Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Inviolability of the Seal of Confession

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. This is reported by the website ncronline.

The case involved a member of a Mormon community who confessed to his pastor about the sexual abuse of children. The victims filed a lawsuit against the Church and clergy who had not reported the crime to the authorities.

Although the dispute did not directly involve the Catholic Church, the dioceses of Phoenix, Tucson, and Gallup filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the Mormon community, fearing that a ruling against the clergy privilege would set a dangerous precedent. Seven justices, six of whom were appointed by Republicans, unanimously found that requiring the disclosure of the seal of confession would violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

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 representative 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 disclose information received during confession.

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