this post was submitted on 09 May 2025
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The Catholic Church has issued a warning to its clergy in Washington state: Any priest who complies with a new law requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities will be excommunicated.

https://www.newsweek.com/catholic-church-excommunicate-priests-following-new-us-state-law-2069039

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (3 children)

requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities

So they aren't blatantly evil at least. Confessions remaining private is the foundation of how they work. Either way, the church loses on this one.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 19 hours ago

Client-therapist privilege is foundational to how therapy works, but most states have laws saying a therapist must report admissions of abuse. I don't see doctors rallying against those laws.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 20 hours ago

Still blatantly evil. Telling someone your crimes in confidence shouldn't be a get out of jail free card.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 16 hours ago

requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities

The actual law isn't about confessions nor is it solely about CSAM. What Washington State has done is amend their mandatory report law by removing the exemption for Clergy.

"...has reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect, he or she shall report such incident, or cause a report to be made, to the proper law enforcement agency or to the department as provided in RCW 26.44.040."

So yes, if a Priest (Catholic or not) hears a confession about CSAM they will be required to report. However if they hear about child *neglect *in a confession they have to report that as well.

Likely more meaningfully they ALSO now have to report those same things even if it isn't during a Confession. For example if they witness a parent smacking their kid around in the parking lot.

It's a necessary and correct change but it reaches a lot further than just the confessional.