New Australian Law Requires Priests to Break Seal of Confession to Report Admissions of Child Abuse

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Fortunately I don’t have that authority either, cuz I fully sympathize with @Alex337’s sentiments here. Satisfaction is just as much a part of penance and I find it very difficult to understand how someone can be simultaneously contrite but not willing to face the music when it comes to grievous crimes against society like that. Murder, rape, grand larceny, massive fraud, and any violence against children I strongly wish required satisfaction as a contingent part of absolution. As far as I know there’s nothing in Divine Law stopping the Church from making this a matter of discipline.

Edit: Please allow me to clarify: I sympathize with his/her post about turning oneself in to the authorities and absolution, not his/her other post about a priest violating the seal as somehow being virtuous. I completely disagree with that.
 
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And I wonder: what is to stop a government official from going into the confessional, lying about having abused someone and then turning the priest in for not turning him?
 
fredystairs said:
And I wonder: what is to stop a government official from going into the confessional, lying about having abused someone and then turning the priest in for not turning him?
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Same thought came to me. Is this going to turn into a witch hunt?
 
hmikell7 said:
So what happens here when the Church inevitably refuses to comply with the government’s orders?
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If challenges to the law are unsuccessful, priests might be found in contempt and sent to jail.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
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Alex337:
I still think any priest who turns an abuser in is making a very fine sacrifice.
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Yeah, he’s sacrificing his vows and also his ability to serve thousands of other Catholics over many years. Sounds great…not
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To save a child, possibly multiple children from an abuser. My hat goes off to such a man who would put the safety of a child before their own vocation. I would pray that they find another way to help people.
 
fredystairs said:
And I wonder: what is to stop a government official from going into the confessional, lying about having abused someone and then turning the priest in for not turning him?
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This is likely to be the only cases of abuse which are confessed in the confessional. Authorities seeking entrapment of priests. No actual abuser will confess anything in the confessional.
 
Edmundus1581 said:
On the actual subject, my belief is that there is no chance whatsoever of the Church allowing exceptions to the Seal of the Confessional. Just how they will handle legislation requiring exceptions (if it comes to pass) I
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There won’t be any “exceptions”.
 
Alex337 said:
I still think any priest who turns an abuser in is making a very fine sacrifice.
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Sacrificing vows made before God, being stripped of the priesthood, and being excommunicated from the Church. Yeah. Sounds like a fair trade off to me. 😒:roll_eyes:
 
I thought that part of confession normally involved a promise that the penitent would go to the law. That’s what I was taught before confession.
 
hmikell7 said:
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Alex337:
I still think any priest who turns an abuser in is making a very fine sacrifice.
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Sacrificing vows made before God, being stripped of the priesthood, and being excommunicated from the Church. Yeah. Sounds like a fair trade off to me. 😒:roll_eyes:
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I’d do it. Or at least I hope I would have that courage. Putting a child before oneself is important.
 
AlbertDerGrosse said:
Fortunately I don’t have that authority either, cuz I fully sympathize with @Alex337’s sentiments here. Satisfaction is just as much a part of penance and I find it very difficult to understand how someone can be simultaneously contrite but not willing to face the music when it comes to grievous crimes against society like that.
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Sin is comitted primarily against God, and it’s more important for the soul of the sinner to receive sacramental grace to sin no more and for the salvation of his soul, than it is for the State to achieve legal satisfaction. A requirement such as is being proposed will reduce the likelihood of that happening… it will not change the behavior of those who feel no remorse, and it will scare those who do away from the spiritual help they desperately need.

It’s a terribly bad idea.
 
1ke said:
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Edmundus1581:
On the actual subject, my belief is that there is no chance whatsoever of the Church allowing exceptions to the Seal of the Confessional. Just how they will handle legislation requiring exceptions (if it comes to pass) I
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There won’t be any “exceptions”.
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That’s what I said. The Church won’t make exceptions, but she may be in the position of putting herself (as an institution), or her priests (as individuals), in opposition to the law. I cannot foresee how the Church will handle this. Still, we aren’t there yet, even in Australia, as this legislation is only in the Australia Capital Territory and isn’t yet binding. The rest is above my pay grade.
 
And then I wonder if they will also make it mandatory that lawyers report as well? No attorney - client privilege?
 
Well then forgive me for being so frank, but I’m thankful you’re not a priest and in the position to make such a decision.

Child abuse is a horrible and despicable crime, but such blatant disrespect for the Sacraments isn’t something I’d find becoming in a priest.
 
hmikell7 said:
Well then forgive me for being so frank, but I’m thankful you’re not a priest and in the position to make such a decision.

Child abuse is a horrible and despicable crime, but such blatant disrespect for the Sacraments isn’t something I’d find becoming in a priest.
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I’d feel far less comfortable with a priest who does nothing about child abuse.
 
Perhaps much like psychologists if the penitent shows no inclination of repeat offense confidentiality should hold.
 
In many cases they do. Doctors and attorneys in many jurisdictions can be mandatory reporters. Unlike the priest-penitent privilege, these involve those professionals reporting their clients as being a risk to themselves or others (or in the case of attorneys a client actually confessing to them or providing them with incriminating evidence that the state did not originally have. An attorney must speak up in that case). Priests are only dealing with what has happened in the past and so there’s no reason to make them mandatory reporters.
 
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