The Catholic Church said priests will be excommunicated if they follow a new Washington state law requiring clergy to report confessions about child abuse to law enforcement.
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TheCatholicChurchannouncedthatpriestswillbeexcommunicatediftheyfollowanewWashingtonstatelawrequiringclergytoreportconfessionsaboutchildabusetolawenforcement.
“Catholicclergymaynotviolatethesealofconfession—ortheywillbeexcommunicatedfromtheChurch,”theArchdioceseofSeattlesaidinastatement.“AllCatholicsmustknowandbeassuredthattheirconfessionsremainsacred,secure,confidentialandprotectedbythelawoftheChurch.”
“TheCatholicChurchagreeswiththegoalofprotectingchildrenandpreventingchildabuse,”thestatementadded,notingthatit“remainscommittedtoreportingchildsexualabuse,workingwithvictimsurvivorstowardshealingandprotectingallminorsandvulnerablepeople.”
Thenewlaw—signedbyDemocratGov.BobFergusonlastweek—added“membersoftheclergy”toalistofprofessionalswhoarerequiredtoreportinformationth
