The Department of Justice is suing the state of Washington over a law that compels priests to reveal certain information they learn during the holy sacrament of confession.
The DOJ put out a statement Monday that read: “The Justice Department announced today that it filed legal action for a complaint in intervention against the State of Washington over its a new state law, Senate Bill 5375, which violates the free exercise of religion for all Catholics, and requires Catholic priests to violate the confidentiality seal of Confession.”
“Senate Bill 5375 requires Catholic priests to violate their vows to uphold the confidentiality seal that accompanies the sacred rite of Confession, subjecting them to immediate excommunication from the Catholic Church,” the statement continued.
The DOJ argued the measure violates the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion, as well as the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said.
“The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion.”
The law makes it mandatory for clergy to report instances of child abuse and neglect, even when that information is disclosed during the privileged sacrament of Reconciliation, according to The Center Square.
The case is currently pending before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
“The Archdiocese of Seattle remains committed to reporting child sexual abuse, working with victim survivors towards healing, and protecting all minors and vulnerable people,” Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne said in a news release last month, just two days after Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed SB 5375 into law. “Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession.”
Should priests be forced to reveal certain parts of a confession?
This is a difficult matter, but the law would create a dangerous precedent and lead to a slippery slope.
Confession, or Reconciliation, is a return to God. It is meant to cleanse your soul. Yet your sins don’t magically disappear without some form of penance.
The priest must believe you have a penitent heart before offering absolution, as he is standing in for Jesus Christ.
This penance can include deep prayer, reflection, works of mercy, and good deeds. If you’ve done something truly criminal and terrible, however, the priest will often encourage you to come forward and tell the authorities the truth.
If the act is abhorrent, but not illegal, a priest is still likely to tell the person to make things right with whomever they’ve harmed. Only then can they receive God’s forgiveness and grace.
What’s even more troubling is the chilling effect such a law has on individuals who haven’t abused children, but who want to have their conscience cleared.
They will always have to look over their shoulder, wondering whether their indiscretions will be made public, or whether their priest will be pressured by the state to use their sins against them.
It’s ironic that such liberal leaning lawmakers passed this sort of law while also championing the separation of church and state.
The seal of confession is absolute, because it takes courage to walk into a church and lay yourself bare before God almighty.
Any discouragement of that could result in criminals not confessing, and thereby not receiving counsel to turn themselves in to the police.
It’s also nice to see the DOJ defending Christians for a change, rather than persecuting them to the fullest extent of the law, as President Joe Biden’s administration did on a regular basis.
On its face, it might seem clear-cut. But when it comes to matters of faith, we must err on the side of religion and prevent government interference, lest we wake up one day and find state-sponsored churches on every corner.
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