I think Solicitor David Enright is missing something here. Maybe a couple of things.
No.
Except for conservatives, who are to be exempt from accusation.
Ain’t gonna happen. Period Dot. The priests will go to jail or be put to death first.
This has been tried before. It is tyrannical governments that find the Great Seal onerous.
Revealing what is heard in Confession is one of the “Sins against the Holy Spirit’ that Jesus Christ spoke of in Luke 12.
In addition to being a violation of the religious freedom of Catholics, such a move would be self-defeating. If penitents knew that their confessions of abuse would be reported, they would simply not go to confession. The end result would be that the truly penitent would be deprived of the sacrament while there would be no new confessions of abuse to report to the police.
| 1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament. |
“Why has the temptation to cover up abuse been particularly acute in organisations forming part of the Roman Catholic Church?”
It hasn’t. Look it up.
I personally believe that anyone who penetrates a child under the age of puberty should receive the death penalty. However, the seal of the confessional should not be broken. The state may not dictate the terms of the Christian religion that predated the state and formed its culture and history — in England’s case, by more than 1,000 years.
There is nothing in the bible about a middleman acting as an intermediary for the flock. There is also nothing about confessions being the province of these nonbiblical intermediaries. It’s time to end this charade. The catechism says it’s inviolable?! Who cares what it says. What does the Bible say? Nothing, that’s what it says. It’s time for priests to cooperate with the law. They are not above the law.
The Roman Catholic Church was born and lived 300 years under persecution. We will not see a return to the True Faith abandoned since 1965 until the persecution returns. Bring it.
Will the priest be subpoenaed to testify in those cases?
What about theft? Will the prosecutors demand those confessions be made admissible?
No, you say? Think again. Once one demand is met, others come. Think of homosexual unions. Wasn't it about civil law and rights? Now it is a demand for sacramental marriage and acceptance of the unacceptable.