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	Lyons: in a Confession Booth, What's Off-limits? The Herald-Tribune June 27, 2011 http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110627/COLUMNIST/110629583/2055/NEWS?Title=Lyons-In-a-confession-booth-what-s-off-limits The Diocese of Venice now insists the firing of a Catholic school teacher was not related to the teacher's report to the state about sexual questions some of his teenage students said a priest had asked them in confessional. The cause of the dismissal "was not related to his complaint regarding Confession at Bishop Verot High school," said diocese spokesman Billy Atwell, in a written response on Monday to my questions about the firing of teacher Chris Wilson. Atwell described Wilson as an employee who became disgruntled after being turned down for the principal's job there. He was fired for violating school polices, Atwell said. None of the policies were specified, aside from from Wilson bringing his child to work at least once in violation of school rules. The lawsuit filed by Wilson claims otherwise, of course. It ties his firing directly to his report to the Department of Children and Families that a priest was asking potentially harmful questions and insisting on knowing if they masturbate or have sex. His lawyer told a reporter that before filing that report, Wilson had been offered a teaching contract for the next year. DCF decided that a priest asking sexual questions that made teenaged students feel uncomfortable was not a matter for the state's jurisdiction. But surely no one should be fired for making a report like that, not if he sincerely suspects a priest of misusing the confessional. I can't know the truth about Wilson's firing, but I'm glad the diocese spokesman's official words at least seem to agree with me that a report aimed at protecting kids is no reason to fire a teacher. And, I was also glad to hear that at least one of the girls responded to the priests' questions about sex and masturbation by telling him him it was none of his business. I agreed and admired the spirit of the answer. But priests have often seemed to disagree on how, and how much, to pry when hearing confessions, and some historical accounts show just how much so. A Google search can turn up some amazingly detailed questions that were supposedly routinely asked by priests in past decades and centuries, questions that critics argued served more to suggest sexual acts than discourage them. The other side of that argument, however, held that since absolution for sins doesn't apply to sins purposely unconfessed — and because the church says withholding sins is a sin — it was helpful for a priest to ask about private acts that people tend to avoid mentioning. But the kinkier the sins, the more likely that sinners won't mention them. And so, some of the resulting questions previously asked would never make it into a book that Catholic parents would want their kids to read. I'm pretty sure most modern-day priests avoid the detailed sexual interrogation approach. A University of Florida religious studies scholar I talked with is convinced it is uncommon. But I have been wondering, despite the lack of official acknowledgment by the diocese, that there just might have been some lagging-behind-the-curve judgment by one of its priests. Maybe some changes in handling of confessions of minors might result from this controversy. Atwell's statement isn't exactly crystal clear on that, but I see a sign of what could be a good policy tweak. Diocesan schools will always address issues of morality, including sexual morality, he said. But "it could be envisioned that future examination of conscience exercises will take place with the full body of students," not in private confessionals. "If done publicly, perhaps those few students would not feel uncomfortable." Not said: That way, maybe no priest will feel the need to insist on knowing which students are masturbating. Tom Lyons can be contacted at tom.lyons@heraldtribune.com or (941) 361-4964.
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