Washington D.C., Apr 20, 2023 / 15:30 pm
As Washington state lawmakers debate legislation that would end legal protections for the seal of confession, Spokane Bishop Thomas A. Daly has assured his diocese that priests would opt for a jail sentence before they would break the seal.
“I want to assure you that your shepherds, bishop and priests, are committed to keeping the seal of confession — even to the point of going to jail,” Daly wrote in a letter to Catholics in the Diocese of Spokane, which covers eastern Washington.
“The sacrament of penance is sacred and will remain that way in the Diocese of Spokane,” he said.
The bishop’s April 19 letter referred to a state Senate bill that would make priests mandatory reporters of abuse. The original Senate-passed bill included an exemption for information that priests obtain during a confession, which was included to protect the seal of confession. However, the House-passed version included an amendment that eliminated legal protections for the seal of confession and would threaten priests with jail time if they refuse to disclose information heard during a confession.