The Democratic Governor, Bob Ferguson, just signed legislation requiring Catholic priests to reveal any information related to child abuse or neglect that’s confessed to them. This idea is absurd on its face. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of confession in the Catholic Church and a blatant disregard for the First Amendment.
The Archbishop of Washington State, Paul Etienne, has made it clear: “We must obey God rather than man.” The church is taking a stand against this law, maintaining that confessions are sacred, secure, and confidential. The issue is not about reporting abuse, but how that information is obtained. This is a point the left simply refuses to understand. The church already mandates priests to report abuse, but not if it’s revealed in confession, a sacrament of the faith.
The U.S. Department of Justice is looking into this law, which specifically targets clergy with no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. It’s objectively clear that this law has the potential to violate the First Amendment. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Department is handling this investigation, citing an “apparent conflict” between the law and the “free exercise of religion under the First Amendment.”
It took the bill’s sponsor, Democrat state Sen. Noel Frame, three years to get this legislation to the governor’s desk. Frame argued that imposing this disclosure requirement on priests was paramount, stating, “You never put somebody’s conscience above the protection of a child.” However, this fundamentally misunderstands the nature of confession and religious liberty.
In conclusion, this legislation is a clear example of a government overreach that infringes upon the constitutional right of religious freedom. The law misunderstands the vital role of confession in Catholicism and uses an emotional argument to sidestep the First Amendment.
