If a priest makes a major mistake during confession, can he later talk to the person to correct themselves?

Question

Say that a person comes to confession and the priest gives bad advice or otherwise makes a major mistake during confession. To give a very clear example, say that a confession went like this:

Penitent: Father, I've murdered someone.

Priest: That's not a sin, don't worry about it.

Penitent: Really? Thanks Father!

Only after reflection did the priest realize he misheard the penitent and didn't realize he was confessing a mortal sin. The dilemma here is that he is under the seal of confession, but he made a major mistake and now the person thinks that it's okay to commit a mortal sin.

A more subtle example might be a priest hearing a confession that he was unsure was sinful, but after reflection, research, and prayer, he realizes that his spur of the moment words was incorrect.

Would the priest be allowed to talk to the person after confession, or during future confessions, in order to correct himself?

Answer 1

Is a priest permitted to talk about a person's confession to the penitent after the penitent's sacramental confession?

There is a lack of general information on this subject, but the short answer is yes, but only after having received permission from the penitent himself to do so.

A priest may ask the penitent for a release from the sacramental seal to discuss the confession with the person himself or others. For instance, if the penitent wants to discuss the subject matter of a previous confession a particular sin, fault, temptation, circumstance in a counseling session or in a conversation with the same priest, that priest will need the permission of the penitent to do so. For instance, especially with the advent of "face-to-face confession," I have had individuals come up to me and say, "Father, remember that problem I spoke to you about in confession?" I have to say, "Please refresh my memory," or "Do you give me permission to discuss this with you now?"

Or if a priest needs guidance from a more experienced confessor to deal with a difficult case of conscience, he first must ask the permission of the penitent to discuss the matter. Even in this case, the priest must keep the identity of the person secret. - The Seal of the Confessional

While there are now apps such as Confession that can assist during the examination of conscience, you cannot receive sacramental absolution via the internet or on the phone. Matters of conscience are forbidden by Rome over the phone, e-mail, internet and other forms of modern communication when the sacrament of confession is involved. This would apply to a priest talking to a penitent about any matter of conscience involving a past confession. The internet is never a safe place for such conversations.

“It is essential to understand well the sacrament of penitence requires the personal dialogue between the penitent and the confessor and the absolution by the confessor,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters on Wednesday. “This cannot in any way be substituted by a technology application.”

“One cannot talk in any way about a ‘confession via iPhone,’ ” Lombardi said. - Vatican issues warning for new Confession app

Answer 2

Have a look at Luke 16:28-31 (NRSVCE) in which the rich man in hell pleads with Abraham:

".. for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

The sinner comes to confession after reprenting on his sins, and is quite aware that he has broken the Commandment of God. He will not, and should not, take the inadvertent remark of the confessor, which cannot stand the test of the law, as a licence to kill again. Suppose the confessor dies just after hearing the confesion, and does not get a chance to correct himself . Will his pre-mortem advice supersede what is in the commandments of God ? No way .

Now, if the confessor is really worried about the future of the person whose confession he had heard, he has all the means of one-to-one communication like phone , e--mail or SMS provided he does not break the covenant of the confession .