The last refuge of the vulnerable (some would say that in two ways) is now under attack. For me, this is a perfect example of an instance where the separation of Church and State (liberalism 1.0) has a few kinks. Why would we expect a non-Catholic to understand the importance of not breaking the seal of confession? I mean we can argue why it is important from a non-theological perspective (The person is voluntarily confessing to a priest so why should the priest be forced to confess what never will be confessed again if the seal is taken away? If the seal is broken for sex crimes, sex criminals won't confess), but this misses the broader point. Here is the story:
Find another way to serve justice than to break the seal of confession, one of the most important promises the Christ makes to penitents through his Church--that their sins won't be repeated because they are forgiven. Imagine if the priest could tell the sins of anyone to whoever he wished. The disorder that would follow is something God would certainly not support especially in a matters where he promises to smash the teeth of the wicked. If the man is truly sorry he deserves the opportunity to obey in the penance that the priest gives him and perhaps confess publicly.
Thousands of years of Catholic tradition in the confessional could be overturned by Victoria's inquiry into child sex abuse.
Priests would be ordered to reveal crimes told to them in private confessions under one proposal before the inquiry.
But priests say they will resist being forced to reveal secrets of the confessional.
Priest and law professor Father Frank Brennan said the move would be a restriction on religious freedom.
“If a parliamentary inquiry were to recommend a law by parliament saying that priests were forced to disclose anything revealed to them in the sacrament of confession I think that would be a serious interference with the right of religious freedom,” Father Brennan said today.
“Indeed it would be a very sad day if we moved to a police state mentality, it’s almost of Russian dimensions to suggest Catholic priests would have to reveal to state authorities what went on under the seal of the confessional.
“I am one of the priests who, if such a law were enacted, would disobey it and if need be I would go to jail.”
Father Brennan said disclosures to priests in the confessional were different to those made to doctors or counsellors, or even when a priest was acting in a counsellor role.
“If it were in the sacred realm of the sacrament of confession which in Catholic theology is akin to the penitent being in conversation with God, where the priest is simply an agent, then definitely the state has no role of interference in that.”
http://www.news.com.au/national/priests-could-be-ordered-to-report-confessions-of-sex-abuse-to-police/story-fncynjr2-1226428524648Americans are freaking out that their religious liberty is under attack...and they should because their constitution explicitly protects religious freedom....however, religious freedom has long been undermined by secularists in other countries this century. It continues and is finally established enough in trend to make such moves more acceptable in the United States. It is a slippery slope when principles are bent out of desperation.
Find another way to serve justice than to break the seal of confession, one of the most important promises the Christ makes to penitents through his Church--that their sins won't be repeated because they are forgiven. Imagine if the priest could tell the sins of anyone to whoever he wished. The disorder that would follow is something God would certainly not support especially in a matters where he promises to smash the teeth of the wicked. If the man is truly sorry he deserves the opportunity to obey in the penance that the priest gives him and perhaps confess publicly.
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