A former Catholic priest, now a YouTuber, has shared insights on what occurs if someone confesses to murder during a confession.
Father David Michael Moses, who boasts over 400,000 subscribers on YouTube, shares his journey from college life to embracing ‘priesthood’.
Starting college at just 14, Moses graduated with a bachelor’s degree by the age of 18. Although he received offers from multiple law schools, he chose to attend seminary for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, completing his training at 25 in 2019.
Moses currently serves as the parochial vicar at Christ the Good Shepherd in Spring, Texas. His YouTube channel features discussions on various religious topics.
In a video he posted in February, Moses discussed the protocol if someone confessed to murder.
The seal of confession is inviolable, meaning a priest is prohibited from disclosing anything shared during a confession. However, a priest may act if the information is obtained outside of confession.
Moses clarified: “The seal of confession ensures that if you confess, the priest can’t repeat your words. The priest isn’t allowed to gossip about what someone confessed.”
Moses elaborated, “If we meet in a setting that’s not confession, such as my office, the conversation is considered privileged information. While there’s no strict secrecy obligation, it would be inappropriate to disclose personal matters, like someone’s gambling issues, to others.”
He further explained that if someone admitted to ‘poisoning the city’s water supply’ during a non-confessional conversation, he could alert authorities due to the potential risk to others.
Yet, if such a crime is confessed under the seal of confession, it remains confidential as the ‘sins are sealed in secrecy’, Moses noted.
“No matter the sins mentioned in confession, the priest cannot reveal or act on them, nor can he treat the confessor differently afterwards,” Moses stated.
“A priest breaking the seal directly faces automatic excommunication, essentially being removed from the Church.”
Although priests are unable to report a confessed murder to law enforcement, they can offer counsel, hoping to encourage the individual to take the right actions and confess to authorities.
In summary, what action can priests take if murder is confessed in the confessional? Essentially, none.