Confession Archives

Australian states to have priests report abuse disclosed in confession

Catholic News Service, Church in Oceania
Sep 26, 2019

The Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania have become the latest in the country to pass legislation criminalizing priests who fail to report the abuse of children disclosed during confession.

Australian prelate says mandatory reporting, seal of confession not ‘mutually exclusive’

Church in Oceania
Aug 16, 2019

Mandatory reporting of child sex abuse by religious ministers is a welcome reform, according to Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne, but the seal of confession can’t be broken for any reason.

Defeat of California’s attempt to break seal of confession a victory for religious liberty

Interviews
Jul 11, 2019

Kathleen Domingo is Senior Director for the Office of Life, Justice and Peace and Director of Government Relations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She helped organize the opposition to a California bill that would have required priests to break the sacramental seal of confession in certain cases.

‘Dangerous’ bill on seal of confession withdrawn before key hearing

Catholic News Service, Church in the US
Jul 9, 2019

In a last-minute twist, a California bill that would have required priests to break the sacramental seal of confession was shelved by its sponsor amid a remarkable grassroots campaign mounted by the state’s Catholics, members of other faith groups, and religious liberty advocates from across the country.

Vatican says ‘no human power’ can compel priests to violate seal of confession

Vatican
Jul 1, 2019

As California is currently embroiled in a battle over whether to punish priests for not breaking the seal of confession in cases when child abuse is revealed, the Vatican has issued a statement reaffirming the “inviolability” of the confidentiality of confession, and saying political pressure in this regard is a breach of religious liberty.

Calming consciences: Pope gives seafarer chaplains special powers

Catholic News Service, Vatican
Jun 27, 2019

Pope Francis gave priests who minister to seafarers special permission to grant absolution for sins that usually would require the intervention of a bishop or the Vatican itself.