More on the War on the Seal

A fellow named Todd Reitmeyer is a seminarian with his own blog.

He writes concerning the danger to the Seal our bishop’s stupidity and wickedness has caused:

I wanted you to know I have been telling people for about two months that this is going to happen and no one has believed me. I am glad you see it as well. As a seminarian getting ordained (God willing) into the firestorm this summer I have noted that this is coming. There will be a lot of us in jail for contempt of court.

My friend and I were just discussing this tonight. He had some questions about what we can and can’t do in regards to the confessional and was stunned to find out how strict the seal was. The part he didn’t appreciate was if the guy had no contrition and didn’t intend to confess that I still couldn’t break the seal.

I am glad you have this up. It is coming big time. Check out this excerpt I clipped.

CANADIAN BISHOPS PROTEST AGAINST INVASION OF PRIVACY

OTTAWA, SEP 17, 1999 (ZENIT).- In a recent letter labeled “urgent” to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy, the Catholic Conference of Canadian Bishops expressed their “grave concern” for the government’s proposal to the preparatory commission of

the International Criminal Court, to eliminate the protection of privacy from the secret of confession.

The letter, signed by Father Emilius Goulet, Secretary General of the Bishops’ Conference, refers to “disquieting reports … that the Canadian representative … has proposed that the new international court not recognize the centuries-old legal tradition that respects the sacred confidentiality of matters shared between a penitent and priest during the confession of sins.”

While acknowledging that the proposal has received very little international support, the bishops make it clear that they are “disturbed that the Government of Canada would even propose such an undertaking.”

“The strict confidentiality of matters shared between a priest and penitent,” the text continues, “not only concerns the more than one billion Catholic and Orthodox Christians in the world who consider the confession of sins to be a sacrament, but members of all religions, given that the recognition of such confidentiality has been legitimately extended over time to include private religious counseling in all religious faiths.”

“Furthermore, the inevitable effects of the Canadian proposal would have meant interference with the right to personal privacy as well as erosion of freedom of conscience and religion. As you will recall, in a letter dated August 5, 1999, to the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, you had rightly stated that religious freedom is a fragile right in many areas of the world. Such freedom would certainly not have been strengthened internationally by this recent Canadian proposal,” the document concludes.

Memo to Kathy Shaidle: Note the date on the article. “If men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Please turn your talents for excoriation away from the fine work of prolifers (I’ve never met people resembling your unfair caricature) and toward the empty suits in the Canadian government who want to get their grubby hands on the Seal of the Confessional “for the children.” I think you could write something exquisite and memorable.