Posts Tagged ‘Confessional seal’

Confession unaffected by new Hong Kong security law

Monday, March 18th, 2024
confession

Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese says confession will remain confidential despite the city’s upcoming national security law change. The proposed legislation the diocese is referring to is Article 23, a locally developed national security bill that Hong Kong is fast-tracking into law. It follows the one Beijing imposed in 2020 after quashing pro-democracy protests in Hong Read more

Better guidelines for priests hearing confession from sex abuse victims – and abusers

Thursday, November 18th, 2021
America Magazine

Better guidelines are needed to protect the sacrament of reconciliation as a “channel of grace” for sexual abuse victims, says Jesuit Father Hans Zollner. “If the church did more to help confessors be empathetic listeners as well as skilled interpreters of the church’s moral teaching, it would make it clearer that the sacrament of reconciliation Read more

French bishops fire communications spokesperson

Thursday, November 18th, 2021
News in 24

Karine Dalle, spokeswoman and undersecretary for the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) has been fired, two and a half months after taking office. Although the bishops say Dalle’s “trial period has not been confirmed” she says she had “been fired”. Her dismissal follows various slip-ups in communications after the release of an independent report into sexual Read more

New Australian confession legislation just silly

Thursday, October 28th, 2021
FSSPX

Perth’s Archbishop Timothy Costelloe has spoken out about new confessional legislation passed by the Western Australian State Parliament. The confessional legislation removes civil law protections to the confidentiality of the seal of confession. The confessional experience is a personal encounter between that person and Christ, Costelloe wrote in a pastoral letter published last week. He Read more

France’s bishops will now uphold confessional seal

Monday, October 18th, 2021
ESSCA Alumni

In a quick turnaround from news reported last week, France’s bishops’ conference says it will uphold the confessional seal, regardless of what has been confessed. Last week it was widely reported that the conference would break the seal in abuse cases. “One cannot change the canon law for France as it is international. A priest Read more

Queensland’s new law says priests must break confessional seal

Thursday, September 10th, 2020

A new law in Queensland says priests must break the confessional seal to report child sex abuse to police. If they don’t comply, they could face three years in jail. Echoing recommendations from Australia’s Royal Commission Into Child Sexual Abuse, Queensland’s Parliament passed the new law on Tuesday. Australia’s Catholic leaders have always vowed to Read more

Mandatory reporting laws for religious institutions come into effect

Thursday, February 20th, 2020

Laws requiring clergy to report child abuse to authorities — even if it’s heard in the confession box — will come into effect on Monday, ending the “special treatment” for Victoria’s religious institutions. The seal has now been lifted for the suspected sexual abuse of children, with spiritual and religious leaders required to report the Read more

Peter Comensoli: Violating sanctity of the confessional would be a betrayal of trust

Monday, August 19th, 2019

What is worth protecting and fighting for? The answer to that question is straightforward: our children. Of this, there is no doubt. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse cast a much-needed light on the failures of many institutions across Australia, including government and church institutions, and most prominently my own church. Read more

Victoria Premier lashes Archbishop over Catholic confession claims

Monday, August 19th, 2019

Australian state premier Daniel Andrews, is lashing out at the Catholic Church over claims it was not consulted about proposed laws forcing priests to report child abuse disclosed in confessionals. The Victorian Premier, a practicing Catholic, says Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli is wrong to compare priests refusing to disclose allegations heard during confession to confidentiality Read more

Comensoli prefers jail to breaking confession seal

Thursday, August 15th, 2019

Melbourne’s Archbishop Peter Comensoli says he would rather go to jail than report admissions of child sexual abuse made in confession. He was referring to a bill in Victoria’s parliament which will make it mandatory for priests to report suspected child abuse to authorities, including abuse revealed in the confessional. Under current law, various professionals Read more