Priest Apologizes to Kennedy Family

[kskiska]

Georgetown revealed diary entries of Jackie's counseling sessions

WASHINGTON -- The head of the Jesuit community at Georgetown University said this week that he has apologized to the Kennedy family for the release this month of diary excerpts in which a Jesuit priest described counseling sessions he had with Jacqueline Kennedy after her husband's assassination.

The Rev. Brian McDermott also said he has not made a decision about future public access to the priest's papers, which are held by the university's library. Previously, the university had said there were no restrictions on viewing the papers.

(snip)

Kennedy was counseled in early 1964 by the Rev. Richard T. McSorley, who taught at Georgetown and died last year. Library officials on Nov.12 allowed several news organizations, including the Washington Post, to view portions of McSorley's diary in which he described Kennedy's thoughts about suicide.

McDermott said Wednesday that he wrote an apology to Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg because he was concerned that the recent publicity about her mother's conversations with McSorley would increase the family's pain just as the 40th anniversary of President Kennedy's 1963 assassination approached.

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[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Given the requirements for confidentiality

I'm surprised that the priest even kept a diary of counseling sessions.

Although these sessions wouldn't have fallen under the Seal of the Confessional (i.e. a Catholic priest absolutely may not divulge to anyone what a person confesses to him during the rite of confession, not even if the person is a fugitive from justice), mainstream clergy still take confidentiality very seriously.

[pistoff democrat]

2. That is just outrageous!

Why do the clergy have to obey rules also given to shrinks...but, just not to all?

Can you imagine if a therapist released descriptions of similar counseling sessions?

[truthisfreedom]

3. this event gives rise to the paranoid fear that the confessional booth has

been used for hundreds of years as an information-gathering device by the catholic church. and for what purpose?

"Bu--but h-how c-c-could you n-n-know that?"

"NEVER MIND how I know that, Mr. Kennedy, the point is, are you going to do what needs to be done, or do we go to the press?"

[IndianaGreen]

4. I didn't know that priests took notes of counseling sessions

I have a question for Catholic DUers:

Is the confidentiality of the confessional extended to private counseling sessions?

How confidential is the confessional?