No.
Are you surprised at the brevity of the answer?
There’s really nothing more to the answer than a direct NO.
The Church takes the seal of the confessional with the utmost seriousness. Anything a priest is told in confession must remain secret. A priest cannot reveal it, no matter the circumstances and no matter the sin. The identity of the penitent—if the priest knows it—must also be kept confidential.
No one—not even public officials, law enforcement, judges, nor a superior—no one can legitimately demand information about a person’s confession from a priest. The priest is obliged to keep the seal, even if he is threatened with prison, torture, or death.
Indeed, history tells us of priests who have gone to their deaths rather than break the seal. In the 14th century, the king of Bohemia, suspecting his wife of adultery, tried to force her confessor to reveal her sins. The confessor—St. John Nepomucene—refused to say a word, and was eventually thrown into a river and drowned.
Martyrdom of St. John Nepomuk by Szymon Czechowicz
He remains one of the most famous defenders of the confessional, a priest who illustrated in the fullest way just how serious his obligation is.
When a man chooses to become a priest, he knowingly takes on the obligation to die rather than break the seal. Knowing about this obligation can teach us to appreciate a good priest even more than we did before.
Confession is one of the most beautiful gifts of our faith—and one of the most misunderstood! Learn all you need to know about this transformative sacrament in the book How to Make a Good Confession. This down-to-earth practical guide shows you how to transform your confessions into profound experiences of God’s love, and how to carry the grace of confession into your daily life. Get yours today at The Catholic Company!
