What if its not official 'confession'. But something that came up in private conversation?
"What if its not official 'confession'. But something that came up in private conversation?"
Confession in the Catholic Church is a specific thing...a sacrament. Private conversations not in a formal confession are not protected, as far as I know.
However, the seal of the confessional is also available to non-Catholics, if the pastor involved agrees with the principle.
There's lots of case law on this subject.
It's not a "Catholic thing"; the law generally does not compel clergymen and certain other professionals to tell things given them in confidence. Every hear of "attorney-client privilege"? How about not forcing a wife to testify against her husband? Same idea.
The "seal of the confessional" is quite specific. What you described doesn't pertain under the seal, and could be divulged without violation of the seal...
the infowarrior