Catholic church in Australia rejects reporting of child abuse discussed in confessional [View all]

[Pope George Ringo II]

The Catholic Church in Australia has rejected laws forcing priests to report child abuse when they learn about it in the confessional, setting the stage for a showdown with the government.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), the country's top Catholic body, said it did not accept a recommendation from an official inquiry into church abuse, which would force priests by law to report abuse to the police when they hear about it in confession.

One state and a territory in Australia have since introduced laws making it a crime for priests to fail to report abuse heard in the confessional, while the other five states and remaining territory have said they are considering their response.

"The Council ... continues to support retention of the civil law protection for the seal of the confessional," the ACBC said in a report published today.

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2018/0831/990672-australia-church-abuse-laws/

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