Have a Say: Lower Templestowe Priest Speaks out on Confidence Breach, by Anna Prytz, Manningham Leader, August 10, 2011

Have a Say: Lower Templestowe Priest Speaks out on Confidence Breach

By Anna Prytz
Manningham Leader
August 10, 2011

http://manningham-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/have-a-say-priest-speaks-out-on-abuse-confidence-breach/

Fr Gerard McKernan is opposed to the idea of priests breaking the confidentiality of confession to report child abuse.

PRIESTS breaking confessional confidentiality to report child abuse would do more harm than good, says Lower Templestowe's Fr Gerard McKernan.

Senator Nick Xenophon has called for laws forcing priests to report child abuse revealed during confession.

But the priest at St Kevin's Catholic Church said a lack of confidentiality would deter offenders from coming forward.

"People won't come if they think we're going to dob them in," Father McKernan said.

"And if they come to us it's the best way for us to urge them to go to the police and face what they've done."

He said the church was not above the law, but simply served a different purpose.

"We're not the police, we're doing God's work," he said.

"We offer absolution and advice, so I'm not saying that is all that should happen to the person but it's all we can do."

South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault manager Carolyn Worth said such privacy provisions for offenders were inappropriate.

"Priests should be under the same mandatory reporting requirements as a number of professionals are," Ms Worth said.

"Surely there should be a duty of care to help stop these crimes happening."

Attorney-General Robert Clark said the Victorian government had no plans to introduce mandatory reporting.

"It would face a range of difficulties, because if churchgoers thought a priest would report what was said in the confessional, they would either not confess to crimes or would ensure their confession was anonymous," he said.