There is no way for anyone to know if someone confesses to it so the law has no power. If priests do report it then no one will confess it.
I said yes. Bc what if that child is 3 years old or any ages and they can’t speak out for fear of being killed or whatever. God is watching. What would Jesus do? They must report it!!!
I’m a Catholic but do not believe that a priest must hold this law in extreme cases : as in murder or a person committing sex crimes against children. These laws are basically from the dark ages and need to be changed for crimes such as these. Rather strange since the Church just sent an abusive priest to another parish.
The difference is that the higher ups knew about the abuse by priest and chose to cover it up. In the confessional we are talking to God through the Priest. The fact that we know this is true is because he says, “Your sins are forgiven” and not “I forgive your sins”.
This is the same way during Communion that the we are consuming the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ because it changes during Communion…even though we all know that it is simply bread and wine.
This is same way that the priest becomes a vessel to God in the confessional.
To require a Priest to do this is to force them to no longer be a Priest. This is a direct attack on the church.
Report it. It would be a much bigger sin not to knowing children are actively being harmed. But if the old fart is confessing to what he did when young then no way to prove anything. At that point keep it to yourself let him answer to God at that point
Let me get this straight, if someone is confessing to physical or sexual abuse on a child, which happened recent, then the priest is Not allowed to tell anyone. BS!!! When Jesus said , suffer the little children, I don’t think this is what was in mind. Raised Catholic but have been against many things in the past few years and this is one more thing to add. A Priest that would allow a child to be sexually and maybe constantly abused needs to give up the priesthood. I guess if Jesus in spirit was sitting there at the time of confession Jesus would say don’t worry about it, don’t tell. BS!!!
What if the child tells the priest they are being abused. Children can easily believe they are at fault and need to confess. Does the same rule apply? We could have an influx of sexual abuse and there is nothing the priest can do? This just doesn’t seem right. So, a priest can confess to another priest, that he is abusing someone and he has to remain silent? Doesn’t seem right. Sounds like it’s a potential cover up situation.
The priests are accessories after the fact! I can’t stand organized religions. They use God and confession as a free pass to their sins. These sickening crimes are felonies!
There is no need to confess to a priest. Go to God in prayers and confess your sins. The priest can do nothing as far as forgiving your sin. And it’s not fair to any one to be abused and the abuser be protected. It’s just crazy!
And all the protestants rolled their eyes. Confess your sins to Jesus you don’t need a priest.
I don’t know how ANY Priest could sleep at night let alone live with themselves (without wanting to and actually committing suicide) if they knew this information and didn’t report it to the authorities to stop it from continuing! Seems like that Priest should/would burn in hell for not protecting the victims of this abhorrent crime (children) and similar crimes like rape and murder whose victims are all ages!
Go and Tell That Fox: We Will Not Break the Seal of Confession
I have watched the news lately and seen reports how on May 2nd, the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5375 into law, a bill that would force priests to break the sacred seal of Confession. This actually made me laugh. Let this be said clearly, without apology and without fear: no priest of Jesus Christ will ever break the seal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Not now. Not ever.
I will borrow the words of our Lord in Luke’s Gospel when he addressed Herod through the people “Go and tell that fox…” (Lk.13:32). These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken with divine clarity, courage, and authority in the face of a political threat. Jesus was not intimidated by Herod. Neither are we.
The Church teaches without exception, that the seal of confession is inviolable. Canon 983 p.1 of the Code of Canon Law declares: “The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.” Violation of the seal is ipso facto automatic excommunication. It is no small matter, it is a matter of eternal consequence.
The confessional is not a loophole in civil law. It is a sacred place where souls return to God, where sins are buried in the mercy of Christ, and where broken lives are healed by grace. To demand that a priest betray what is revealed there is to demand that he cease being a priest.
Throughout the centuries, priests have been imprisoned, tortured, and even killed for refusing to violate the confessional seal. Saints like John Nepomucene of Bohemia chose death rather than betrayal. That witness echoes in our time. There’s no priest who will sacrifice his eternal salvation or that of a soul because of cawards like the Governor or Senate of Washington State.
I invite every Catholic Christian in America and especially in Washington State to rise up and tell that fox: we are not afraid. You can fine us, arrest us, threaten us, but you will not force us to betray the Body of Christ. The State may believe it has authority over men, but it has no authority over the sacraments of God.
