Washington State has passed Senate Bill 5375, which removed the exemption for Catholic priests from reporting suspected child abuse obtained during confession. The new law takes effect in July 2025. Should priests disclose information about child abuse or neglect when they receive it during confession? Let’s take a look.
The Seal of Confession
The Seal of Confession is also known as the Sacramental Seal. Reconciliation (Confession) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Catholic doctrine forbids priests from disclosing any information obtained during confession. This seal is inviolable, meaning it cannot be broken, infringed, or dishonored. There have been priests who refused to divulge this information to legal authorities and ended up in jail. Violating this seal results in automatic excommunication for the priest. The Code of Canon (983) states a confessor must *never* betray a penitent. The Church believes the sacrament is a sacred encounter between the penitent and God.
Should We Exclude Child Abuse from the Seal of Confession?
Some people argue there is merit on both sides of this issue. The Washington State law is forcing the issue back into the discussion. We must discuss this further. Child Abuse is a severe crisis in this country, and while overall child abuse cases have appeared to decline slightly, children dying from abuse and neglect have been increasing. This may be an indicator of a reporting problem for child abuse cases. The 2023 Child Maltreatment Report shockingly shows that prior CPS contact is a factor in child fatalities. In 2023, authorities knew about a percentage of the estimated 2000 children who died from abuse in the U.S., but states do not report the data consistently, so the percentages can range from ~2.5 – 14%, depending on the category. These kids fall through the cracks all too often with tragic consequences.
I believe that confession is a sacred encounter between a penitent and God. I support requiring priests to disclose information obtained in confession related to child abuse and neglect. This will open the door for many on the left to advocate for removing all shielding for crimes, but I do believe child abuse and neglect must be an exception. Jesus spoke strongly about protecting children in Matthew 18:6:
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Going Forward …..
Jesus spoke about children’s innocence, trust, and dependence on others as qualities that are essential for entering the kingdom of God:
Matthew 19:14 – “But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 18:3-4 – “and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
We must always protect the most vulnerable, especially children. As a society, we have selectively allowed abortion, and have seen a rise in crimes against children. This must stop, and I believe the Church must be an active participant in removing child predators from society. The Church took a more proactive approach to garner information related to the internal sex scandal, and I believe they must be more proactive in reporting on situations they are made aware of related to child abuse and neglect.
Please let me know your thoughts on this article in the “Comments” section.
Peace
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