"It is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason." Canon Law
The attack on Catholicism has gathered pace in Ireland in the last while. Last week they were threatening to seize church assets, this week it is the seal of confession. I wonder what they have in mind for next week?The seal of the confession is under attack. Our politicians want mandatory reporting of sexual abuse which is confessed. But a priest can not break the seal, no matter what! If a priest breaks the seal of confession he is automatically ex-communicated.
Priests have died to protect the seal, and yet our bishops are silent. Could one of our Church leaders please say something?
Please feel free to share the "Protect the Seal" image above.
Priests have died to protect the seal, and yet our bishops are silent. Could one of our Church leaders please say something?
Please feel free to share the "Protect the Seal" image above.
9 comments:
Thanks for the symbol. I have put it up on my own blog
What a load of hysterical and paranoid tripe!
How do I share or post this image on by blog. We all need links to a source for this to work. I've asked Fr Gabriel and await his response. There is no time to lose. I read today that the Card. ++ of Dublin (I think) has said that there will be a powerful campaign lobby against this proposal but he didn't say who would mount it or where it would come from.
Totally useless.
I'm going off to pray now.
Sacerdotal Privilege doesn't exist in most countries. When clerical secrecy has been abused to facilitate crimes the time when it can be tolerated here is over. A Priest shouldn't need the protection of the civil law to preserve the Seal of confession but he also shouldn't have the excuse of sacerdotal privilege to hide behind. Most priests of my acquaintance don't properly understand either the Seal or Sacerdotal Privilege and occasionally breach both because of that. This is just a smoke screen by a clerical elite to move the focus (or salve their consciences) for having remained silent while they knew that the mealy-mouthed bishops and priests covered-up and lied over a range of things.
Well said Philly!!
Well done Caroline will be praying for all in Ireland
So it would have been quite OK for the clergy to inform on Catholics who confessed to have 'illegally' sheltered Jews in Hitler's Germany then? Nice!
Confession is a sacrament. One cannot speak of anything they hear, whether clergy or a parishioner who overhears. When asked. the answer is silence. End of discussion.
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