Thanks for clearing that up, Sinks. What would/should a good priest do if someone confessed something so horrendous to him like abusing a child? What about the need to protect the community?
Still can't do it. The penitent is not confessing to the priest as an individual; he is confessing to the priest who stands in the place of Christ and the Church.
The priest can make absolution conditional on the penitent going to the police, but he cannot do so himself.
Under any circumstances, even if he himself is under threat.