What does canon law say about mandatory confession and changes over time?

1. What canon law currently says: the seal is inviolable

The Code of Canon Law and standard Catholic commentary state that the “sacramental seal” is inviolable and that a confessor must never betray a penitent by word or in any other manner (Canon 983 is repeatedly cited in summaries and explanations) ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Catholic sources emphasize the absolute nature of that obligation, noting that violators face severe canonical penalties and that the seal is indispensable for the sacrament’s sanctity ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. Who is bound by the seal and related practical norms

Canon law binds not only the priest but also certain others who assist in confession: interpreters and anyone who overhears a confession are likewise obliged to maintain secrecy, according to canonical texts and Q&A treatments ^{[7] [1]}. Complementary norms about the confessional’s physical arrangement—requirements for grills or places for confession—are established in national legislation for some conferences (e.g., U.S. complementary norms for Canon 964 §2), reflecting pastoral and privacy concerns ^[8].

3. Confession obligations in canon law: mandatory confession and frequency

The Code of Canon Law contains duties for the faithful as well: members are obliged to confess grave sins of which they are aware (Can. 988 §1), and, after reaching the age of discretion, are obliged to confess at least once a year (Can. 989) ^[4]. Those canons show that while the confessor is bound to secrecy, the penitent also has duties under ecclesiastical law to make sacramental confession of grave sins ^[4].

4. Historical and textual development: codes, reforms and continuity

Canon law has evolved through major codifications—most notably the 1917 and 1983 Codes—yet the central protection of the confessional seal has been a longstanding and consistent element in modern codifications and commentary ^[9]. The contemporary 1983 Code and its commentaries reaffirm the seal’s inviolability and set practical norms for sacramental celebration and ministerial faculties ^{[5] [9]}.

5. Tension with civil law and recent legislative efforts

Recent U.S. state proposals to compel clergy to report abuse even when learned in confession have created a collision between civil and canonical regimes: reporting bills (e.g., Montana SB 139) would remove statutory protections that recognized confidentiality rooted in canon law, church doctrine, or established practice ^{[6] [10]}. Church experts note that civil privilege regimes differ—civil law traditionally assigns privilege to a party, whereas “in canon law, the seal belongs to no one” (neither priest nor penitent), a doctrinal formulation that clashes with statutes seeking to compel disclosure ^{[6] [10]}.

6. Competing viewpoints and underlying agendas

Advocates of absolute sacramental secrecy stress pastoral necessity and centuries of church practice protecting penitents and encouraging confession ^{[2] [1]}. Advocates of mandatory reporting argue public safety and victim protection must override ecclesiastical confidentiality when abuse is disclosed. Reporting bills often frame themselves as child-protection measures and have political sponsors; church commentators frame such proposals as encroachments on religious freedom and internal discipline ^{[6] [10]}. The two sides thus prioritize different goods—pastoral trust versus civil protection—and carry implicit institutional agendas: state accountability and victim safety on one side, ecclesial autonomy and sacramental integrity on the other ^{[6] [10]}.

7. What available sources do not cover / limits of this brief

Available sources in your list document the current canonical norms, some national complementary norms, and recent U.S. legislative clashes, but they do not provide a full history tracing every doctrinal development over centuries nor do they give detailed case law on how civil courts have treated priest–penitent privilege across jurisdictions—those topics are not found in current reporting provided here (not found in current reporting). They also do not include the verbatim text of Canon 983 in the snippets provided, though multiple secondary sources paraphrase its force ^{[1] [2]}.

Conclusion: Canon law today treats sacramental confession as absolutely secret and imposes duties on both priests and certain assistants, while also obliging the faithful to confess grave sins; recent legislative initiatives in some U.S. states seeking to override clergy confidentiality have produced a direct clash between civil reporting rules and the Church’s canonical position ^{[1] [4] [6]}.