Can Priests Ask If You Have Been To Confession?

[LedByTheSpirit]

Does it violate the seal of confession for a priest to ask someone: "have you been to confession?" I know a priest cannot reveal who has been or not...

If I said to a priest: "I am going to go to confession."

At another occasion is it proper for him to ask: "have you been to confession yet?" Etc...

Would this not de facto reveal who has been to the confessional?

(My priest hasn't asked me this by the way. Just wondering...)

Thanks

 

[Michie]

No. That does not violate the seal of confession.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

No. That does not violate the seal of confession.

But it is being kind of nosy

 

[Michie]

But it is being kind of nosy

Not really. Priest are called to encourage the flock to frequent confession.

 

[stevenfrancis]

IF a Priest were to ask you that, I'm sure it would be asked discreetly, and between the two of you alone, and under that circumstance, sure. Why not? This would show great concern for you by your pastor. And he's not revealing anything to anyone. He's asking you a question about you. This violates nothing at all. For what it's worth though, with the priest shortage in the U.S., and generally overly large parishes, and with the extraordinary amount of work they have to do virtually round the clock.....(For instance our pastor is the pastor of two parishes about 5 miles apart), and all of the masses, confessions, hospital visits, funerals, weddings, baptisms, confirmations, meetings, counseling sessions, visits to the home bound, marriage preparation, RCIA classes, etc. etc.... I can't imagine my priest having the time to even wonder if I've been to confession in x amount of time.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Not really. Priest are called to encourage the flock to frequent confession.

Agreed. and I still think its kind of nosy.

 

[Anhelyna]

I'll freely admit that my priest has .

I'd not Approached the Chalice for 3 Sundays [ I had good reason not to ] and quietly after Liturgy he just said to me "time for a little Confession ? "

But then we are a small parish and he knows us all very very well