Here’s the thing - priests are perfectly willing to go to jail over this. The seal of confession is extremely important to Catholic practice, and a priest would rather go to jail than break it. I am not a Catholic, but the seal of confession has been long respected by US law as it pertains to religious freedom, and it’s such a long established part of Catholic practice that it’s hard to imagine Catholic life without it. I think this is a serious blow to religious freedom, even if I don’t personally agree with the practice it is attacking. Realistically all this will do, even in the “best case” scenario where priests actually comply, is make people not confess to these things in the first place. From a civil standpoint this is essentially equivalent to the situation where confession is sealed, but according to Catholic beliefs this is horrible as it removes the possibility of redemption for the perpetrator. Now you or I might think that child abuse is an unforgivable sin worthy of eternal damnation with no possibility of forgiveness, but that’s not what Catholics believe. They believe that everyone should have a chance to confess their sins and atone for them, which is impossible without telling a priest about them.
breaking the seal of confession is an automatic excommunication. No-one need to even recognise this, the priest just needs to know that they are doing it. The moment they break it they are no longer a priest nor part of the church
If that prevents them from defending victims of child abuse, they and their church are monstrous, evil, and anathema to civilised society, and need to be kept as far away as possible from it and other human beings to prevent them from causing further harm.
Bear in mind, this discussion isn’t about priests committing sexual crimes against minors, it’s about them being required by law to disregard their sincerely held religious practices that have been part of their religion for thousands of years if they receive confession to someone who committed a crime like this.
Your excuse makes no sense.
Religion is no excuse for pederasty (or for anything, really).
If they need to be forced by law to denounce abuse, something they should already be doing due to basic human decency and common sense, they’re evidently evil and harmful to society, as is anyone who defends them, and need to be kept separate from it to avoid them causing more harm.
If they don’t denounce the pederasts they know about they’re necessary accomplices, and therefore pederasts themselves.
Lock them up and melt the key.
Here’s the thing - priests are perfectly willing to go to jail over this. The seal of confession is extremely important to Catholic practice, and a priest would rather go to jail than break it. I am not a Catholic, but the seal of confession has been long respected by US law as it pertains to religious freedom, and it’s such a long established part of Catholic practice that it’s hard to imagine Catholic life without it. I think this is a serious blow to religious freedom, even if I don’t personally agree with the practice it is attacking. Realistically all this will do, even in the “best case” scenario where priests actually comply, is make people not confess to these things in the first place. From a civil standpoint this is essentially equivalent to the situation where confession is sealed, but according to Catholic beliefs this is horrible as it removes the possibility of redemption for the perpetrator. Now you or I might think that child abuse is an unforgivable sin worthy of eternal damnation with no possibility of forgiveness, but that’s not what Catholics believe. They believe that everyone should have a chance to confess their sins and atone for them, which is impossible without telling a priest about them.
breaking the seal of confession is an automatic excommunication. No-one need to even recognise this, the priest just needs to know that they are doing it. The moment they break it they are no longer a priest nor part of the church
If that prevents them from defending victims of child abuse, they and their church are monstrous, evil, and anathema to civilised society, and need to be kept as far away as possible from it and other human beings to prevent them from causing further harm.
there are no conditions
Pope can change this rule.he doesn’t want to protect the children?
Wrong perspective. FOR FUCKS SAKE.
Fuck. You. All.
Every. Last. One. Of. You.
Burn.
Do you know what you’re arguing about?
A 10 yr old child gets fucked in the ass. For example.
Fuck forgiveness.
Fuck tolerance.
Oh, we must respect “insert evil here”, or “confession”
.
Good. Throw those pederasts in jail and melt the key.
Bear in mind, this discussion isn’t about priests committing sexual crimes against minors, it’s about them being required by law to disregard their sincerely held religious practices that have been part of their religion for thousands of years if they receive confession to someone who committed a crime like this.
Your excuse makes no sense. Religion is no excuse for pederasty (or for anything, really). If they need to be forced by law to denounce abuse, something they should already be doing due to basic human decency and common sense, they’re evidently evil and harmful to society, as is anyone who defends them, and need to be kept separate from it to avoid them causing more harm. If they don’t denounce the pederasts they know about they’re necessary accomplices, and therefore pederasts themselves. Lock them up and melt the key.