“PREMIER Ted Baillieu has backed the right of priests to keep private what is said in the confessional”
Robbo says Sacrosanct confessions need to be abolished
I wonder if he would still say that if a man confessed to killing one of his family members and the case was unsolved?
They keep enough secrets among themselves already with child sex abuse and so on. As a survivor of abuse in the catholic church myself, they should not have these special conditions for others, or themselves For example they should tell authorities when they become aware of sexual abuse among their own men in cloth
WE get enough covered up at it is. It should be impeding an investigation or something, it is akin to aiding an abetting a criminal,but that is my opinion, what is yours folks?
It has been revealed that a parliamentary committee would consider forcing priests to reveal reports of abuse heard during confession.
Mr Baillieu pointed to an earlier inquiry, headed by Justice Philip Cummins, that came out against the requirement.
He said members of that inquiry “all concluded that the sanctity of the confessional should remain”.
“I think that’s a powerful argument,” Mr Baillieu said.
Labor MP Frank McGuire, the deputy chair of the parliamentary committee, yesterday said the inquiry should be conducted by a retired judge or eminent senior counsel.
“This is an inquiry into whether heinous crimes against children have been covered up, and what laws, policies and procedures need to be changed,” Mr McGuire said.
“The inquiry is too important for politics.”
Australian Catholic University law professor Fr Frank Brennan said the move would be a restriction on religious freedom.
“I am one of the priests who, if such a law were enacted, would disobey it and, if need be, I would go to jail,” Fr Brennan said.
Melbourne Victims’ Collective co-ordinator Helen Last welcomed the proposal.
“Priests need to be mandated to report from within the confessional and without the confessional, and they urgently need to be trained about appropriately referring victims,” Ms Last said.
The Cummins Report called for a new law for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in religious organisations.
“An exemption for information received during the rite of confession should be made,” the report said.
Related articles
- End sacrosanct confessions, inquiry told (bigpondnews.com)
- Proposal to end ‘sacrosanct’ confessions (news.com.au)
- Inquiry told to reveal crime confessions (bigpondnews.com)
- Pedophile priests make a mockery of confession (noplaceforsheep.com)
- The Sanctity of the Confessional (doohan.id.au)
- Priests may be forced to tell crimes (news.ninemsn.com.au)
- Confessional secrecy under threat (news.com.au)
- Case for confession secrecy – Baillieu (bigpondnews.com)
- In Australia, a movement is afoot to force priests to break the Seal of Confession… (news.com.au)
- Australia: Priests Could be Ordered to Report Crime Confessions (frstephensmuts.wordpress.com)
