Australian child abuse report calls for end to sanctity of confession, voluntary celibacy for clergy

Reuters ^

[BusterDog]

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia should introduce a law forcing religious leaders to report child abuse, including Catholic priests who are told of abuse in the confessional, according to a report into institutional child abuse released on Friday.

[lightman]

There will be scores of white martyred Orthodox and Catholic clergy...and a few Lutherans and Anglicans.

“We must obey God rather than men” when it comes to the seal of the Confessional.

[Jeff Chandler]

What was the sex of the average victim?

[Gay State Conservative]

Assuming that the Australian legal system recognizes "attorney-client privilege" then the only way that the "sanctity of the confessional" should be eliminated is if "attorney-client privilege" is as well.

If priests are required to report their "clients" it stands to reason that the same should go for lawyers.

Just my 2 cents' worth...

[vooch]

yup - might be what used to be called perverts but now are the prime minister of ireland

[Salvation]

Covered by church law.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament.

[naturalman1975]

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens as a result of this - as part of Parliament passing “Marriage Equality” (as they have taken to calling it) last week, it was agreed that there would be a Parliamentary inquiry into protecting religious freedom next year.

I expect this will now get a lot more interesting - and a lot of ‘conservative’ politicians are going to have to show their credentials - others will as well, but I am hoping we may actually see some backbone from more of them - or total exposure of their weakness.

It’s time to stand up for freedom of religion. It’s time to stand up for freedom of speech. They are running out of places to hide.

[Bob434]

Australia is becoming europe- becoming hostile to religious Christian beliefs and accommodating to islamic

[Gingersnap]

Honestly, exactly how many people of either sex or any condition make a complete confession detailing their assaults on children? I'm guessing it's really low number and obviously none will confess such things if mandatory reporting happens.

Beyond that, how many abuses happened at the hands of religious officials compared to relatives/Mom's live-in lovers, secular teachers, peers, etc.?

[AlaskaErik]

“We must obey God rather than men” when it comes to the seal of the Confessional.

And exactly where in the bible is this "seal of the confessional" found? Why do catholics even need a middle man to confess their sins? Christians just go straight to the guy at the top. This "seal" is just a way for priests to continue their coverups of crimes committed by their own.

[arthurus]

Australian child abuse report calls for end to sanctity of confession

What end is served by forcing priests to forswear their vows? There would be only a very narrow window of legal "profit" from the forcing of priests to make public the confessional. Confession would end very quickly and surely has already been diminished in anticipation that individual priests- and no one knows which priests- will give in and rat out the confessers. And it will not be limited to child abuse. Once the line is crossed it will be chipped at some more then eradicated wholly. Then they start charging priests with suppressing confessions of crime or lying about the lack of confessions.