Louisiana Catholic Confession Lawsuit: Should Confidentiality Have Exceptions? (poll)

By Emily Lane
The Times-Picayune
July 10, 2014

http://www.nola.com/crime/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/07/louisiana_catholic_confession_1.html

The Louisiana Supreme Court says a Baton Rouge priest may have to testify about confessions he may have received in a civil lawsuit brought by the parents of an alleged sex abuse victim who claim the priest should have done more when their daughter told him about the abuse by another parishioner during the sacrament of reconciliation. The Baton Rouge Catholic Diocese says the ruling violates religious freedoms and the priest could be excommunicated for testifying about the confessions. (Lauren McGaughy, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The Louisiana Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that could compel a Baton Rouge Catholic priest to testify whether or not he received confessions during the sacrament of reconciliation from a minor child in 2009 regarding sexual abuse she says she endured by a fellow parishioner.

The lawsuit, filed by the girl's family, claims the priest and the Baton Rouge Catholic Diocese are liable for civil damages for the suffering caused by the sexual abuse because of their role in failing to properly adviser her and the priest's failure to report the abuse as a mandatory reporter in accordance with the Louisiana Children's Code.

The church says the ruling violates religious freedoms set forth in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, noting the priest could be excommunicated for violating the seal of confession. The Supreme Court ruled the confessions weren't "confidential communication," which would have exempted the priest from mandatory reporting laws, because the confessee waived her confidentiality privilege.