OCA wins court case protecting the seal of confession

Confession. Photo: ekklisiaonline.gr

On October 10, 2025, prosecutors in the U.S. state of Washington agreed to a permanent injunction blocking the enforcement of a law that required priests to disclose information heard in confession. The decision was reported on the website of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

According to the court ruling, the state government and county prosecutors pledged not to deprive clergy of the same legal exemptions granted to other professionals bound by confidentiality obligations. Thus, priests will no longer be forced to violate the sacred seal of confession under threat of fines or imprisonment.

“This is a significant legal victory not only for Orthodox Christians, but for all Christians who recognize the Sacrament of Confession or sacred confidences,” the statement said.

The outcome was the result of a lawsuit filed by the Orthodox Church in America and several other Orthodox jurisdictions. The law previously adopted in Washington State required clergy to break the seal of confession under certain circumstances.

Had it been enforced, priests would have been forced to choose between canon law and civil law, facing heavy fines or even imprisonment. “Moreover, the unwarranted intrusion of the government into the Sacrament of Confession would ultimately have deterred many penitents from seeking absolution in the first place,” the Church’s press service added.

The OCA stressed that the victory is important not only for Orthodox believers but for all Christians who hold the Sacrament of Confession as sacred. The court’s decision reaffirmed that the state must not interfere in the spiritual life of believers or restrict freedom of conscience.

Commenting on the ruling, Metropolitan Tikhon noted: “The bishops and priests of the Orthodox Church in America carry a sacred obligation to maintain the seal of confession without compromise. This decision affirms that duty both in law and in conscience.”

As the UOJ previously reported, a U.S. state had officially required priests to disclose information from confession.

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