The proposed law in Washington would require priests to violate Catholic law by breaking the seal of confession.
The bill amends current state laws requiring law enforcement, teachers, health professionals, or child care providers to report cases of child abuse. According to In the text of the bill. Priests who break the seal of confession are automatically excommunicated from the church Canon Law。
The bill was proposed by Democrats Washington State Sens. Noel Flame, Claire Wilson, Jessica Bateman, Manka Dingra, Twina Nobles and Javier Valdes.
“Washington state has no right to force priests to break the sacred ritual of confession,” Tom McCrusky, director of government affairs at the Catholic Vault, told the Daily Callenor News Foundation. “This is nothing more than an attack on the authority of the church, confused by anti-Catholicism. It calls for everything to be placed under state authority.”
While the proposal offers Exemption If information such as legal communication with a lawyer is obtained “only as a result of privileged communication,” it explicitly excludes members of the clergy and does not provide any other exemptions. Compliance violation There may be a law Prison time。 (Related: Bishop says that Catholic teachings do not support “open border policy”)
Bowie, Maryland – March 20: St. Edward’s Confession Scott Holmer Confession Catholic Church is making a confession on March 20, 2020 in the parking lot of a church in Bowie, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Kerr/Getty Images)
The new law is “an appointed pastor, priest, rabbis, imam, elder, or religious or spiritual leader of a church, religious denomination, religious organization, spiritual community, or sect; or acknowledged; Applies to those who fulfill their official duties. According to the text of the bill, as the duty of members of the clergy.
“This is another tired attack on the Catholic Church,” Andrea Picchiotti Bayer, director of the Religious Freedom Organization’s Conscience Project, told the Daily Carener News Foundation. “The priests do not violate the seal. Unrepentant abusers are not exempt. Instead of attacking the church, the church is now in order to protect minors and help other agencies follow their leads. It’s better to look at the measures you have.”
There is a Catholic church in recent years Measures have been taken To increase transparency and make it easy to report cases of abuse within the church, we will create a committee that protects minors and tracks how the church is dealing with reports.
In January, the Montana Democrats proposed a law that would force Catholic priests to weigh the risks of excommunication from imprisonment.
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