Like with Teddy Kennedy? Now there's a deathbed confession for you. He may have confessed to God and a priest (which is very very good) but did TK have the intestinal fortitude to apologize or ask forgiveness to the family of Mary Jo Kopechne? That would be akin to this bishop confessing to his congregation, friends and family. The bishop did so publicly as we have a record of it. Did TK publicly confess? I don't know if he did.
And if he didn’t confess publicly, I could see him catching flack for trying to hide his sin. A lot of public figures are criticized for not admitting they’re human also, for putting themselves up on a pedestal.
Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
But where do you see any substantial evidence that Teddy Kennedy repented? What i have read shows none, even in his letter to the pope, nor did the latter provide any reproof from what was said. Instead, his apostolic blessing was provided.
And seeing a RC "priest - a title foreign to NT for pastors - was unlikely to help.