The Australian state of Victoria is set to break the seal of the confessional. The Labor government of Daniel Andrews promised to change the laws so that clergy who fail to report abuse revealed in the confessional will face up to 3 years imprisonment if they win the next election. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-0...ssion/10212986).
The government was initially reluctant to do this but after the opposition also promised to make similar changes to the law last month (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-1...ition/10119190), the Labor government evidently felt compelled to follow suit. Australian states can do this because the constitution only prevents the federal government from making laws to interfere with religions.
No doubt, there will be a lot of cheering in this forum over the proposed law. However, the devil is always in the detail. Will priests be denied the right to silence if questioned by the police? Will they be forced to testify at their trial? (Both would be dangerous precedents). What if a priest refused to enter a plea?
Former archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, has previously declared that he would go to prison rather than give up information from a confession. If all Catholic priests do the same and they can be convicted because a victim said that they told a priest about their abuse in the confessional then a lot of catholic priests could go to jail because they would be unable to defend themselves.
The government was initially reluctant to do this but after the opposition also promised to make similar changes to the law last month (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-1...ition/10119190), the Labor government evidently felt compelled to follow suit. Australian states can do this because the constitution only prevents the federal government from making laws to interfere with religions.
No doubt, there will be a lot of cheering in this forum over the proposed law. However, the devil is always in the detail. Will priests be denied the right to silence if questioned by the police? Will they be forced to testify at their trial? (Both would be dangerous precedents). What if a priest refused to enter a plea?
Former archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, has previously declared that he would go to prison rather than give up information from a confession. If all Catholic priests do the same and they can be convicted because a victim said that they told a priest about their abuse in the confessional then a lot of catholic priests could go to jail because they would be unable to defend themselves.
via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/2NXI6fd
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