Penance seems to be an obsessive pre-occupation of those who produce
tracts and pamphlets attacking this sacrament, perhaps in the hope of
distracting the ignorant and gullible from realizing and appreciating its
positive benefits. Loraine Boettner and other professional anti-Catholics of
2
Code of Canon Law # 1388; Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches # 728.
3
Canons # 983; # 984.
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