West
Catholic bishops vow to resist blue state law intruding on 'sacred' trust: 'Obey God rather than men'
The Catholic bishops of Washington state are resisting a new law signed by Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson that they say would violate the seal of confession, which would result in excommunication for any priest who complies.
Spokane, Washington, Bishop Thomas Daly released a statement in response to the law in which he said that he and his priests “are committed to keeping the seal of confession – even to the point of going to jail.”
The new law, signed last week by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson, who is Catholic, added “members of the clergy” to a list of professionals who are required to report information that relates to child abuse or neglect to law enforcement, and the measure does not provide an exception for information offered at a confessional. The law is set to go into effect on July 26.
A central tenet of the Catholic sacrament of confession is that priests are bound by an absolute seal of confidentiality, an obligation that requires them to keep anything learned in confession a secret. Violating this tenet results in what is called “excommunication,” which cuts a person off from the church and eternal life, according to Catholic teaching.
DOJ INVESTIGATING ‘ANTI-CATHOLIC’ WASHINGTON STATE LAW REQUIRING CLERGY TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE
The Catholic bishops of Washington state are resisting a new law signed by Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson that they say would violate the seal of confession, which would result in excommunication for any priest who complies. (Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images and iStock)
While Daly said that his diocese has a zero-tolerance policy regarding child sexual abuse and that the church would “do everything within our power to keep your children safe,” he said the “Sacrament of Penance is sacred and will remain that way in the Diocese of Spokane.”
Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne framed the issue as a question of whether the clergy is “answerable to God or state.”
He quoted a scripture passage that reads, “We must obey God rather than men.”
“This is our stance now in the face of this new law. Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession – or they will be excommunicated from the Church,” said Etienne, adding: “All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church.”
CHOOSING AN AMERICAN POPE ‘CANNOT BE AN ACCIDENT,’ SAYS PAUL MAURO
Democrat Bob Ferguon won the 2024 Washington state governor’s race, defeating Republican challenger Dave Reichert. (Getty Images)
Etienne said that the law cuts to the heart of the First Amendment’s ban on the state either establishing or prohibiting the free exercise of a religion.
“Once the state asserts the right to dictate religious practices and coerce information obtained within this sacrament – privileged communication – where is the line drawn between Church and state? What else may the state now demand the right to know? Which other religious practices will it try to legislate?” asked the archbishop.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division opened an investigation into the law for possible violations of the First Amendment’s religious protections.
A statement by the division said that the new law “singles out ‘members of the clergy’ as the only ‘supervisors’ who may not rely on applicable legal privileges, including religious confessions, as a defense to mandatory reporting.”
BROOKLYN BISHOP BRENNAN ON WHAT POPE LEO XIV MEANS FOR THE CHURCH
Archbishop Paul Etienne is the leading Catholic cleric for the city of Seattle. (Reuters/Chris Helgren)
“The law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State’s cooperation with our investigation,” said Dhillon.
Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima, Washington, posted on Facebook that he was grateful for the Justice Department’s investigation, saying that the bishops’ attempts to meet with the governor about the law had gone unanswered.
“I realize that many may disagree but in a way that parallels attorney client privilege, the seal of confession allows the penitent to come to grips with moral accountability and culpability,” said Tyson. “We want to hope and pray that the heart of an offender would be so moved by the mercy of God and the guidance of the skilled clergy that it would necessarily lead to an encounter beyond the sacramental seal with law enforcement.”
Ferguson did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this article.
Read the full article from Here
Recent reporting on Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s 420 days of out-of-state travel raises serious and reasonable questions about the level of transparency his office has provided.
As a lifelong Democrat who believes in good government and accountability, I’m troubled by the lack of information on the purposes of these trips all over the world. Many on the right are making this a political talking point, but my concern as an average Nevada voter is simpler — we should expect transparency from our elected officials, regardless of party affiliation.
Public service is a public trust. When officials spend significant time away from the state they were elected to serve, taxpayers have every right to understand why. What was the purpose of these trips? What concrete benefits did they bring back to Nevada? How did travel to places such as Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii or Ghana advance our state’s interests?
I’m not suggesting that all travel is inappropriate. Our attorney general may well have legitimate reasons to represent Nevada at conferences, build important partnerships or address legal matters that benefit our state. But 420 days is substantial, and the lack of detailed explanations makes it impossible for voters such as me to assess whether this travel served Nevada well.
This is where transparency matters most. A comprehensive accounting of these trips, their purposes, outcomes and benefits to Nevada, would address these concerns and effectively. If Mr. Ford’s travel delivered real value to our state, he should be proud to share those accomplishments. If some trips were less essential, acknowledging that would also demonstrate the kind of honest leadership we need.
Democrats have long championed government transparency. We’ve criticized Republicans when they’ve fallen short of this standard. We cannot apply different rules to our party. Good government principles don’t have a political affiliation.
The solution here is straightforward: Mr. Ford should provide the public with detailed explanations of this travel. Until that happens, this issue will continue to damage public trust and distract from the important work our attorney general should be doing for Nevada families.
We can and should do better.
Susan Brager is a member of the Nevada Board of Regents. She previously served on the Clark County School Board.
-
Indiana5 minutes agoWinning numbers drawn in Saturday’s Indiana Hoosier Lotto Plus
-
Iowa11 minutes agoIowa lawmakers approve funding for sexual assault forensic exam services
-
Kansas17 minutes agoKansas bats back up Cook’s gem to clinch series against Arizona
-
Kentucky23 minutes agoKentucky teen accused of killing 2 bank employees busted after posting clues on social media
-
Louisiana29 minutes ago
Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for May 2, 2026
-
Maine35 minutes agoKeep Maine beautiful by protecting, investing in our public lands | Opinion
-
Maryland41 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for May 2, 2026
-
Michigan47 minutes agoNo. 1 UCLA baseball defeats Michigan State with four runs in the first