Controversy in the U.S.: Catholic priests could be expelled from the Church for obeying this state law

A new Washington state law is set to take effect on July 27 which will require clergy members to report suspected child abuse - including with information obtained during confessions. Following this law would violate the Catholic Church’s traditional confidentiality protections.

How the Catholic Church has responded to new Washington law

Although the law is put in place to protect children from abuse, the Archdiocese of Seattle has warned its priests that if they comply with this law, they would face automatic excommunication from the Church for violating the canon law and breaking the seal of confession. They also argue that the law itself crosses constitutional lines.

“All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church,” said the Archdiocese of Seattle:

The law has sparked national debate over the balance between child protection and religious freedom. The U.S. Department of Justice is now investigating potential constitutional violations of the First Amendment religious protections.

“This is highly controversial because it directly challenges a core element of the Catholic faith,” said professor Michele Dillon, expert on Catholicism at the University of New Hampshire. “For the government to require priests to report any instance of sex abuse that they learn about through the sacrament of confession would directly violate the core of the sacrament and its significance in Catholics’ lives. The Church has made significant strides in recent years to safeguard children from sex abuse, and so it’s unfortunate that the controversy stoked by the Washington State law – and the church’s opposition to it based on core theological belief and practice – may erroneously convey to people who are not familiar with the full meaning of the sacrament that the Church is opposing the requirement simply to evade dealing with the issue of sex abuse.”

Catholic leaders have vowed to resist the law, even at legal risk. The law is set to be put into place on July 27 unless it is stopped by either litigation or legislative action. The outcome may set the precedent for other state laws.

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