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CV NEWS FEED // Two Washington legislative committees recently advanced a pair of bills that aim to force priests in the state to violate the seal of Confession. Spokane, Washington, Bishop Thomas A. Daly is opposing the bills.
Senate Bill 5375 aims to make clergy in the state mandatory reporters of child abuse in all circumstances, including when such information is learned in the sacrament of Confession. It exempts them, however, from testifying in court or in criminal proceedings if the abuse was disclosed during Confession, according to the Washington Senate Democrats website. The bill was advanced by the Senate’s Human Services Committee on Feb. 5, according to the legislature’s website.
According to a Feb. 10 Washington State Standard article, the House Committee for Early Learning and Human Services passed House Bill 1211 Feb. 7, sending it to the Rules Committee, which the bill must pass before it can be voted on at the House floor. On Feb. 11, according to the legislature’s website, the bill was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
The seal of Confession is a practice of the Catholic Church that prohibits priests from ever disclosing any information learned within the sacrament of Confession. If they violate the seal, they are excommunicated. Throughout history, numerous priests have been martyred or jailed for refusing to violate the seal, as reported by Arkansas Catholic.
“I want to assure you that your shepherds, bishop and priests, are committed to keeping the seal of confession – even to the point of going to jail,” Bishop Daly stated Feb. 3, according to Inland Catholic. “The Sacrament of Penance is sacred and will remain that way in the Diocese of Spokane.”
SB 5375 was introduced by Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle. This is the third time Frame has introduced legislation related to clergy as mandatory reporters. The two previous versions failed to pass.
Bishop Daly said in his statement about this year’s bills that the diocese currently employs various protocols and procedures to protect children. He encouraged legislators who are unsure of this to speak with parents, priests, deacons, and seminarians involved in working with youth in the diocese to learn about the efforts firsthand. The diocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection is also dedicated to protective efforts.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding child sexual abuse,” Bishop Daly said. “Our goal is do everything within our power to keep your children safe while we attempt to lead them to know and love Jesus Christ who commanded, ‘let the children come to me and do not hinder them.’”
The Bishop urged the faithful in the state to pray and to ask their legislators to vote against the bills.
“An important element to the greatness of America is our Constitutional commitment to religious freedom,” he said. “Please pray that our legislators will create sound law which reflects this foundational principle of our country.”
Earlier this year, Montana legislators considered a similar bill, but they tabled it Jan. 29. As CatholicVote previously reported, Utah and Delaware have also considered bills that would attempt to force a violation of the seal.
