Sir, – The response to your Editorial, (“Confessional secrets”, September 1st), by Dr Michael Mullaney, (September 3rd), Professor of Canon Law at Maynooth, omits a vitally important detail. Along with the moral obligation of advising the penitent, who confesses sexual abuse of a child or minor, to hand himself or herself over to the civil authorities, the priest hearing such a confession, should also withhold absolution from such a penitent, until he or she has done so.
The sacrament of confession demands sincere repentance and purpose of amendment of life from those who avail of it. It is not a “magic wand”, as former priest, Michael Joseph McArdle, imagined it and his equally misguided “confessors” treated this sacrament. As well as commissioning his apostles to forgive sins, the Lord also gave them authority to “retain” the forgiveness of sins (John 20:33).
In the Catholic theology of the sacrament of penance, those who abuse the young and who come to confession, must be denied absolution until they go to the civil and criminal authorities and report their offences. Salvation is found only in the full acknowledgment of sin and guilt (Psalm 32:5). – Yours, etc,