New US state law puts the secrecy of Catholic confession at risk
Church and State
Newsweek writes that Washington state government and the Roman Catholic Church are facing a clash over a new, controversial law.
No longer a secret
The state law, which will take effect on July 27, eliminates the traditional secrecy of the seal of Catholic confession, requiring priests to notify any abuse on minors they hear inside the confessional.
The Church isn't happy
The New York Times writes that, although the new law applies to member of the clergy of all religions, it seems to have particularly clashed with the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
The threat of excommunication
According to Newsweek, the Seattle Archdiocese has threatened to excommunicate any priest who complies with the new law.
Render unto Ceasar...
“We must obey God rather than men,” declared Archbishop Paul Etianne of Seattle, in a statement quoted by The Catholic Herald.
Thinking of the children
According to The Catholic Herald, Washington governor Bob Ferguson, who is noted as a Catholic and a Democrat, stated the following: “Protecting our kids, first, is the most important thing. This bill protects Washingtonians from abuse and harm.”
God and government
The Archbishop of Seattle, The New York Times highlights, argued that this was a case in which the government was intervening in religious matters: “The state is now intruding into the practice of religion, and if they’re allowed to get away with that, where do we draw the line?”
All the way to the Justice Department
The US Justice Department seems to be siding with the Catholic Church, The New York Times noted that the department has begun a civil rights investigation into the allegedly anti-Catholic law and whether it violated religious freedom.
Attempted before in California
According to The New York Times, a similar law proposal was withdrawn in California after critics, among other things, pointed out it would be difficult to enforce.
