Why priests can’t break the seal of confession, despite UK lawyers’ recommendation

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It’s coming to a country near you, and probably sooner than you think. Hopefully the Church will resist fully and not roll over or compromise with such efforts. There are already signs that some in the hierarchy in Australia, where efforts have been underway for some time to legally mandate priests report certain sins in confession, are giving ground on this issue. Hopefully bishops in other countries will be more unified and resistant to these movements.
 
I don’t know, we are talking about the protection of children here…
 
It’s the seal of confession. You’re talking about causing spiritual harm to people because if they think that seal will be broken, they won’t confess. Often, when people let things get in between their relationship with God, It is hard to get back. Removing confession from them will make it harder to get back. Religious freedom is important too.
 
This whole thing provides a good reason for eliminating face to face confession and returning to the use of standard, anonymous, confessionals.
 
simpleas said:
I don’t know, we are talking about the protection of children here…
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No! What we are talking about is coming to Christ for forgiveness and healing. Saving a soul trumps this issue.

Do you believe that these perverts will come to confession knowing they will be handed over to the authorities? All channels must be opened to Christs forgiveness and mercy. There can be no barriers.

Where will the line be drawn? why not murder?
 
Saving a soul trumps the issue.

What of the soul of the victim?

I did think that abusers would not go to confession if they would be found out, but the article in the OP isn’t addressing a random persons confession, it’s regarding many victims of abuse by priests and the awareness of the heirarchy to ensure something is done.
 
I
“simpleas said:
Saving a soul trumps the issue.

What of the soul of the victim?

I did think that abusers would not go to confession if they would be found out, but the article in the OP isn’t addressing a random persons confession, it’s regarding many victims of abuse by priests and the awareness of the heirarchy to ensure something is done.
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If a victim of Abuse goes to confession and relates what happened to the priest then the priest needs to help lead the victim to go to the police. But to violate the confessional is not the answer.

And What of the Soul of the victim? The Victim to must go to confession. The Victim must also know that his/her confessor will not violate his privacy.

No! this must never happen!
 
What of the abuser? Do priests encourage abusers to hand themselves in to the police, so to help them and also protect the abused?
 
simpleas said:
What of the abuser? Do priests encourage abusers to hand themselves in to the police, so to help them and also protect the abused?
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Yes they certainly should and more than likely do. But we will never know because a priest is not even allowed to acknowledge that a specific someone came to confession. That is how strict this law is. The priest can withhold forgiveness to those that do come in for confession but their would need to be a reason for that to happen.
 
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forgiveness should be withheld until the abuser seeks help etc, or nothing would change. Moving priests around that did these crimes wasn’t the answer and the church lost many people over that.
 
simpleas said:
forgiveness should be withheld until the abuser seeks help etc, or nothing would change. Moving priests around that did these crimes wasn’t the answer and the church lost many people over that.
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What does this have anything to do with what we are talking about. Priest are human and are great sinners like the rest of us. They to require forgiveness from the Father through his priests.

I’m not sure who made you the arbiter of who gets to be forgiven in the confessional but thats not how it works. COntrition and a firm comittment is what is required. The forgiveness is Given by God. If the contrition or firm comitttment is not really their does God truly forgive?

I think you are conflating two different issues.
 
Did you read the OP article, that’s what I’m talking about.

The recommendation came during an investigation of Benedictine abbeys and their associated schools, after numerous victims came forward alleging clergy at the schools had committed acts of child sexual abuse.

_Richard Scorer, a representative with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said during a hearing that mandatory reporting laws should apply even to information bound by the seal of confession. _

“A mandatory reporting law would have changed their behaviour,” Scorer said, according to The Guardian. “At Downside Abbey, abuse was discovered but not reported, and abusers were left to free to abuse again and great harm was done to victims.”

Yes God forgives.
 
There was a case in the news recently of a priest convicted of murdering a young girl and confessing to another priest. They were both laicised later on but the second ex-priest said that it was on his conscience to tell what had happened in order to serve justice.
 
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