California confession bill passes state senate
In spite of protests that new legislation would be infringing upon religious liberty, the California state senate has overwhelmingly approved of a bill that would require Catholic priests to break the sacramental seal of confession.
The Senate on Friday voted 30-2 on Senate Bill 360, which would oblige priests to disclose information concerning the sexual abuse of minors that they hear in confession. The legislation now will be taken up by the state assembly.
“I am deeply disappointed with today’s Senate vote on SB 360, said Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez. “I continue to believe we can strengthen mandated reporting laws to protect children’s safety while at the same time preserving the sanctity of penitential communications.”
Donohue predicted that the legislation would be unenforceable. “No priest is going to respect it and violate the sanctity of the confessional,” he said. “Moreover, Catholics are not required to respect unjust laws—and this is a clear example of such a law.”
Confession is sacrosanct, according to Catholic teaching, because it is communication between the penitent and God. According to Church law, a priest is automatically excommunicated if he reveals the contents of a confession.
“In the context of Confession, the priest, we hold, is operating in the very person of Christ, and therefore, the penitent is speaking to and hearing from the Lord himself,” Archbishop Gomez said earlier. “Thus, absolutely nothing ought to stand in the way of a sinner who seeks this font of grace.”
aleteia.org
>inb4 prots defend this