One of the casualties of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was the confidentiality of the Catholic Sacrament of Penance — commonly called ‘the Seal of Confession’. The Catholic bishops who responded to the Commission were unable to convince the commissioners that the seal of confession should continue to be respected, Read more
Great shocks to the system often can jar loose utterly new responses from institutions typically given to maintaining the status quo. Other times, the effect can be to reopen debates from the past which, not so long ago, seemed definitively closed. That latter scenario may be unfolding in Australia right now, pivoting on once-intense debates Read more
The bishops of England and Wales have discussed whether parishes might celebrate the Third Rite of Reconciliation during the Year of Mercy. But at their November meeting, the bishops did not approve the move, despite some lively discussion. Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth wrote that the bishops acknowledged that valid conditions required for general absolution Read more