[eastsider]

Father Martin cites David Berkowitz, the 1970s New York serial killer, as a classic case of perfect possession. "I met him in his cell, at his request," says Father Martin. "He confessed that he had been, for many years, a member of a Satanic coven. This was the source of his evil."

Why isn't this a violation of the seal of confession?

[Pyro7480]

He might be using the verb "confess" in a manner not referring to the sacrament.

[ventana]

Interesting question. Father John Hardon has a wonderful theological program called "Eternal Life," one of the series within the program is a set of tapes called: The Truth About the Angels. It is a marvelous teaching tool. One of the tapes discusses Satan and posession. It is not a tape for the feint of heart. It is chilling and ought to be listened to in the company of others and in, in my opinion, easy reach of a rosary and a crucifex as help and reminder. V's wife.

[redhead]

"Why isn't this a violation of the seal of confession?"

Probably, as mentioned above, because Berkowitz is not Catholic, so he cannot participate in the Sacrament of Penance, which, in the Catholic Church requires an initial reception of the Sacrament, similar to First Holy Communion.

Anything an individual might reveal in a "confession" in such a case would be free to be disclosed. The only "seal" might be a request by the confessing individual that the person he tells not reveal what is confessed, which could be observed or broken by the person who hears such a confession, depending on the importance of the material.

[Coleus]

Berkowitz was a Jew who was talking to a priest in conversation (not in a sacramental way between priest and penitent) and "admitted" that he was in a Satanic coven.

Also, at that time I think Fr. Martin was layasized.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Berkowitz apparently made the admission a matter of public record. Some time in the '80s, can't recall the precise year, either on A Current Affair or Inside Edition, the details were on television and published in Maury Terry's book The Ultimate Evil. David Berkowitz has repeated his account a number of times in televised interviews. Not sure what the history of Malachi Martin's discussion of this, but one might assume he gave his permission for Martin to discuss it with others. That some sort of cult was active in Yonkers has been asserted by a number of sources. I personally recall a discussion of satanism in NY with a ranking Jesuit from Fordham in the late 1970s. It sounded pretty creepy. What the history is of people "confessing" to being involved in satanism in New York or elsewhere in the United States however speculative would be an interesting matter of research. Malachi Martin did mention people coming to the Church for help and deliverance from such spiritual perils. And, of course, there are the occasional sensationalist stories on such matters which pop up from time to time.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Take David Berkowitz. The infamous "Son of Sam" was long believed to have terrorized New York single-handedly, in a 1976-77 killing spree that claimed six lives.

But new evidence suggests he did not act alone. While in prison, Berkowitz was born again as a Christian. His conscience moved him, Berkowitz says, to make a shocking confession in a 1993 televised interview on the program Inside Edition.

Berkowitz claimed that he had murdered at the behest of a powerful satanic cult, with a nationwide reach. At least two other shooters and several accomplices directly assisted him in the Son of Sam killings, Berkowitz said.

"When I got involved in this," Berkowitz told A&E's Investigative Reports in a November 22, 1997 broadcast, "I never knew that I was going to become a murderer... I just joined for a thrill, looking for some friends…. It was ... a slow but methodical recruitment process."

The cult taught that the world would end around the year 2000, Berkowitz says. It sought to "speed up the process" of Armageddon through bloodshed -- specifically by killing innocent young people in middle-class neighborhoods, in order to maximize fear and chaos in society.

Strong evidence corroborating Berkowitz's account had already appeared in a 1987 book, The Ultimate Evil by Maury Terry. Police have quietly begun reinvestigating the case, according to the A&E broadcast.

If Berkowitz is telling the truth, then the masterminds behind the Son of Sam murders have been running loose for more than 20 years.

From newsmax.com