ENGLAND
Daily Mail
December 9, 2017
By Jonathan Petre
Centuries-old laws prevent vicars revealing sins heard in privacy of confession
Applies if dangerous offender admits to crime and then refuses to tell the police
But group will tell bishops this week ancient ‘seal’ of the confessional must stay
Critics say this does not go far enough as clergy will be barred from reporting
The Church of England is facing a new sex abuse row – by refusing to scrap the secrecy of the confessional.
Centuries-old laws prevent vicars revealing the sins they hear in the privacy of confession, even if a dangerous offender admits to a serious crime and then refuses to tell the police.
Following claims that the Church has repeatedly covered up abuse, senior figures have called for clergy who hear of such crimes to be required to report them.
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