AUSTRALIA
The Australian
FOR Catholics who wish to remain in a state of grace, the church offers the service of the confessional, whereby the priest conducts an audit of the soul on behalf of the Almighty. Since the penitent is considered to be confessing to God alone, in the presence of his servant, the information is protected under the seal of the confessional.
A priest who tried to withhold information gained in this way from a royal commission could be jailed for contempt. In practice, a wise royal commissioner would first explore every other avenue to establish the truth, knowing that the fabric of society is best preserved by avoiding pushing the theoretical conflict between church and state to the ultimate test. For its part, the church takes a pragmatic approach, in so far as its divine obligations will allow. Priests are adept at guiding penitents in the direction of the local police station when needed, quietly and without fanfare. George Pell has gone further, advising priests not to hear a confession when they suspect that criminal behaviour might be revealed.
Those who simply want to put a stop to child abuse will see this debate as entirely confected. It is unlikely to come to a head at the forthcoming royal commission, assuming goodwill on behalf of the commission and the church. Those who see an opportunity to discredit the Catholic Church, however, will milk it for all it is worth.
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