AUSTRALIA
The Tablet
June 8, 2018
By Rose Gamble
‘Without that vow [seal of Confession], who would be willing to unburden themselves of their sins?’
Catholic priests will be required to break the seal of confession in some cases after new laws passed the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) Legislative Assembly in Canberra without amendment.
All three parties in the ACT Legislative Assembly supported the bill on 7 June to extend the mandatory reporting scheme to cover churches, including the Confessional.
The new laws will require religious organisations to report allegations, offences or convictions related to children to the ACT Ombudsman within 30 days and launch an investigation.
Writing in the Canberra Times, Archbishop Christopher Prowse of Canberra and Goulburn said that the church “shares the government’s concern to protect the safety of children and wishes to be a part of the solution”.
He added: “The draft laws are a consequence of the profound failure of the leadership of the church and the duty of care we owe to children.”
But, he said he could not support a requirement to break the seal of confession.
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