ad propos. damn. § 2. circa fin. ait neminem posse uti scientia habita ex confessione, nisi certum sit moraliter (aut saltem certe probabilissimum) quod ex tali usu nulla eventura sit confessionis revelatio, et nullum pœnitenti gravamen. Ratio, tum quia hoc expetit reverentia debita sacramento (sed hæc prima ratio non satis convincit, cum plures et graves DD. ut Sanchez, Pontius, Vasq. Solon. et alii citati lib. 1. n. 32. doceant non esse obliga. tionem reddendi sacramentis, prout ceteris præceptis divinis, reverentiam plusquam probabilem): tum quia aliter probabile gravamen pœnitenti inferretur, ob quod confessio odiosa ei reddeEt hæc ratio quidem valde urget; ut enim dictum est l. I. n. 33. non est licitum uti opinione probabili in præjudicium juris certi, quod alter possidet; pœnitens autem possidet jus, ne occasione suæ confessionis ullum patiatur gravamen. Quidquid igitur alibi dixerim, re accuratius perpensa, puto hic omnino dicendum, non licere uti opinionibus, ex quarum usu certnm non sit moraliter, nullum pœnitenti gravamen inferri.

retur.

follow the opinions favouring the seal. But Viva in append, ad propos. damn. § 9. circa fin. more justly says, that no one can use the knowledge acquired in the confessional, unless it be morally certain (or at least certainly most probable) that from such a use no disclosure of the confession or injury to the penitent, can happen. The reason is, because in the first place, the reverence due to the sacrament requires this (but this first reason is not sufficiently valid, since many wise doctors, such as Sanchez, Pontius, Vasq. Solon. and others, quoted in book 1. n. 32. teach that there is no obligation of rendering to the sacraments, as to other divine precepts, a reverence more than probable.) In the next place, because otherwise the penitent would suffer a probable injury, on account of which the confessional would be rendered odious. And this reason indeed has great weight; for it is said I. 1. n. 33. it is not lawful to use the probable opinion, to the prejudice of a certain right which another person possesses; but the penitent possesses a right that he should suffer no detriment from the occasion of his own confession. Whatsoever therefore I may have said elsewhere, having well reconsidered the matter, I think this is by all means to be said, that it is not lawful

Unde resolves. "635.-1. Violatio hujus sigilli duplicem habet malitiam: sacrilegii, contra reverentiam sacramento debitam; et inquisitæ, ex pacto virtuali inter pœnitentem, et confessarium de secreto isto servando omni casu. Dian. p. 5. t. 11. r. 2. ex Fag. Kellis. etc. Neque hic datur parvitas materiæ. Dian. p. 5. t. 5. r. 8. ex Malder. Bald. etc. (Melius dicendum quod triplicem habeat malitiam, nempe sacrilegii contra sacramentum, infidelitatis gravis, cum ex parte confessarii intercedat onerosa, quamvis tacita, promissio secretum servandi; item detractionis, si peccatum non sit publicum. Ita Spor. Roncagl. Croix, et alii communiter.)

to use opinions from the use of which there is not a moral certainty that the penitent will suffer no loss.

1.

"634.-We answer That this seal is an obligation of divine right, most strict in every case, EVEN WHERE THE SAFETY OF A WHOLE NATION WOULD BE AT STAKE, to observe silence, even after the death of the penitent, as to all things spoken in confession, (spoken in order to obtain sacramental absolution) the revelation of which would render the sacrament itself grievous or odious.

Whence you will resolve.

"635.1. The violation of this seal involves a twofold wickedness: of sacrilege against the reverence due to the sacrament, and of injustice, from the virtual com. pact between the penitent and the confessor concerning the observance of secrecy in every case. Neither is the insignificance of the matter here to be taken into account (We say more justly that it possseses а threefold wic. kedness, viz. the sin of sacrilege against the sacrament; of grievous unfaithfulness since the weighty though tacit promise on the part of the confessor, of keeping the secret intervenes; also of detraction, if the sin be not public. Ita Spor. Roncagl. Croix, et alii communiter.)

636.2. Non inducitur hæc obligatio 1. per confessionem factam ficte, v. gr. ad furandum, illudendum, vel sacerdotum pervertendum (vel ad conquerendum,) etsi hoc casu adhuc prudenter tacendum sit. Vide Dian. p. 5. t. 11. r. 26. (Est commune cum Holzm. n, 703. Conc. p. 737. et aliis passim.) 2. Si quis extra confessionem accipiat aliquid sub sigillo confessionis; quia tantum est obligatio secreti naturalis gravior, aut levior, pro rei exigentia, (Ita etiam Conc. et Holzm. ll. cc. ac Nav. Man. c. 8. n. 18. cum Inn. Pan. Caj. Soto, et comm.)'

"Nota hic I. quod confessarius teneatur ad sigillum, etsi pœnitens discedat indispositus, modo iste dixerit peccata ad obtinendam absolutionem. Ita S. Thomas in 4. d. 21. q. 3. art. 1. ad 1. Lugo d. 93, num. 45. Conc. p. 737. n. 5. Ronc. p. 99. q. 2. Holzm. n. 703. Spor. n. 809. etc. Salm. de Poenit. c. 14. num. 15. ex communi. Notandum II. quod adhuc in dubio an aliquid sit dictum a pœnitente in ordine ad confessionem, confessarius teneatur ad sigillum. Suarez, et alii apud Salm. c. 14. n. 18. communiter; item Bonac. q. 6. p. 2. num 4. cum Reg. Graff. Suarez, et aliis; item Renzi p. 320. q. 6. Tambur. c. 3. num. 29. Mazotta p. 582. Croix num. 1949. cum Regina et Schildero contra Baldi. Ratio, quia alias redderetur odiosa confessio, dum alioquin

"636.-2. This obligation is not undergone 1. by a confession feignedly made, for instance, for the purpose of stealing, mocking, corrupting the priest, (or for making complaints) although in this case even it may be prudent to be silent. 2. If any one extra confessionally receive any thing under the seal of confession, because in such a case the obligation is that only of a natural secret, which is more or less binding according to the emergency of the case.'

