Seal of confession
The Latest
Bishop Barron urges court to strike down Washington law that targets seal of confession
Bishop Robert Barron on July 4 urged a federal court to strike down a Washington state law that would force... Read more
Orthodox churches join Catholic bishops in suing Washington state over confession law
Orthodox churches have joined the Catholic bishops of Washington in a lawsuit against a state law requiring clergy violate the... Read more
Washington bishops sue over law forcing priests to violate seal of confession
The Catholic bishops of Washington state filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging a new law that requires priests to report child... Read more
Trump’s Justice Department investigates Washington law threatening seal of confession
The new law, signed by Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson last week, adds members of the clergy to the list of... Read more
Washington governor signs abuse bill requiring priests to break seal of confession
The measure adds clergy to the list of mandatory abuse reporters in the state but doesn’t include an exemption for... Read more
Spokane bishop urges voters to oppose bill that forces priests to break seal of confession
The bill would amend state law to require clergy to report instances of child abuse with no exemption for instances... Read more
Privacy in the confessional: Is your smartphone listening to your sins?
Could it be true that your phone is “listening” to your private conversations — including in the confessional? Read more
Bishop urges Utah lawmakers to protect seal of confession in sex abuse reporting bill
The bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City is urging lawmakers to maintain language preserving the seal of confession... Read more
Catholic leaders in Costa Rica oppose bill forcing priests to break seal of confession
A group of Catholic leaders from Costa Rica recently laid out the position of the Church regarding a bill that... Read more
Washington bishop: Priests would rather go to jail than break seal of confession
Spokane Bishop Thomas A. Daly has assured his diocese that priests would opt for a jail sentence before they would... Read more
Priest stripped of faculty to hear confessions after he advocated violating that sacrament in sex abuse cases
Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee made the move following the priest’s public support for civil laws mandating priests break the... Read more
Seal of Confession under attack? Delaware, Vermont bills draw Catholic criticism
The proposed requirement would be practically “nearly impossible to meet” for Catholic clergy, the Diocese of Wilmington has said. Read more
Catholic Church in England and Wales will ‘carefully study’ abuse report recommendations
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has said it will “carefully study” the contents of a national report concerning... Read more
Pope Francis: In confession, the priest should guide penitent to holiness
Pope Francis spoke to around 800 priests and seminarians at the end of a course on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Read more
What is the seal of confession? A Q&A with Cardinal Mauro Piacenza
To learn more about the secrecy of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we spoke to Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, the head of... Read more
France’s Catholic bishops will uphold confessional seal, spokeswoman clarifies
She said: ‘One cannot change the canon law for France as it is international.’ Read more
Analysis: The Church in France must uphold the confessional seal
The French bishops’ conference has seemingly tried to walk back the straightforward comments of the Bishop of Reims, who recently... Read more
French Catholic leader discusses ‘clumsy wording’ on confessional seal with interior minister
The archbishop asked for ‘forgiveness,’ saying that his remarks overshadowed a landmark abuse report. Read more
Catholic bishops’ leader to discuss confessional seal comments with France’s interior minister
The meeting will take place on Oct. 12. Read more
UN experts’ letter to Vatican has ‘no real teeth,’ says Church official
The letter accused the Holy See of engaging in “obstructive practices” related to abuse. Read more
