Kochi: Head of the Syro-Malabar church Cardinal Mar George Alencherry has reiterated the role of confession in the spiritual growth and sustenance of believers and reminded the clergy that the Canon law has very strict norms on the sacrament is offered.
It mandated excommunication of those who violate the secrecy clause of the sacrament, the major archbishop said in a statement on Sunday.
“We should not forget that the Church had several clergy who even had to sacrifice their life for keeping confession a secret,” he recalled. “Every priest is responsible for maintaining the divinity and serenity of the sacrament and the confession box. The Canon law has prescribed stringent norms for listening confessions of women.”
The cardinal’s assertion comes in the wake of discussions and litigation on the relevance and legality of confession, one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic church.
