this post was submitted on 09 May 2025
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The Catholic Church has issued a warning to its clergy in Washington state: Any priest who complies with a new law requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities will be excommunicated.

https://www.newsweek.com/catholic-church-excommunicate-priests-following-new-us-state-law-2069039

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[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If they only ask Catholics that sounds like it also infringes freedom of religion first amendment rights. They either have to ask every perp which church/temple/mosque/etc they go to and if they ever told a clergy member or none of the perps.

[–] kevin2107@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Aiding child abuse isnt a first amendment right. You are only allowed freedom to practice religion and the government can't force you to practice anything else. Confession isn't protected by this.

[–] Dragonstaff@leminal.space 3 points 23 hours ago

This is wildly outside of the mainstream interpretation of the first amendment. Whether the law would be upheld by the court is basically a toss up.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

If the law specifically targeted Catholics then that denomination would not have equal rights to religion. However, I went and looked up the definition just to put the issue to rest:

(18) "Member of the clergy" means any regularly licensed,27 accredited, or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or28 similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church,29 religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community, or sect,30 or person performing official duties that are recognized as the31 duties of a member of the clergy under the discipline, tenets,32 doctrine, or custom of the person's church, religious denomination,33 religious body, spiritual community, or sect, whether acting in an34 individual capacity or as an employee, agent, or official of any35 public or private organization or institution.

~SB 5375