Judge stops law that would force priests to reveal child abuse from confession

[cbabe]

https://www.rawstory.com/catholic-confession-judge-stops-law/

Judge stops law that would force priests to reveal child abuse from confession

Sarah K. Burris
July 18, 2025 12:29PM ET

A federal judge has stopped a Washington state law from taking effect on Friday that would require Catholic clergy to report child abuse revealed to them during confession.

Politico legal reporter Kyle Cheney posted the ruling on Bluesky, and noted that President Donald Trump's administration intervened on behalf of the Catholic clergy that took issue with the law.

The judge overseeing the case, David Estudillo, agreed that the new law infringed on the free exercise of religion.

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(Make a church. Be an abuser.)

[SickOfTheOnePct]

1. That was a given

Lots of stuff that the right claims is a violation of religious freedom isn’t, but this obviously was.

[JT45242]

2. Not sure how that jibes with mandatory reporter laws...

Generally, clergy, like teachers and social workers, are mandatory reporters of abuse.

If I knew of it as a teacher, or camp counselor, we had a process to report to the authorities. We had specific policies that I had to attest to on a regular basis.

Not sure why Catholics get a pass on that.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

3. Because of the rules of the confessional

Nothing confessed can be told to anyone. If a priest breaks the confessional, its excommunication.

[JT45242]

6. Protestant ministers must report, imams report, rabbis report

The fact that Catholic get a pass for crime just isn't correct.

Suspected Child abuse is the one thing tht everyone else must report.

[Retrograde]

8. Crimes observed by a priest

or reported to him outside of Confession can and should be reported.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

10. You're welcome to your opinion n/t

[atreides1]

7. Excommunication!

It's so much worse than having a pedophile running around the diocese sexually assaulting children!

Religious freedom means you can be a racist, a bigot, and anti-semite, and now a pedophile...

I gave up Christianity for Lent years ago...and I've never had any regrets in making that decision!!!

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Surely he ruled the same for psychologists, right?

[cbabe]

5. Multiple wives, child brides are restricted by law regardless of religion. So religion is not a

hard line exemption. But ok to exempt child abuse because powerful Catholic Church rule?

[Ritabert]

9. Imagine being so brainwashed by religion

....that you think confessing to child abuse relieves you of responsibility. Of course consider who's listening to the confession. Left that nonsense 50 years ago.