What Vatican statements or documents since 2020 address confession, penance, or priestly absolution?

1. March 20, 2020: “General absolution” guidance amid COVID-19 — Vatican tribunal acts under pastoral necessity

In response to the COVID-19 crisis the Apostolic Penitentiary issued a March 20, 2020 notice saying that while individual confession remains the ordinary form, “grave necessity” created by the pandemic may justify general absolution for groups when individual confession isn’t feasible; bishops retain responsibility to determine specific applications and priests should inform their bishops if they grant general absolution ^{[1] [2] [6]}. Reporting stressed practical safeguards — e.g., preserving the sacramental seal, using well-aired spaces and distancing, and that general absolution should conform to canonical norms ^{[1] [7] [8]}.

2. Theological and pastoral framing: why the tribunal emphasized restraint and continuity

Coverage emphasized that the note did not change ordinary practice: individual confession “remains the ordinary way” to receive the sacrament and general absolution is an exception tied to canonical criteria ^{[2] [9]}. Vatican spokesmen and commentators framed the move as pastoral, aimed at “the supreme good of the salvation of souls” where contagion or lockdowns made ordinary confession impossible ^{[6] [9]}. The note also urged priests to ensure discretion so penitents are not overheard and to remind the faithful of acts of contrition when sacramental absolution is unavailable ^{[1] [7]}.

3. 2019 Apostolic Penitentiary note: absolute inviolability of the confessional seal

Although dated before 2020, your search results contain an important antecedent: a six‑page Apostolic Penitentiary note (published July 2019 and approved by Pope Francis) that restated the seal of confession as “inviolable” and warned that civil laws could not legitimately compel clergy to reveal confessional statements, even amid public pressure related to clergy sexual‑abuse scandals ^{[3] [4] [5]}. Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the tribunal, clarified the note was not intended to justify abuse or cover‑ups and reiterated the Church’s commitment to protecting minors ^{[4] [3]}.

4. Tension between sacramental secrecy and civil mandatory‑reporting laws — competing perspectives

News outlets reported immediate friction between the Vatican note and jurisdictions considering or adopting mandatory‑reporting laws that would remove confessional exemptions — for example, bills debated in Australia and California — and commentators pointed to a likely “collision course” between church doctrine and secular law ^{[4] [10] [11]}. The Vatican/tribunal position stresses religious liberty and the theological basis that the seal “comes directly from God,” while civil authorities frame mandatory reporting as a protection for vulnerable persons; your results show both positions appearing in reporting ^{[3] [4] [11]}.

5. Other relevant materials and pastoral resources cited in reporting

Beyond the two tribunal notes discussed above, diocesan and national bodies provided pastoral guidance and resources on penitential practice during 2020 (examples in your corpus include diocesan penance booklets and USCCB resources describing the sacrament and penitential acts) that interpret and operationalize sacramental norms at the local level ^{[12] [13] [14]}. These materials reiterate the central role of confession, the ordinary requirement of individual confession for mortal sin, and offer templates for penitential services that bishops and pastors can adapt ^{[13] [15]}.

6. Limits of the available material and what’s not found

The sources you provided document the March 20, 2020 Apostolic Penitentiary note on general absolution and the earlier 2019 Apostolic Penitentiary note defending the seal ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}. Available sources do not mention any other Vatican documents since 2020 specifically addressing confession, penance, or priestly absolution beyond adaptations and commentaries applying those notes at diocesan or national levels (for example pastoral booklets and local guidance) ^{[12] [13]}. If you want, I can search for later Vatican documents, papal speeches, or diocesan implementations after 2020 that refer to these issues.