'Seal of confession' defended by Brady

Published Monday, 29 August 2011

Cardinal Sean Brady has said that a priest's "seal of confession" is a "sacred and treasured" rite, as the Irish Government plans to roll out new child protection legislation, which will not be stopped by canon law.

The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland was addressing a congregation in Co Mayo on Sunday in the wake of the Cloyne report, which found that priests had failed to report abuse allegations against young people to the police.

"The seal of confession is so fundamental to the very nature of the Sacrament that any proposal that undermines that inviolability is a challenge to the right of every Catholic to freedom of religion and conscience," the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland said.

"Freedom to participate in worship and to enjoy the long established rites of the Church is so fundamental that any intrusion upon it is a challenge to very basis of a free society."

The Irish Government announced new child protection measures after the Cloyne report was published last month.

As a result of new laws due to be rolled out in the autumn, anyone could face up to five years in jail if they do not reveal information about abuse of a child.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Justice Minister Alan Shatter have already warned that priests and doctors would no longer be able to hide behind the sanctity of confession or doctor/patient confidentiality, when it came to reporting sexual abuse.

In a statement released from the Justice Minister's office on Monday, Mr Shatter said:

"The central focus and concern of the Government is child protection and to ensure that allegations of child abuse are reported to An Garda Síochána, fully investigated and where appropriate criminal prosecutions take place.

"It is the failure in the past to make such reports that has led sexual predators into believing that they have impunity and facilitated paedophiles preying on children and destroying their lives."

Last month, the Taoiseach said that in situations were child abuse took place, "let them be reported and let the law of the land apply."

The Cloyne inquiry, headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, investigated the handling of abuse allegations in the Co Cork diocese.

Last month, Cardinal Brady apologised and expressed his "shame and sorrow" following the publication of the damning report.

Comments

17 Comments

Frosty in Here wrote (267 days ago):

Hardly news, the same rule has covered the tracks of murderers, rapists, child molesters, thieves, politicians and other scum bags for centuries. Obviously changes have to be made as prayers alone don't seem to be making much difference and there are some things that cannot be forgiven by worrying a few beads. In the case of priests, I would have thought such sins would have meant being sacked so they could be dealt with by the authorities, rather than bring such shame to the Church, Excommunicate the lot of them!

lostworld in here wrote (267 days ago):

I think too many people believe they can do what they want at the weekend aslong as they confess. Im all about privacy and it being sacred, but not when it means priests protecting and hiding pedophilia.

Tom in belfast wrote (268 days ago):

As far as I'm aware, those going to confession to seek absolution are doing so as they wish to repent. If they thought that what they were confessing was going to be revealed then surely as non-penitent sinners they wouldn't bother to confess. The priests are there to provide guidance and absolve the penitent of their sins. It seems to me obvious that the sinner would not be going to confession if they didn't want to stop sinning and that it's far more preferential that the priests can give the advice and guidance to the sinners to do the right thing. They would not be recieving absolution if the priest was sure the penitents weren't being sincere in their confessions. Breaking the seal of confession would do nothing to achieve the outcomes sought and I would contend probably make it less likely.

Realist in England wrote (268 days ago):

Lorna – it really doesn’t matter what we think on this. It only matters what Catholic priests believe. I think the priests are not supposed to “be” there during confession and instead become like inanimate direct phone lines to God. You may find that crazy. I would agree, but I accept that other people can live in completely different paradigms to me. Devout Catholics would not find it crazy at all. Try to imagine believing in the whole Christianity story and the concept of the mortal sin. Now think of all those early Christians who died at the hands of the Romans and others because they would not deny their faith. A modern day priest would have an easier option than being fed to lions and would almost certainly chose to go to jail rather than hell. That is why the law is pointless – it is almost as if it is being made with the explicit intention of being broken. The answer to paedophilia is to have strong laws that allow the gardaí to investigate things themselves, not trying to force a very small number of priests to choose between jail and hell. What happens when it is the priests doing it themselves anyway? The law isn’t going to help there! By the way – I think your “saviour” point was ad hominem and, therefore, frivolous rhetoric. Loads of people have “died for others”. What is so special about Jesus’ sacrifice? Hunger striking for others as a moralistic last resort has been used all around the world by great men like Gandhi. That is arguably a much greater sacrifice than spending three hours on a cross, especially if carried through to the death. Christian values are without doubt laudable; it’s just a shame so few Christians actually live by them - Catholics, Protestants, clergy and lay people alike.

lorna in limavady wrote (268 days ago):

Surely it is all to do with consience. If you are told by an offender that is what he has been at. how can you stay silent and let him offend again. God in his Holy book condemns this person and it will be a sin on you to protect him indulging in evil.Problem being if a person confesses to a priest or bishop he believes he has pardon from God and then continues to keep on with that sin. AN OFFENCE TO ANY SAVIOUR WHO DIED FOR OUR SALVATION

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