Back in St. Anthony’s, Brother Michael taught us that if someone confessed sins of a sexual nature, and then falsely claimed that the priest used that information to extort sex from the penitent, then that false claim/sin could only be absolved by a bishop. He jokingly said that there were other sins that only a bishop could absolve – and one that only the Pope could absolve; but he wasn’t going to tell us what they were. Does anyone know if this is correct? The logic of the claim would have me assume that a follow-up false claim that the bishop had, in turn, tried to extort sex, would be the sin that only the Pope could forgive. If such a thing was true, where would the actual truth be documented?

-- Bob Hennessy (bobhen@hotmail.com), June 09, 2004

Answers

bump

-- (bump@bump.bump), June 09, 2004.

In the Latin Church, the 1983 Code of Canon Law deleted the idea of "reserved sins". It was once the case that absolution of certain sins was reserved to various levels of authority, such as the local bishop or one to whom he specifically gave the faculty. Those days are gone, today, any confessor can absolve any sin.

Sin is not censure: even though a sin is absoved, in certain cases a person may still be within Church censure and not able to participate in Church activities without a Bishop or Canon overturning the censure. But as far as sin is concerned, any confessor can absolve any sin.

In Christ,
Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), June 09, 2004.

Excuse me Bill, but anybody who has had an abortion or participated or facilitated in an abortion may only be given absolution by a bishop. That is Canon Law. Also, if you have killed a priest, only the Pope can give you absolution.

John

-- John (John@John.com), June 09, 2004.

john, could you please point us to the specific codes you are referring to?

-- paul h (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), June 10, 2004.

In the diocese of Arlington a priest can absolve a first time abortion. A person who performs or obtains an abortion after receiving absolution must go to the bishop to be absolved.

-- holly hayes (hollyhayes3@cox.net), June 11, 2004.

Also, a case of violation of the seal of confession brings a latae sententiae excommunication that can only be lifted hy the Holy Father in the 1983 Code.

The recent document "Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela" reserved a series of "grave delicts" to the Congregation for the Doctrine fo the Faith.

Hope that's helpful.

-- Fr. Mike Skrocki, JCD (cand) (abounamike@aol.com), June 12, 2004.

Fr., Excommunication is a censure, not a sin. We were talking about who could forgive what sin.

In Christ, Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), June 12, 2004.

Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela would also seem to be talking about censure, not forgiveness of sin. Correct me if I am incorrect here.

In Christ, Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@Hotmail.com), June 12, 2004.

There are still reserved sins in the Code of Canon Law (1983), and all these include an automatic ("lata sententia") excomunication. Although I do not have a copy handy, I think I can do this from memory:

Automatic Excomunications reserved to the pope: Breaking the seal of confession Desecrating the Holy Eucharist Ordaining a priest without a dimissorial letter Consecrating a bishop without a papal mandate Solicitation of penitent for sex by the confessor Absolving an acccomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment Performance of priestly functions by a non-ordained person Attempting to kill or physically harm the pope.

Automatic excommunications (not reserved): Attempting to kill or physically harm a bishop Direct involvement in performing an abortion

The famous excommunication for harming a priest is gone, as is the one against trafficing in Mass stipends. Any priest may absolve from the sin and the censure in the last two cases, unless the local bishop has decreed otherwise. I think some bishops have reserved excommunication for abortion to themselves. Bishops may also create other lata sententia censures. Any priest may absolve the sin in all cases, if the delinquent is in danger of death--but if the delinquent recovers, the censure remains and the person must have recourse to the Apostolic Penitentiary in Rome. FYI, excommunication prevents the individual from receiving or performing any sacrament (except reception of Confession), from exercising any function or office in the Church, and from receiving any salary from the Church.

-- Catholic Observer (nospam@noplace.org), June 17, 2004.

excomunication is not a sin, it is a censure

-bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@Hotmail.com), June 17, 2004.

Canon 982 A person who confesses to having falsely denounced to ecclesiastical authority a confessor innocent of the crime of solicitation to a sin against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, is not to be absolved unless that person has first formally withdrawn the false denunciation and is prepared to make good whatever harm may have been done.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), June 17, 2004.

Mark, That doesn't say a priest can't absolve them of the sin

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@Hotmail.com), June 17, 2004.

Bill,

I was agreeing with you. Sorry for not making that clear.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), June 17, 2004.

Cool, thanks.

-bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), June 17, 2004.

I came across this page after Google-ing "Sins Reserved Holy Father". Very interesting (and helpful). If someone is familiar with /would point me towards an explanation for *why* -- I am more interested in the sacramental theology than a list of *which* -- sins were reserved and are no longer, I would be most thankful.

Pax .:Steven

-- Steven in SF (Penemuel@orangemail.ch), June 26, 2004.