A new law just signed in Washington state tries to force priests to break the seal of the confessional.
1 - I don't see this as being enforceable.
2 - I don't think this will stand up in courts.
3 - Priests won't break the seal of confession.

Another illustration of the evil unleashed when individuals use the name Catholic but believe nothing that IS the Catholic faith. This must be opposed & denounced…BREAKING: Washington governor signs bill forcing priests to break Seal of Confession https://t.co/xSin0BzEMx

— Bishop J. Strickland (@BishStrickland) May 3, 2025

'New law requires clergy in Washington to report child abuse'
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/02/new-law-requires-clergy-in-washington-to-report-child-abuse/

SIAP

A good overview from before it was passed.

RAB91 said:

---

A good overview from before it was passed.

---

1- Huge Fr. David Michael Moses fan.

2- This exact situation is the kind of thing that interdicts are for. Perhaps it's time to bring them back.

(For those who don't know, an "interdict" is when all sacraments are suspended in a particular Church jurisdiction. Typically this was used to combat civil intrusions into Church matters and/or bring an unruly diocese or kingdom to obedience in Church matters.)

So it is okay to confess how much you beat the **** out of your kids and wife because religion is more important than not killing a toddler.

Tanya 93 said:

---

So it is okay to confess how much you beat the **** out of your kids and wife because religion is more important than not killing a toddler.

---

Confessional is a church matter not a state matter.

Like the priest said, outside of the confessional they must report abuse.

Good! Protecting a child from sexual abuse is more important than confessions your sins to some other person.

I only know what I've seen in movies, but aren't confessionals designed so the Priest can't see who is confessing?

Maybe the Catholic Church should worry more about getting their priorities straight.

But whoso shall cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to fall, it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

After the first priest abides by this law, confessions will stop. Congrats unconstitutional law lovers! You've done nothing.

AustinAg2K said:

---

I only know what I've seen in movies, but aren't confessionals designed so the Priest can't see who is confessing?

---

Many these days the person is in the same room and can choose to sit face to face or behind a screen.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

---

Maybe the Catholic Church should worry more about getting their priorities straight.

But whoso shall cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to fall, it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

---

The Catholic Church is Divine, it was started directly from Jesus. But it's made up of men, who we are all sinners. But the rules for Sacraments are meant to get you in a better place with God. The confessional is a place where the sins are being confessed to the priest who is Anima Christi, to be Christ to that person. If a person commits a crime and confesses it, the priest, acting as Christ, offers forgiveness, but also asks for you to report crimes. And can withhold absolution until that serious crime is reported.

This law is about virtual signaling and power. Libs hate Christianity and especially Catholics because of their rigid rules and they use the worst of crimes committed by priests from the past to act like this is all that every priest does, since they can't have sex by their holy orders. As we have seen with plenty of other organizations, faith or other groups, sadly, abuse has occurred often.

Aggie Joe 93 said:

---

After the first priest abides by this law, confessions will stop. Congrats unconstitutional law lovers! You've done nothing.

---

I care more about stopping sexual abuse of an innocent child than some child molestor getting "absolution".

You don't need to educate me on what you believe about the Catholic Church and absolution. I lived it for twenty years. I just don't care about religious "rules" at the expense of a child. You may feel differently.

Not even remotely constitutional.

Is this law limited to ongoing abuse being confessed or past abuse? Overall I don't believe that Catholic Church doctrine is superior to US law and when it comes to protection of children from abuse.

Aren't lawyers required to report if their client is committing ongoing crimes or is planning to? Same for shrinks?

BTW, this also seems highly inconsistent with the Dem doctrine that keeps schools and teachers from having to tell parents that they plan to chop their child's weenus off.

bobbranco said:

---

Tanya 93 said:

---

So it is okay to confess how much you beat the **** out of your kids and wife because religion is more important than not killing a toddler.

---

Confessional is a church matter not a state matter.

Like the priest said, outside of the confessional they must report abuse.

---

Confessing to child rape is most certainly a state matter. I don't give a **** where the scumbag pedo confesses.

Is that the only thing they can force a priest to provide? I'm fine if it's sexual abuse of a kid or something involving a child. Other than that, the government can pound sand.

like your doctor, choose your father confessor wisely.

only God can grant spiritual absolution anyway.

What if he confesses to his attorney

If one feels badly enough about abusing a child they need to confess to a priest, they should be equally moved enough to confess to the police.

To argue anything other than that is frankly bizarre.

backintexas2013 said:

---

What if he confesses to his attorney

---

Lawyers can chime in, but I have been told that it's best not to confess to your attorney that the privilege is not like in the movies.

flown-the-coop said:

---

If one feels badly enough about abusing a child they need to confess to a priest, they should be equally moved enough to confess to the police.

To argue anything other than that is frankly bizarre.

---

Except for the fact that confessing to only one of those two will end up helping the child and result in punishment for the child molestor. Hardly bizarre at all.

flown-the-coop said:

---

If one feels badly enough about abusing a child they need to confess to a priest, they should be equally moved enough to confess to the police.

To argue anything other than that is frankly bizarre.

---

One asks for forgiveness so they can go to heaven
One hopefully sends them to PMIA prison.

backintexas2013 said:

---

What if he confesses to his attorney

---

Attorney-client privilege protects that from disclosure if it was made for the purpose of seeking legal advice.

The exception is that the lawyer must break confidence if necessary to prevent a crime. "I am on my way to molest Joey"

flown-the-coop said:

---

If one feels badly enough about abusing a child they need to confess to a priest, they should be equally moved enough to confess to the police.

To argue anything other than that is frankly bizarre.

---

you are exactly right

Lawyers also can't lie to the court. There's also the crime-fraud exception.

The priest, when acting in the confessional during the sacrament of confession, is in persona Cristo… you are not confessing to the priest you are confessing to God. He cannot break the seal because the sin confessed is between the sinner and God.

You think this is the first time in the 2,000 years of the church some authoritarian government has tried to do this? It won't be successful this time either.

The problem is the courts / police do not consider priests to be Christ, and even if they did, Christ should be more than willing to tell the courts / police about the confessor diddling kids.

The clergy can't be made to testify in Court.

This is about mandatory reporting, not court testimony.

Im Gipper said:

---

The clergy can't be made to testify in Court.

This is about mandatory reporting, not court testimony.

---

Christ should be good with mandatory reporting as well.

Christ, like Trump, believes in law & order.

The Church doesn't consider the priest Christ either. I recommend a google search.

Good thing we have that pesky first amendment. This will and should get struck down.

That's assuming it even gets challenged.

You would have to have a priest arrested for not turning in a molester that confessed to him. What are the odds that happens?

Pretty sure I don't need to Google anything on Catholics dogma. It's not my religion, so the point stands. Whatever Catholics believe is irrelevant to our laws.

And if by the first you mean maybe church and state, the Constituion prohibits establishing a national religion and preventing free exercise of religion. What about that prohibits the Washington law?

It's also important to note that your communication with a priest is ONLY protected like that in the confessional during the sacrament of confession.

If you tell the priest this during lunch it is not

txagB2 said:

---

The priest, when acting in the confessional during the sacrament of confession, is in persona Cristo… you are not confessing to the priest you are confessing to God. He cannot break the seal because the sin confessed is between the sinner and God.

You think this is the first time in the 2,000 years of the church some authoritarian government has tried to do this? It won't be successful this time either.

---

Just because you believe this doesn't mean the United States of America's judicial system has to believe it.