A bill tabled in U.S. requiring priests to break the seal of confession

Catholic Confession. Photo: kulturologia

Democratic Senator from Washington State, Noel Frame, has introduced a bill requiring Catholic priests to disclose information obtained in confession if it pertains to cases of abuse.

According to the bill, violating this requirement could result in up to one year of imprisonment.

The absence of any exceptions for religious freedom in the bill has sparked strong reactions from the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic Bishop Frank Schuster, Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle, issued a firm condemnation of the initiative, emphasizing that neither he nor any other bishop "has the authority to alter divine law."

Additionally, critics argue that the senator’s bill not only infringes upon the sacrament of confession but also establishes clear discrimination between professions bound by confidentiality.

Lawyers, spouses, and advocates for victims of sexual abuse retain the privilege of confidentiality and are not obligated to report such cases. Thus, opponents of the bill see it as a direct attack on the Catholic Church.

At a recent hearing, Noel Frame stated that she is no longer concerned with religious freedom. She noted that while she previously sought balance and compromise, she is now unwilling to make concessions.

Frame, who had previously converted to Catholicism but later publicly renounced it, declared that she would not raise her child in the faith due to the Church’s stance on the seal of confession. She compared the Church’s resistance to “an abusive relationship,” accusing the Roman Catholic Church of “protecting criminals under the guise of faith.”

In response, Catholic Bishop of Spokane, Thomas Daly, emphasized that even if such a law is enacted, clergy will not abandon the seal of confession, even if it results in imprisonment. He noted that throughout history, authorities' attempts to force priests to break this sacred confidentiality have always failed.

Earlier, it was reported that the Anglican Church had abandoned the practice of maintaining the seal of confession.

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