A US governor has signed a controversial law that mandates priests to report child abuse to authorities, even if the information is learned during the sacrament of confession.
The new law, introduced earlier this year, adds clergy to the list of mandatory abuse reporters in Washington state but does not allow for an exemption regarding information shared in confession.
The previous version of the bill, introduced in 2023, had proposed an exemption for abuse allegations disclosed solely during confession, but the final version does not include this carve-out.
Instead, the law explicitly states that clergy members are not entitled to a “privileged communication” exemption.
Governor Bob Ferguson, a Catholic himself, said he felt this was an "important legislation.”
However, the new law has sparked backlash from religious leaders, particularly from Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly.
In a statement released on Friday, Bishop Daly made it clear that clergy in his diocese would not break the seal of confession, even if required by law.
“Shepherds, bishop and priests are committed to keeping the seal of confession — even to the point of going to jail,” the bishop said. He also reassured the public that the Diocese of Spokane is dedicated to child protection, highlighting that it has an entire department devoted to safeguarding children and maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for child sexual abuse.
Bishop Daly added: “The sacrament of penance is sacred and will remain that way in the Diocese of Spokane.” He also said that, as the issue progresses, he intends to keep the faithful informed, underscoring the importance of religious freedom in America.
This move in Washington follows similar proposals in other states. Earlier this year, Montana introduced a bill to eliminate the clergy exemption for mandatory child abuse reporting, which stalled in committee. In May 2023, Delaware and Vermont both proposed bills requiring priests to break the seal of confession in cases of reported sexual abuse, though these bills also failed to advance.
