Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mark 10:14) A new Washington state law, newly signed by Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson, requires Catholic priests to break the seal of confession. For centuries, Catholics have understood that what is said in the confessional is sacrosanct, never to be revealed or repeated by a priest. The new law allows law enforcement to demand that any priest or other clergy who learns "of any 'reasonable' basis to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect”, they must report it to police. Ferguson, a Catholic, signed Senate Bill 5375 into law on Friday, May 2. The bill, titled "Concerning the Duty of Clergy to Report Child Abuse and Neglect," makes all clergy members of all denominations mandatory reporters. The Catholic “seal of confession” prohibits a priest from disclosing anything that is said to him during the Sacrament of Confession. But, Washington state bishops and priests are pushing back… On Sunday, May 4, Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle released a statement saying that he and other clergy within the archdiocese would not be following the law… announcing their intention to maintain the seal of confession… even to the point of going to jail. Etienne also added that, “Catholic clergy must not violate the seal of confession or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential, and protected by the law of the Church". It has also been announced that any priest there who complies with the law will be promptly excommunicated… But the law also applies to ANY "ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious To receive new posts or support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber! denomination, religious body, spiritual community, or sect, or person performing official duties that are recognized as the duties of a member of the clergy.” Why should Catholic priests be exempt from such a law when clearly other church leaders are not? The Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Romans…
Speaking at the bill's signing, Governor Ferguson remarked that Washington was one of only five states remaining where clergy are not required to report child abuse. One writer put it this way, “Omitting the seal of confession from the bill was not an accident. The bill's main sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame (D-Seattle), said that it was ‘critical’ that admissions of child abuse that were made during Confession were not exempt. “You never put somebody’s conscience above the protection of a child,” said Frame. Frame, herself a survivor of childhood abuse, was inspired to submit the bill after reading about abuse cover-ups by Jehovah's Witnesses.” Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect are soul-destroying. Child abuse puts kids on the wrong path and often repeats itself from one generation to the next. Children must be protected under the law with no exceptions… Mandatory reporting laws typically apply to a wide range of individuals, including school officials, healthcare professionals, social workers, and members of the clergy. This is nothing new. Washington State lawmakers are not singling out Catholic Clergy… they are acting to protect vulnerable children… The Bible teaches that child abuse in any form is evil. To force sexual acts upon a child is a horrible, evil offense. Sexual abuse, in particular, violates everything about a child’s physical boundaries and their spiritual connection with God. Anyone who suspects that a child is being abused in any way has a moral and a legal obligation to report it to the appropriate authorities. With the Catholic leadership’s history of covering up pedophilia and other sexual sins, one has to wonder why they continue to consider themselves above the law. Pray they reconsider... If you’d like to help fund American Faith and Freedom, please buy us a coffee. We may earn a commission on any links on this page…
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