The Catholic Church has vowed to excommunicate any priest who follows a new Washington state law requiring clergy to report information about child abuse to law enforcement — even if given in the privacy of the confession booth.
Priests in the Evergreen State had enjoyed something similar to attorney-client privilege when hearing confessions, but the new law — which Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed on Friday — revokes that protection for discussions of child abuse or neglect.
The Catholic Church vowed to excommunicate any priest who follows a new Washington state law requiring them to report information about child abuse to law enforcement — even if given in the privacy of the confession booth.
Emanuele Capoferri – stock.adobe.com
Democratic Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the new law on Friday — and it’s now being probed by the DOJ. APCatholics have vowed to put church above state.
“While we remain committed to protecting minors and all vulnerable people from abuse, priests cannot
comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” the Archdiocese of Seattle said in a statement.
“Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from
the Church,” it added.
The Department of Justice is investigating the law for possible violations of religious freedom under the First Amendment.
“SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Ferguson, however, is not backing down.
“We look forward to protecting Washington kids from sexual abuse in the face of this ‘investigation’ from the Trump administration,” he told KIRO 7.
