Posts Tagged ‘Confessional’

French bishop’s confessional abuse and inadequate Church sexual teaching

Monday, October 31st, 2022
Bishop Michel Santier

Asking young men to take their clothes off in the context of confession… This extremely serious act – which the Catholic Church of France euphemistically translated as “voyeurism” – is exactly what Bishop Michel Santier did when he was the director of a School of Faith and leader of a new community. One is initially Read more

French bishop covers up his sexual abuse in Confessional

Thursday, October 27th, 2022
spiritual abuse

The Vatican has been informed of a French bishop’s alleged spiritual abuse for sexual purposes. Bishop Michel Santier (pictured), was quietly disciplined by the Vatican and, in 2021, he reported to his diocese he resigned for “health reasons”. However, the weekly Famille Chrétienne revealed Santier was also removed for “using his influence over two young Read more

Why the seal of the confessional will remain

Monday, August 21st, 2017

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has published a 2000-page three volume Criminal Justice Report. One of its recommendations is that the states and territories “create a criminal offence of failure to report targeted at child sexual abuse in an institutional context”. If such an offence were created, those of us who Read more

40 years a priest and no one’s confessed sexual abuse

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Catholic priests in Ireland say they will not reveal peoples’ sins told to them in confession, despite the Irish government requiring priests to report alleged incidents of child abuse. “More than any other issues, it is probably the one that will unite both the liberal and conservative winds of the Church,” Fr Tony Flannery said Read more

Confessional seal: what it means in Irish legislation and abroad

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

The Seal of the confessional is generally respected in most western jurisdictions, whether constitutionally or by custom and practice. To date, in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Britain it is respected under custom and practice, while in the US it is protected under two constitutional amendments. Legislation to breach the seal of the confessional would Read more

Confessional seal to be ruptured in Ireland

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Priests in Ireland who with-hold information about alleged child abuse, even when told to them in the Sacrament of Confession, will soon be liable for up to five years prison. The new laws are an unprecedented display of tough action against the Catholic Church, in what was traditionally a Catholic country. “The law of the land should Read more