To my brother priests: now is the time to stand firm. We are not politicians. We are not activists. We are not cowards. We are priests, called by God, anointed with holy oil, and sent to preach the Gospel and forgive sins in His name. Persecutions will come and we’re definitely aware of that. But we know how it always ends- in victory. Victory of light over darkness, victory of life over death.
To the faithful: pray for your priests. Speak out. Stand strong. The Church has always flourished under persecution, and she will again.
Go and tell that fox: The seal will not be broken. Share this until it reaches that governor and his friends. Let them think about this. The Psalmist reminds us that “the fool says in his heart, there’s no God above” (Ps. 53:1) Don’t be a fox, don’t be a fool, don’t be a caward. It will not end well for any of you.
Fr Paul Ajong of the BVM
#SealofConfession #SacramentofReconciliation #persecutedchurch #WeWillNotBeSilenced #wewillnotgiveup
I was raised Catholic by a very strict father and there is no way in hell I would condone this crap. Have some piece of trash confess to beating, sexually abusing and killing a child and dumping a body like it was worthless. Any so called priest that lets it go should burn in hell. No wonder so many Catholic Priests are found being sexual predators on young boys and get away with it, disgusting.
The ONLY being that can forgive a piece of trash is ‘GOD’ if ‘HE’ deems worthy, not some priest. A priest can listen and try to guide you but when is comes to terrible crimes especially on children they should give up the priesthood instead of being quiet. Quote all you can but that does not make it right. Being quiet just makes YOU a part of the disgusting crime,
DO NOT even try to tell me if ‘Jesus’ was standing next to a priest while some scumbag told how he happily raped a child that ‘Jesus’ would say, well just let it go. The Bible was written by the disciples based on ‘God’s’ teachings, to love, and one very important commandment was ‘Thou Shalt NOT Kill’.
Suffer the little Children didn’t mean a child should be sexually assaulted and possible death.
No priest will ever break the seal, bs, maybe they just got turned on listening to the details.
This whole thing infuriates me.
The confessional is not a loophole is civil law. It is a sacred place where souls return to God, where sins are buried in the mercy of Christ, where broken lives are healed by grace. To demand a priest betray what is revealed there is to demand he stop being a priest.- Fr. Paul Ajong of the BVM
There is no way for anyone to know if someone confesses to it so the law has no power. If priests do report it then no one will confess it.
I said yes. Bc what if that child is 3 years old or any ages and they can’t speak out for fear of being killed or whatever. God is watching. What would Jesus do? They must report it!!!
I’m a Catholic but do not believe that a priest must hold this law in extreme cases : as in murder or a person committing sex crimes against children. These laws are basically from the dark ages and need to be changed for crimes such as these. Rather strange since the Church just sent an abusive priest to another parish.
The difference is that the higher ups knew about the abuse by priest and chose to cover it up. In the confessional we are talking to God through the Priest. The fact that we know this is true is because he says, “Your sins are forgiven” and not “I forgive your sins”.
This is the same way during Communion that the we are consuming the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ because it changes during Communion…even though we all know that it is simply bread and wine.
This is same way that the priest becomes a vessel to God in the confessional.
To require a Priest to do this is to force them to no longer be a Priest. This is a direct attack on the church.
Report it. It would be a much bigger sin not to knowing children are actively being harmed. But if the old fart is confessing to what he did when young then no way to prove anything. At that point keep it to yourself let him answer to God at that point
Let me get this straight, if someone is confessing to physical or sexual abuse on a child, which happened recent, then the priest is Not allowed to tell anyone. BS!!! When Jesus said , suffer the little children, I don’t think this is what was in mind. Raised Catholic but have been against many things in the past few years and this is one more thing to add. A Priest that would allow a child to be sexually and maybe constantly abused needs to give up the priesthood. I guess if Jesus in spirit was sitting there at the time of confession Jesus would say don’t worry about it, don’t tell. BS!!!
What if the child tells the priest they are being abused. Children can easily believe they are at fault and need to confess. Does the same rule apply? We could have an influx of sexual abuse and there is nothing the priest can do? This just doesn’t seem right. So, a priest can confess to another priest, that he is abusing someone and he has to remain silent? Doesn’t seem right. Sounds like it’s a potential cover up situation.
The priests are accessories after the fact! I can’t stand organized religions. They use God and confession as a free pass to their sins. These sickening crimes are felonies!