"Note here I. That a confessor is bound to the seal although a penitent depart indisposed, provided only that he have told his sins for the purpose of obtaining absolution. It is to be noted II. that a confessor, as yet in doubt whether any thing may have been spoken by the peni. tent in due order at the confessional, is bound to the seal, because otherwise the confession would be rendered odious, since in any other case, many sins really heard in confession could be made known with impunity on account of the forgetfulness and mistake of the confessor.

plura peccata revera in confessione audita, ob defectum memoriæ, et hallucinationem confessarii possent impune manifestari.

"638-3. Non frangitur sigillum, I. si in genere dicas Titium tibi confessum veniala aut esse probum, innocentem, modo non dicas in iis circumstantiis, ex quibus colligi posset, alios esse nocentes, vel confessos mortalia. II. Si dicas N. tibi esse confessum, etsi in certis circumstantiis hoc quoque periculosum sit. Laym. c. 14. n. 21. Imo, si pœnitens verbo, vel facto (v. gr. clam accedendo,) significaverit se nolle sciri quod sit confessus, confessarium revelare sigillum volunt Regina, Navarrus, et Mercer, apud Dianam t. 4. tract 11. resol. 47. (Et recte consentiunt Sporer num. 825. et Holzm. n. 708. cum aliis) quia pœnitens, confitendo confessario extraordinario, veniret in suspicionem gravioris criminis, quod Tamb. in append. c. 3. dubie confirmat; asserens se vereri ne talis accedat ad fractionem sigilli. III. Si peccata ita referas, ut, moraliter loquendo, persona innotescere non possit, neque communitas aliqua etiam parva infametur, ut quod ibi talia vitia regnent. Vide Dian. 1. 2. tract. 15. res. 13, id enim esset contra sigillum. (Vide infru num. 653.) Unde Ttrrian. apud Dian. part. 5. tract. 11. r. 45. et Tamb. in append. c. 3. reprehendunt superiorem localem, qui pro

Р

"638.-3. The seal is not broken, I. if you say in genera! terms that Titius confessed venial sins to you, or that he was honest and innocent, provided you do not speak concerning those circumstances from which it could be inferred that others were guilty or had confessed mortal sins. II. If you say that he confessed to you, although in certain circumstances, this also is perilous. Yea, if the penitent, by word or deed, (for example by secretly coming) should intimate that he was unwilling that it should be known that he had confessed, Regina, Navarrus, and Mercer. apud Dianam, wish the confessors to break the seal, t. 4. tract. 11. resol. 47. (And rightly Sporer num. 825. and Holzm. n. 708. with others consent to this) because the penitent, by confessing to a confessor extraordinary, would fall into the suspicion of greater crime, which Tamb. in append. c. 3. doubtfully confirms; asserting that he fears lest such might lead to the breaking of the seal. III. If you so mention the sins, that speaking morally, the person can not be known, neither can any community, even a small one, be defamed, as that such vices reign there, for that would be contrary to the seal.

vinciali forte dicat, in sua domo sæpe postulari licentiam absolvendi a reservatis ; quia potest redundare in ignominiam, et damnum domus; etsi idem Tamb. c. 4, n. 2. dicat probabile esse quod non sit contra sigillum, si dictæ licentiæ petitæ fuerint extra confessionem. IV. Si utaris notitia extra confessionem acquisita, imo ipsum peccatum, quod aliunde tibi innotuit, aperias, modo nullam circumstantiam ex sola confessione notam, nec certius referas, quam extra confessionem nosti, quo in casu opus est magna cautela, et tutissimum est silere. Laym. c. 14. n. 16.

"639.-4. Quando plures, v. gr. studiosi, vel aulicti etc. tenentur ferre testimonium confessionis, confessarium teneri id dare, etiam iis, quos non absolvit, docet Coninck. disp. 6. d. 1. Fagundez et Dian. p. 3. tr. 15. r. 22. tum ne id negando prodat aliquo modo sigillum, et pœnitentem; tum quia dando non mentitur, cum tantum testetur esse confessum. Verum Bonac. d. 5. q. 6. p. 4. et cardin. de Lugo d. 23. s. 4 docent tali schedam negare non esse contra sigillum. Idemque concedit Avers. p. 18. s. 3. si non con

Hence Turrian. apud Dian. part. 5. tract. 11. r. 45. and Tamb. in append. c. 3. blame the local superior, who per. chance says to the provincial, that in his own house a license to absolve from reserved cases was often sought; because it can redound to the reproach and loss of the house: although the same Tamburin. c. 4. n. 2. says, that probably it would not be a violation of the seal, if the said licenses were sought out of confession. IV. If you use the knowledge acquired out of confession, yea, if you make known the sin itself, which by other means became known to you, provided that you mention no circumstance known from confession alone, neither more certainly, relate it than you have known it out of confession, in which case there is need for great caution, and it is safest to be silent.

"639.-4. When many persons, for example, students, courtiers, &c., are bound to produce a testimonial of having attended confession, the confessor is bound to give that, even to those whom he does not absolve; first, lest by refusing he might betray in some manner the seal and the penitent. Secondly, because, by giving it he does not lie, since he only bears testimony that he confessed. But Bonac, d. 5. q. 6. p. 4. and Cardinal de Lugo, d. 23. s. 4. teach that to deny a certificate to such, would not be an infringement of the Seal. And Avers concedes the same,