Shouldn’t make a difference - you just make them accessories to the crime.
A nice test to their faith.
Edit: snap with Reboot 
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It’s quite incredible that an organisation can invent for themselves a concept called “confession” then classify it “sacred”, so that it’s untouchable by anyone. It boogles the mind.
All of this, of course, is based on an even bigger invention and they use this to separate themselves from civil society and live in a constant brainwashed environment so somehow they are superior to the rest of us.
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On the contrary - in my opinion, it isn’t mind-boggling in the slightest. All around us are great examples of the societal structures we design for various reasons - control, order, health, safety, punishment and retribution. Over time these become cemented and indistinguishable from any raw and pure ‘truth’. Our concepts of morals, etiquette and manners, cultures - it’s a never-ending list. Religion is just one of them, in my opinion and like them, has served, or serves a purpose of some sort.
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It’s hard to imagine there ever being many prosecutions. Only two people will ever know whether a confession is made to a priest, viz., the confessor (child molester) and the priest. And if neither of them says anything how will anyone else know?
The law, if it’s enacted, will do two things. It will show that society’s attitude to the sanctity of the confessional has changed, and it will put pressure on individual priests to report. Some of them may do so, and then it will be interesting to see how the Church hierarchy reacts.
It’s also questionable how many child molesters do actually confess to priests. Not many would be my guess, except maybe on their deathbeds.
What you say is true, of course, but what staggers me is that they can invent such things and place themselves above the law and get away with it due to the fact it’s a religious law and religions are protected by law.
Legal requirements are in place that doctors have to report abuse, but priests can just ignore that law just by obeying a law they have created for themselves. It’s a catch 22 deliberately set up by those who want to hide behind the law while happily breaking it, knowing they will get away with it.
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Deals are done all the time, as you know. If someone thinks they stand to get a slightly easier sentence for dobbing in a priest, then it will happen.
Maybe.
Only needs to happen a couple of times - or even, be believed to happen.
Strange diety to excommunicate a priest for breaking the confessional seal but no excommunication for not reporting children being raped.
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It’s not the deity that does either. It’s the humans (men) in charge of the organisation who make those decisions.
I’ve always seen that as the trouble with any religion…the humans get in the way with their silly little rules/laws.
Absolute scum.
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As S10 stated above, the likelihood of anyone confessing anything like this to their priest would be as close to zero as you can get.
Seems like just another excuse to take pot-shots at the Catholic Church.
Will doctors and shrinks etc be under the same obligation?
I’m also curious how anyone will ever be prosecuted - it will be just a case of he said, she said unless the law is going to start bugging confession booths and doctors surgeries.
They already are under the same obligation and have been for years.
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You’re not only a belligerent ■■■■, you’re also really not very good at it.
You’ve missed a fact that anyone with even a passing level of intelligence would know and that derails your entire argument.
Nice work, poindexter.
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By Christ, you’re an evil ■■■■.
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Slight overreaction there. He queried the utility of the proposed law. How does that make him evil?
What do you want me to explain?
Seriously?
Specifically?
I’m at a loss.
Doctors don’t get to cover up child molestation because it was said to them in their office.
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Look, here’s a tip.
Don’t be an accessory to child molestation.
I don’t care if you’re a Bishop, a Priest, a Plumber, a Teacher, a Policeman, a Politician, a Secretary…
If a child or a parent reports an act of child molestation to you, you ■■■■■■■ report it to the police.
That’s all.
End of story.
And if you need that explained to you, then you’re an evil ■■■■.
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What about priests who rape children. They would probably use the confessional.
And the Church has been down to have quite a number of them.
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Also, given your remarks, you’d have no problem with Sharia family law being practiced by Muslims in counterpoint to secular laws?
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