If the court rules against the priest and the priest complies he will lose his abilities to function as a priest.
**forcing such testimony “attacks the seal of confession,” a sacrament that “cuts to the core of the Catholic faith.”**
This won’t be done. This is the one way a priest dooms himself to hell. He cannot and will not break the Seal of Confession.
When told the decision could pave the way for Planned Parenthood and other abortionists having to provide the names of those paying for the abortions of minor girls to see if statutory rape was involved, the Louisiana Supreme Court added an addendum to their decision reading, “Oh .... scratch this decision.”
It is clear that governments have decided to take over and subvert church sacraments. And for too long, the churches have allowed them to do this.
Governments do this for two reasons: first and foremost to gain control over the secular and spiritual lives of the faithful; and second, to strip the sacraments of their sanctity. That sacredness is issued by bureaucrats, not heaven.
The basis of doing this is the oldest sin, that of vanity, to challenge God for supremacy in the universe. Lucifer did it, but time and again, men seek to do it as well, often to their detriment.
In the last century, some governments have tried to assert omnipotence. Today, the US government seeks omniscience, to see all, that nothing can happen beyond their surveillance.
Nimrod thought thought to build a tower to heaven, so that he could ascend it and be like God. It didn’t work too well for him or his people.
The most recent attack in the US is against the sacrament of marriage; and you can see how determined its corrupters are to do so, that they can somehow steal the riches from within the sacrament, like killing the golden goose for its eggs.
Just recently, Australia decided to strip the sanctity of the confessional, and not missing a trick, now the Supreme Court of Louisiana does so. It won’t be long before other US courts do so.
It will be claimed that it is no different from the stripping of doctor-patient confidentiality by HIPAA, under Bill Clinton and a bipartisan congress.
We can but pray that this priest will take a determined stand, and be imprisoned before he will break the seal of the confessional. We can but hope that his bishop Robert W. Muench, will support him in this trial.
And if he refuses to comply, what are they going to do? Lock up a priest?!?
Are either of you aware of previous attacks by the courts on the Seal?
My bride and I talked about this.
With the current mandatory reporting laws, it may be argued that the priest/penitent seal is not covered. For many things, the old doctor/patient or client/lawyer privilege are no longer considered sealed, and haven’t been for a while now.
I will have to look at this case in more detail, but if it involves what is considered a “mandatory report” thing such as child abuse, sexual assault, or what not, the law may be that the priest is expected to report.