IRELAND
The Irish Times

New law on reporting abuse should recognise seal of confession can aid child safety

Fr Chris Hayden

In Catholic practice, the “client privilege” associated with the sacrament of confession is guaranteed by what is known as the “seal” of the sacrament. This term refers to the fact that what the penitent
discloses to the priest remains sealed. Under no circumstances can a priest pass on to a third party what he has learned about a person in confession. In principle, a penitent could subsequently authorise a priest to pass on, or act upon, information first disclosed in the sacrament, but this would not prejudice the sacramental seal.

Here are two scenarios that relate to the controversy sparked by the recently published Children First Bill on mandatory reporting of child abuse.

First, the sacramental seal is perceived no longer to apply where child abuse is…