(ZENIT News / Olympia, 02.13.2025).- A new legislative proposal in Washington state is reigniting a long-standing debate between religious freedom and mandatory reporting laws. The bill, which seeks to compel Catholic priests to disclose any admissions of child abuse made during confession, has drawn strong opposition from the Catholic Church. At the center of the controversy is the sacred seal of confession, a cornerstone of Catholic doctrine, which priests are bound never to break under any circumstances.
The proposed legislation, introduced by Democratic state senator Noel Frame and co-sponsored by five other lawmakers, would amend existing mandatory reporting laws to include clergy among those required to report suspected child abuse. While current law already mandates reporting from professionals such as teachers, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers, this bill explicitly removes an exemption for religious confessions—an exemption that had been recognized in previous legislative attempts.
— Matt Lamb (@MattLamb22) February 4, 2025
A Law Without Exceptions
Unlike attorneys, spouses, and victim advocates—who still retain legal protections for confidential communications—Catholic priests and other religious leaders would have no such safeguard. If enacted, the law would apply to “any minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or leader of a religious community” who, in the course of their official duties, learns of potential child abuse. Failure to comply could result in legal penalties, including nearly a year of imprisonment.
This has triggered alarm among Catholic leaders, who argue that the bill directly contradicts Church teaching and places priests in an impossible position: either break civil law and face imprisonment or break canon law and face immediate excommunication.
Bishop Daly’s Strong Opposition
Among the most vocal opponents of the bill is Bishop Thomas A. Daly of the Diocese of Spokane, who has urged Catholics to resist what he sees as a dangerous encroachment on religious liberty. While emphasizing the Church’s unwavering commitment to child protection, he has called on Catholics to contact their legislators and express their disapproval of the measure.
“The Diocese of Spokane maintains an entire department dedicated to the protection of children and young people, staffed by lay professionals,” Bishop Daly stated. “We uphold a zero-tolerance policy regarding child sexual abuse. Our mission is to do everything possible to keep children safe while guiding them toward Christ.”
At the same time, he reaffirmed the Church’s stance that the seal of confession is inviolable. Catholic doctrine holds that a priest cannot, under any circumstances, reveal what is shared in confession—even under legal threat. The Church teaches that the sacrament of reconciliation exists to offer penitents a path to redemption, and breaking that confidentiality would fundamentally undermine the sacrament itself.
— Matt Lamb (@MattLamb22) February 4, 2025
A Recurring Debate
This is not the first time lawmakers in Washington have attempted to pass such a bill. Previous proposals recognized the moral duty of clergy to report abuse but stopped short of overriding the confidentiality of confession. This latest version, however, eliminates that distinction entirely, making it one of the strictest proposals of its kind in the United States.
Supporters of the bill argue that no one, not even religious leaders, should be exempt from mandatory reporting laws when it comes to protecting children. They see the proposed measure as closing a dangerous loophole and aligning religious institutions with the same legal responsibilities as other professionals.
Opponents counter that such legislation misunderstands the nature of confession and is unlikely to achieve its intended goal. They point out that abusers rarely seek confession with the intent of self-incrimination and that priests, bound by Church law, would simply refuse to comply rather than betray the sanctity of the sacrament.
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