Newsweek
The Catholic Church has issued a warning to its clergy in Washington state: Any priest who complies with a new law requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities will be excommunicated.
The new law, which will take effect on July 27, eliminates the long-standing confidentiality of the confessional, forcing Catholic leaders and lawmakers into a highly charged standoff over religious liberty and child protection. More
O.K., how ’bout this, then: the priests DON’T have to report the confessions, but they have to make sure that the people MAKING the confessions don’t leave the confessional booth alive.
First, while God may forgive the Pedo Joes of this world, it behooves US to send them to that Judgement by the straightest road possible.
Second, concealing abuse means you condemn a child to more of it. That makes you legally and morally complicit.
Third, given the rather checkered history of the preisthood in matters of pedophilia, cutting an abuser some slack kinda reads like its a professional courtesy.
Fourth, and looking the other way…its WASHINGTON STATE. What the hell are THEY gonna do about it, find the guy for “how to” tips and maybe run him for Seattle City Counsel or even Governor?
…concealing knowlege of abuse regardless of its source just lets the cycle continue. I dont know about a priest, but if someone tells ME they raped a child, the only ways they leave is in a cruiser, or on a gurney. I could not abide watching them walk out to do it again…because they WILL.
…Jesus would not abide child abuse.
“It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
Luke 17:2
Seems like His vicars should be of like mind…
Make no mistake, the democrats running Washington State don’t care one bit for children. This law is designed to imprison Christian pastors.
Are the priests going to self-report because plenty of them are child molesters.
okay….now do lawyer/client privilege…..
yeah, i didn’t think so…..
This from the same politicians who think ‘gender affirming’ discussions between teachers and minors should be protected from disclosure to the parents.
Chuckie: the dems and their appointed judges threw out attorney-client privilege during the first Trump administration.
“… into a highly charged standoff over religious liberty and child protection.”
Anyone who believes that “Washington State” has any interest in children other than manipulating and exploiting them is completely out of their fuckin mind. Even the suggestion that “Washington State” has any interest in or any motivation otherwise is perhaps plausible, but to get there one would have to ignore every bit of evidence. Washington State government serves Satan. Period. Full stop.
To concede good intentions to the bastards, at this point in history, demands that a person be at the bare minimum knowingly complicit.
This is just another attack against the Catholic Church. Dictators hate God because He is a higher authority than themselves. All knees, (and backs) must bend to the party.
Confession is an integral part of Catholicism. When the state demands that sins confessed must be reported to the state, we have crossed a Rubicon: We are now at a place that the Stasi could only envy. A sinner begging redemption from God’s fury should not fear betrayal to Ceasar. The state has the power and resources to investigate and punish earthly crimes. Redemption and forgiveness can only come from God.
The lefties want to control not just the republicans they want to control all of the political establishments including religion.
My guess, the liberal assholes that endlessly hold sway over the state of Washington merely want access to the vulnerable children.
Of course it’s an attack on the Catholic Church. They’re not going after lawyers, doctors, therapists, psychiatrists, TEACHERS’ UNIONS, etc.; this law only applies to priests.
Seems like a big legislative circle jerk to me. How are they ever going to prosecute anyone? It’s pure ‘he said/Father said’ right? Pretty much by definition there aren’t any other witnesses. Where does the prosecution’s evidence come from and what is its nature?
Send an officer to confession and have him disclose the worst possible child abuse then arrest the priest if he fails to report to authorities. – Dr. Tar
Simple solution:
“Your penance is 5 hail marys 10 our fathers and TURNING YOURSELF IN TO THE POLICE. Oh, and if you plead not guilty, that’s the sin of bearing false witness against your neighbor.”
Tough deal. There are parishioners who would willingly arrange a living amends for the pedo-vile. For a while. Nothing needs be formalized. The state is an overweening bully, effeminate yet sinewy under the soft shoulders, soulless in the way only a sterile gender indeterminate trust fund lush could be. Maudlin emoting over nonsense while with a leathery claw squeezing the life out of the constitution and smearing the natural rights of the people is the state.
Oh FFS! Really?
Now pass a law that teachers and politicians have to pimp out pedophiles!
And another that cops have to squeal on bad cops.
Are these people serious?
Why would the Church even comment? “Hey, Look at US! We support pedophilia!”
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
Ferguson in just a few months as the governor of Wash. state is turning to be a bigger ass than Inslee was. If I was a Catholic priest, I would defy this ungodly, unconstitutional edict and politely tell them to go to hell. It’s none of the state’s damned business to tell priests that they have to tell on what people say in a confession booth ever. That’s between them and God and not any of the business of these damned fools in Olympia.
A Catholic priest can and should deny absolution to anyone who is not truly remorseful and repentant. Absolution is contingent on completing your penance, which should include turning yourself into the authorities. We learned this in Fr. Bede’s 10th grade religion class.