Seal of confession
The Latest
Montana high court reverses sex abuse judgement against Jehovah’s Witnesses
The Montana Supreme Court has unanimously reversed a $35 million judgement against the Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the grounds that the... Read more
Australia's bishops protest national move to force priests to reveal confessions
Australia’s Catholic bishops support “nationally consistent” reporting standards for the abuse of minors, but cannot support new national legal standards... Read more
Sex abuse scandal leaves Australian Church, gov’t scrambling for solutions
In the wake of a major clergy sex abuse scandal and the high-profile, controversial trial and conviction of sex abuse... Read more
Priests 'cannot comply' with laws that break seal of confession, Tasmania's archbishop says
The leader of Tasmania’s Catholic Church said priests in his archdiocese will not comply with a law that would require... Read more
New Australian law requires priests to break confessional seal
A law passed in the Australian state of Victoria on Tuesday would require priests to violate the seal of confession... Read more
Melbourne archbishop ready to defy law over seal of confession
The Archbishop of Melbourne has said he is prepared to defy a proposed new law that would force priests in... Read more
California confession law dropped
A California bill that would have required priests to violate the seal of confession has been withdrawn by its sponsor... Read more
Seal of confession is an 'intrinsic requirement,' Vatican says
The head of the Vatican’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary released a note Monday reaffirming the inviolability of the... Read more
Costa Rica considers bill threatening seal of confession
A bill in Costa Rica would require Catholic priests to violate the seal of confession to report cases of suspected... Read more
'No priest may obey' proposed law, California bishop says
Bishop Michael Barber, S.J., of the Diocese of Oakland, California, has said he would sooner accept arrest and prison than... Read more
California confession bill amended, but still would require priests to violate seal
California’s state senate will vote on a bill that would require priests to violate the seal of confession in certain... Read more
Dominican priest: California confession bill threatens all religions
If California moves forward with its proposed law trying to force priests to violate the seal of Confession, it is... Read more
Pope Francis: 'Sacramental confession is the way of sanctification'
Pope Francis told priests and seminarians Friday that the sacrament of penance is “the way of sanctification” in which miraculous... Read more
California bill would remove reporting exemption for priests in confessional
A state senator in California introduced a bill Wednesday which would seek to force priests to violate the sacramental seal... Read more
Australian bishop protests law requiring priests to break seal of confession
A new law in Australia will require Catholic priests in Canberra to break the seal of confession to report child... Read more
Why priests can’t break the seal of confession, despite UK lawyers’ recommendation
Lawyers in the United Kingdom have recommended that mandatory reporting laws apply to priests in the confessional, in order to... Read more
A victory for the seal of Confession in Louisiana
Catholic priests do not have to break the seal of Confession to report the alleged abuse of minors, the Louisiana... Read more
Louisiana court upholds priest's 'seal of confession' rights
A state appeals court in Louisiana reaffirmed that Catholic priests cannot be forced by law to violate the seal of... Read more
Could a US priest face jail for refusing to break confession seal?
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a petition from a Louisiana Catholic diocese that fears a civil lawsuit... Read more
Christian groups stand with diocese to protect Seal of Confession
Nearly 20 organizations, both Catholic and other denominations of Christian, have joined the Diocese of Baton Rouge in asking the... Read more
