This time in Australia:
PRIESTS would be forced to report confessions of child sex abuse under controversial draft laws introduced in Parliament yesterday.
The Bill by No Pokies MLC Nick Xenophon requires priests, church workers and all volunteers who work with children to notify authorities of child abuse concerns – including priests receiving confessions.
“It’s important that this be across the board; that there be no exceptions to this; that we indicate as a society that culturally it’s entirely unacceptable that there be any form of child abuse,” he said.
However, the Opposition said it would not support the part of the Bill relating to church confessions because the “sanctity of the confessional” had been in place for centuries and should not be broken.
[Full Story]
3 comments
Another coupla feet down the slippery slope we go…
Just think – if you oppose the change the media will label you as an aider and abettor to child abuse. If you’re for it, the media will label you as a champion of human rights. The sanctity of the Sacrament of Confession is inconceivable to the media or the largest group of their readers/watchers/listeners, so the response to any public pronouncement on the issue is so predictable.
extremely disappointed with the anglican who supported mandatory reporting from the confessional – disappointed, but I guess not surprised.
Jeff,
Next time please let us know what country in being looked at. I couldn’t tell if this travisty was taking place in the UK, Canada, NZ, or Aust. (I figured out that it was the latter of these.)
Thanks!
John