[Dr. Sivana]

Won’t happen. Automatic excommunication for the priest. I don’t think priests will ever abandon the seal of Confession.

I had heard a story of a newly ordained priest who had his first scheduled confessions. After he was done, he went to the rectory and told the pastor, "Wow, what a start. First one in the box, and I get adultery!"

That night, a reception was held in his honor. The lady who was head of the parish council had proudly boasted that she got to be the first penitent to go to Confession to the newly ordained priest.

The priest got in BIG trouble. Leesson: The seal is so tight that even an indirect reference that can lead to its betrayal is utterly unacceptable. It is one of the few things that even BAD priests are almost unknown to do.

[Campion]

I hope that story is apocryphal. I think seminarians are generally educated to know that you never give out any information that would connect an individual penitent (”first in the box”) to the content of their confession (”adultery”).