Arizona Supreme Court upholds inviolability of confessional seal

Confession. Photo: Pexels/cottonbro studio

The Arizona State Supreme Court has unanimously confirmed that the seal of confession is inviolable and cannot be disclosed at the demand of the state under any circumstances, reports the website ncronline.

The case involved a member of a Mormon community who confessed to his pastor about the sexual abuse of children. The plaintiffs sued the church along with individual clergy members for failing to report the abuse.

Although the dispute did not directly involve the Catholic Church, the dioceses of Phoenix, Tucson and Gallup, New Mexico (which includes part of Arizona) filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the Mormon community, fearing that a ruling against the clergy privilege would set a dangerous precedent. The seven justices – six Republican appointees and one Democratic appointee – unanimously agreed that allowing the suits to proceed would violate the First Amendment.

The sexual abuse victims' organization SNAP expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that protecting the rights of the clergy should not jeopardize the safety of children. In response, Arizona State Rep. Quang Nguyen declined to advance a bill to abolish the clergy privilege, calling it unconstitutional. The Arizona Catholic Conference emphasized in its legislative review: "Priests cannot violate the seal of confession under any circumstances."

As the UOJ previously reported, in December 2025 a bill was introduced in the American state of Arizona that provides for criminal liability for priests who refuse to break the confessional seal.

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