You have probably heard about law in Washington that priests will be required to divulge to law enforcement anything about child abuse which they learned when hearing confessions (in the internal forum).
Fox now reports HERE that priests who obey that and who tell law enforcement something they learned during a confession will be excommunicated.
It’s canon law.
Can. 1386— § 1. A confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; he who does so only indirectly is to be punished according to the gravity of the offence.
Catholic Church to excommunicate priests for following WA law requiring child abuse confessions to be reported
‘Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church,’ the Archdiocese of Seattle said
The Catholic Church announced that priests will be excommunicated if they follow a new Washington state law requiring clergy to report confessions about child abuse to law enforcement.
“Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church,” the Archdiocese of Seattle said in a statement. “All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church.”
“The Catholic Church agrees with the goal of protecting children and preventing child abuse,” the statement added, noting that it “remains committed to reporting child sexual abuse, working with victim survivors towards healing and protecting all minors and vulnerable people.”
The new law — signed by Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson last week — added “members of the clergy” to a list of professionals who are required to report information that relates to child abuse or neglect to law enforcement, and the measure does not provide an exception for information offered at a confession booth.
Priests in the Catholic Church have been bound by the absolute seal of confidentiality, an obligation that requires them to keep anything learned in confession a secret.
The Archdiocese of Seattle said its policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters unless the information is received during confession.
“While we remain committed to protecting minors and all vulnerable people from abuse, priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” its statement said.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the law for possible violations of the First Amendment’s religious protections.
“SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said.
“Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals,” she continued. “We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State’s cooperation with our investigation.”
The bill will go into effect on July 26.
Washington is one of just five states that does not explicitly or implicitly require clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect, a federal report shows, according to Fox 13. Most states exempt information obtained through confession from mandatory reporting, but Washington now joins just a handful of states that do not provide such exemptions.
“This new law singles out religion and is clearly both government overreach and a double standard,” the Archdiocese of Seattle said. “The line between Church and state has been crossed and needs to be walked back. People of every religion in the State of Washington and beyond should be alarmed by this overreach of our Legislature and Governor.”
More Canon Law about the priest and the Seal.
Can. 983 §1. The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.
§2. The interpreter, if there is one, and all others who in any way have knowledge of sins from confession are also obliged to observe secrecy.
Can. 984 §1. A confessor is prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to the detriment of the penitent even when any danger of revelation is excluded.
This year the 8 May Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii has fallen during the FIRST FULL DAY OF A CONCLAVE.
On this Conclave Day 2025, the sun rose on Rome at 5:56.
You have probably heard about law in Washington that priests will be required to divulge to law enforcement anything about child abuse which they learned when hearing confessions (in the internal forum).
On the last day before the 2025 Conclave, the 126th day of the calendar year, the sun rose in Rome at 5:58.
