Posted on 04/10/2017 6:24:56 PM PDT by marshmallow
Some Australian bishops have offered different opinions about how broadly the seal applies, as the Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse focuses attention on the matter.
MELBOURNE, Australia — A far-reaching national inquiry into institutional child sex abuse in the Church in Australia is fueling debate on whether the law should be changed to force priests to divulge information received in the confessional.
The ongoing Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has been examining what role, if any, the seal of confession played in the cover-up of child sex abuse within the Church, as well as issues such as celibacy, priest selection and Church governance.
The scrutiny of the sacrament comes after the commission sent shockwaves throughout the Church and Australian society last month by revealing that 7% of priests who worked between 1950 and 2009 had been accused of child sex crimes.
Since the royal commission’s establishment, politicians, including former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, have argued that priests should have to report information they receive about child sex abuse, even if it means breaking the confessional seal, considered inviolable under canon law.
“It’s not good enough for people to engage in sin of omission and not act when a child is at risk,” Gillard said shortly after announcing the inquiry in 2012.
The two main political parties in western Australia pledged in March to consider new mandatory reporting laws for clergy during their campaigns for the state’s most recent election.
At present, federal legislation exempts confessional evidence from the general evidence rules that apply in court. Mandatory-reporting laws, which are on the books in each of Australia’s seven states and territories, also exclude information heard during confession.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
Next we can get priests having to report on political views, sins of politicians, non-PC activities, etc.
Either the seal is absolute, or it doesn’t exist.
“The two main political parties in western Australia” who wish to change the confession law are fighting a losing battle. Doh.
Wouldn’t it be better to get the Church to agree that in forgiveness for this set of sins, the penance would be confessing to the police?
This act of contrition seems in line with Church teaching and would handle the issue of priest and other clergy hiding behind confession.
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