Complicit absolution

Complicit absolution is an offense in Roman Catholic canon law consisting of the absolution of a party complicit with the absolving priest in an offense. Because it constitutes the abuse of a sacrament, it is held to be sacrilege.

A notable case in recent times was that of Father Marcial Maciel, who was alleged to have abused the confessional in a situation where he had compromised his clerical celibacy. Other related cases involve secular clergy in the archdiocese of Boston who were similarly accused of abusing the confessional in the documents Crimen sollicitationis and De delictis gravioribus.