There is no need to confess to a priest. Go to God in prayers and confess your sins. The priest can do nothing as far as forgiving your sin. And it’s not fair to any one to be abused and the abuser be protected. It’s just crazy!
And all the protestants rolled their eyes. Confess your sins to Jesus you don’t need a priest.
I don’t know how ANY Priest could sleep at night let alone live with themselves (without wanting to and actually committing suicide) if they knew this information and didn’t report it to the authorities to stop it from continuing! Seems like that Priest should/would burn in hell for not protecting the victims of this abhorrent crime (children) and similar crimes like rape and murder whose victims are all ages!
Go and Tell That Fox: We Will Not Break the Seal of Confession
I have watched the news lately and seen reports how on May 2nd, the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5375 into law, a bill that would force priests to break the sacred seal of Confession. This actually made me laugh. Let this be said clearly, without apology and without fear: no priest of Jesus Christ will ever break the seal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Not now. Not ever.
I will borrow the words of our Lord in Luke’s Gospel when he addressed Herod through the people “Go and tell that fox…” (Lk.13:32). These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken with divine clarity, courage, and authority in the face of a political threat. Jesus was not intimidated by Herod. Neither are we.
The Church teaches without exception, that the seal of confession is inviolable. Canon 983 p.1 of the Code of Canon Law declares: “The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.” Violation of the seal is ipso facto automatic excommunication. It is no small matter, it is a matter of eternal consequence.
The confessional is not a loophole in civil law. It is a sacred place where souls return to God, where sins are buried in the mercy of Christ, and where broken lives are healed by grace. To demand that a priest betray what is revealed there is to demand that he cease being a priest.
Throughout the centuries, priests have been imprisoned, tortured, and even killed for refusing to violate the confessional seal. Saints like John Nepomucene of Bohemia chose death rather than betrayal. That witness echoes in our time. There’s no priest who will sacrifice his eternal salvation or that of a soul because of cawards like the Governor or Senate of Washington State.
I invite every Catholic Christian in America and especially in Washington State to rise up and tell that fox: we are not afraid. You can fine us, arrest us, threaten us, but you will not force us to betray the Body of Christ. The State may believe it has authority over men, but it has no authority over the sacraments of God.
To my brother priests: now is the time to stand firm. We are not politicians. We are not activists. We are not cowards. We are priests, called by God, anointed with holy oil, and sent to preach the Gospel and forgive sins in His name. Persecutions will come and we’re definitely aware of that. But we know how it always ends- in victory. Victory of light over darkness, victory of life over death.
To the faithful: pray for your priests. Speak out. Stand strong. The Church has always flourished under persecution, and she will again.
Go and tell that fox: The seal will not be broken. Share this until it reaches that governor and his friends. Let them think about this. The Psalmist reminds us that “the fool says in his heart, there’s no God above” (Ps. 53:1) Don’t be a fox, don’t be a fool, don’t be a caward. It will not end well for any of you.
Fr Paul Ajong of the BVM
#SealofConfession #SacramentofReconciliation #persecutedchurch #WeWillNotBeSilenced #wewillnotgiveup
I was raised Catholic by a very strict father and there is no way in hell I would condone this crap. Have some piece of trash confess to beating, sexually abusing and killing a child and dumping a body like it was worthless. Any so called priest that lets it go should burn in hell. No wonder so many Catholic Priests are found being sexual predators on young boys and get away with it, disgusting.
The ONLY being that can forgive a piece of trash is ‘GOD’ if ‘HE’ deems worthy, not some priest. A priest can listen and try to guide you but when is comes to terrible crimes especially on children they should give up the priesthood instead of being quiet. Quote all you can but that does not make it right. Being quiet just makes YOU a part of the disgusting crime,
DO NOT even try to tell me if ‘Jesus’ was standing next to a priest while some scumbag told how he happily raped a child that ‘Jesus’ would say, well just let it go. The Bible was written by the disciples based on ‘God’s’ teachings, to love, and one very important commandment was ‘Thou Shalt NOT Kill’.
Suffer the little Children didn’t mean a child should be sexually assaulted and possible death.
No priest will ever break the seal, bs, maybe they just got turned on listening to the details.
This whole thing infuriates me.
The confessional is not a loophole is civil law. It is a sacred place where souls return to God, where sins are buried in the mercy of Christ, where broken lives are healed by grace. To demand a priest betray what is revealed there is to demand he stop being a priest.- Fr. Paul Ajong of the BVM