
Catholic Church in France Considers the Consequences of the French Report on Sexual Abuse
The French bishops have expressed concern over the Ciase Report’s recommendation that the seal of confession should be reformed
The French bishops have expressed concern over the Ciase Report’s recommendation that the seal of confession should be reformed
“He spoke the truth, but this truth is not audible in France for those who are not Catholic, and not understandable in France in the midst of debates on so-called ‘religious separatism.’”
Among the report’s 45 recommendations was a request for the Church to reconsider the seal of confession in relation to abuse.
If the bill passes, priests who would fail to report known or suspected child abuse, even if revealed in the confessional, would be considered guilty of a Class B misdemeanor and face 30 days in jail or fines up to $1,500 or both.
Attorneys-general in Australia’s federal and state governments agreed in November 2019 on reporting standards that would require priests to break the sacramental seal or violate Australia’s mandatory abuse reporting rules.
State district Judge Mike Caldwell said in court Feb. 26 that a state law requiring clergy to report sex abuse of minors violated a priest’s religious-freedom protections for confidential confessions.
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