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Australian Priests Could be Forced to Breach Seal of the Confessional
The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11/14/12 | Jonathan Pearlman

Posted on 11/14/2012 10:52:47 AM PST by marshmallow

Australian priests could be forced to breach the seal of the confessional to report child sex abuse amid growing calls to end cover-ups involving the Catholic Church.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday slammed the use of the confessional to avoid reporting abuse, saying it is a "sin of omission" and all adults have a duty to protect children.

She announced this week the launch of a Royal Commission to investigate offences involving religious and non-religious organisations and insisted it will examine not only abuse but the role of institutions in covering it up.

Though the commission's terms of reference are yet to be decided, Ms Gillard said on Wednesday she was concerned about adults "averting their eyes" from crimes against children.

''It's not good enough for people to engage in sin of omission and not act when a child is at risk," she said.

Australia's most powerful Catholic, Archbishop of Sydney George Pell, was this week widely condemned for insisting that priests who hear confessions of child sex abuse must keep quiet because "the Seal of Confession is inviolable".

He said priests should avoid taking confessions from colleagues suspected of being paedophiles but that they cannot then report the crime to police.

"If that is done outside the confessional (it can be passed on)," he said.

"(But) the Seal of Confession is inviolable If the priest knows beforehand about such a situation, the priest should refuse to hear the confession." The strict secrecy of confessions is believed to be more than 1000 years old.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics; Theology
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To: nickcarraway

“all Catholics are evil.”

You’re lacking an < / sarcasm>.

Is that intentional or inadvertent?


61 posted on 11/15/2012 11:16:01 AM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: ravenwolf

That’s o.k. I figured we were on the same team.


62 posted on 11/15/2012 11:19:57 AM PST by lastchance ("Nisi credideritis, non intelligetis" St. Augustine)
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To: ravenwolf

Why do you believe everyone has something about themselves that they hate?


63 posted on 11/15/2012 11:21:21 AM PST by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr

Why do you believe everyone has something about themselves that they hate?


Now at least be honest with your self, did i really say that?


64 posted on 11/15/2012 3:32:56 PM PST by ravenwolf
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To: ravenwolf

Well I didn’t make it up. I got it from your last paragraph.


65 posted on 11/15/2012 4:00:29 PM PST by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: ravenwolf

Well I didn’t make it up. I got it from your last paragraph.


66 posted on 11/15/2012 4:00:45 PM PST by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr

Well I didn’t make it up. I got it from your last paragraph.


Here is my last paragraf

but if a man or woman can see themselves in the same light they could see some one else it may help them to over come what they hate about them selves.

I do not consider a man or woman to be every one.


67 posted on 11/15/2012 4:51:23 PM PST by ravenwolf
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To: ravenwolf

ok


68 posted on 11/16/2012 7:02:43 AM PST by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr

Why not just execute all priests? It worked in Mexico.


69 posted on 11/16/2012 1:26:20 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: DuncanWaring

It wasn’t sarcasm- I was just trying to express the implications of what some people think.


70 posted on 11/16/2012 1:29:16 PM PST by nickcarraway
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