Posted on 03/21/2023 6:26:54 PM PDT by marshmallow
Fr. James E. Connell, a former vice chancellor for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee accused of protecting pedophile priests, has previously sued states to revoke their protections for the seal of confession.
(Lepanto Institute) — A retired Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has called upon the people of the state of Delaware to support HB 74, which would require priests to report issues of child abuse or neglect should they be mentioned in the confessional. Originally published in USA Today, Fr. James E. Connell penned an op-ed titled, “Why Delaware’s clergy-penitent privilege law should be repealed,” wherein he concluded that, “all people in Delaware should support the proposed HB 74 that would repeal the Delaware clergy-penitent privilege statute.”
Fr. Connell argues that:
no valid freedom of religion argument rooted in the absence of truth can provide a moral justification for sheltering perpetrators of abuse or neglect of children from their deserved punishment, while also endangering potential victims.
As such, he concludes that:
governments should intervene such that, while perhaps frustrating the free exercise of religion for some people, the greater good of protecting children from abuse or neglect would be enhanced for the common good of all people.
Currently, three other states are also considering laws that would force priests to violate the seal of confession; Utah, Vermont, and Washington.
Fr. Connell, a Chicago divorcee who was ordained to the priesthood in 1987, is a canon lawyer who served as the Vice Chancellor for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee from 1994-2012. After being appointed to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s sexual abuse review board in 2003 by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, he has been active in what he calls “victim advocacy” since at least 2010, when he started meeting with members of Survivors Network of.........
(Excerpt) Read more at lifesitenews.com ...
May as well. Not much of real Catholicism left in the church anyway.
I can’t imagine some priest week after week hearing the same confession from some dad about how he is abusing his kids and thinking that doing nothing is the moral choice in that situation.
Freedom of Religion, our first and most important right in America, being destroyed today by the very men consecrated to supposedly suffer even martyrdom to preserve it.
Thanks for taking yet another opportunity to smear dads. Women are great abusers of their kids too.
If pedos (and other malefactors, because we know it wouldn’t stop with pedos) knew that they would be reported by priests for confessing their crimes, they would simply stop confessing it. This would accomplish nothing but violating the seal of Confession for everyone..
Do you honestly think a serial child abuser is confessing his child abusing ways every week to a priest? Really? And if he actually did, which I seriously doubt the priest then grants him absolution without saying a word or telling him to get help and turn himself in? Come on now.
This will be the end of confession for the Catholics in Wisconsin.
How many people do you really think are abusing their child and confessing it week after week? If they’re abusing their child they’re not likely going to confession regularly. I just don’t buy that scenario.
What these laws are trying to do (assuming they’re sincere in their purpose, which is assuming a lot) is to require the priest to report it when someone says in confession that they are being abused. It is totally unnecessary. The priest can easily tell the person confessing “I’d like to help you, but you know I can’t say anything to anyone about this unless you tell me outside of the sacrament of confession. So after I give you absolution, the confession will be over. If you wish, you can stay and tell me these things again and I’ll be able to take appropriate action.”
That’s how bishops should be instructing their priests with or without these laws.
I want to be clear that the absolution would be for whatever the penitent’s sins were, not for any abuse they suffered from their abuser, for which the penitent is innocent.
But he is okay with murder being protected by the seal of the confessional ? What about saying racial slurs?
Well, maybe he should have paid attention in seminary when they taught him that he could refuse absolution to someone who is impenitent, e.g., someone abusing children who refused to turn himself in.
Correct.
Do you really think that these people are going to confession? Do you have any proof of that?
But if its on a laptop left at a repair shop, one has the full force of government to bury it....
The priests I have heard mention it, don’t even remember each confession after the penitent leaves.
This is wrong, Delaware is too.
Divorcee?
This article describes him as a divorcee. How can that be?
Yes, I noticed that too. He was married for 6 years shortly after college, divorced, and was eventually granted an anullment.
https://www.votf.org/wp-content/uploads/JimConnellBioVOTFWeb.pdf
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