[marshmallow]

This is Australia.

[arthurus]

Priests cannot be forced to break the confessional seal. They can be put in jail of fined or otherwise inconvenienced but torture is out in the Aussie system.

[Gay State Conservative]

When lawyers are forced by law to report confessions,etc that their clients make to the police then maybe priests can be forced to do the same.

But not a minute before.

[sitetest]

We see the general perfidy of the clergy in another matter. If push came to shove, I’m no longer sure a majority of clerics wouldn’t cave.

[Salvation]

If they want to go to Hell.

All Confession are sealed and cannot be revealed.

[lastchance]

All professions have an obligation of confidentiality. Are lawyers exempt too?

[GingisK]

Well Catholics, just ask Forgiveness directly through Christ. There never was any reason to have a middleman.
---Martin Luther---

[AlaskaErik]

Where in the bible does it state that man must confess to a middleman and that this “confession” is sacrosanct? Confession is nothing more than something made up by man and is not enshrined in law as the attorney-client privilege is. Time to end this farce and make priests reporters of crimes, just as other professionals are required to do.

[ADSUM]

How are the police going to know anything about the confession unless the penitent tells someone else?

This is an unenforceable law unless the police and prosecutors can make up facts.

I doubt any priest would comply with this law as his vow to God is stronger than state law.

Perhaps it will make the Catholic faith stronger as the early Christians endured persecution and death from government.

[jmaroneps37]

Don’t think so.

[Ransomed]

Every time this story comes up I have yet to see any article or post on FR by anyone describing how this would supposedly work in practice.

I wonder if anyone will give it a shot or is it just going to be an argument about how Catholics shouldn’t have confession in the first place.

Freegards

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The best solution is for dioceses to poll their congregants that if they want to confess over serious matters that the government might want to coerce out of their confessor, just those confessions would be reserved for visiting clergy with diplomatic immunity issued by the Vatican.

That is, a clergyman-diplomat would show up, travel between dioceses, hear many confessions then leave the country.

[Pollard]

confessing sins to flawed humans? Never made sense to me.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3679278/posts

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Priest Hits Crying Baby Video

Abuse comes in many forms in Catholicism.

[Ransomed]

Anyone ever post something about how this law is actually going to work? I almost wish it was posted in general forum, ha.

Freegards