SEATTLE (WA)
Christian Post [Washington DC]
May 18, 2025
By Anugrah Kumar
A Washington state lawmaker has called on the Catholic Church to change its centuries-old confessional policy so that priests can comply with a new child abuse reporting law.
Democratic state Sen. Noel Frame said the Catholic Church has the ability to alter its internal rules to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 5375, which takes effect in late July.
The new law removes an exemption that had previously shielded Catholic clergy from having to report suspected child abuse or neglect if they learned of it during confession.
Once in force, priests — along with other members of the clergy — will be legally required to report such cases to law enforcement or the state’s Department of Children, Youth and Families within 48 hours.
Frame, a sponsor of the bill and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, said she discovered that clergy were not already mandatory reporters while researching abuse allegations within the Jehovah’s Witnesses community in Washington state.
Speaking to NPR, Frame argued that religious institutions shouldn’t be allowed to avoid mandatory reporting obligations through internal doctrines, as noted by Newsweek. She pointed out that Canon law, which governs Catholic Church policies, has been revised many times and can be revised again to accommodate the legal requirement.
In response to objections from Catholic leaders, Frame maintained that the state has a secular obligation to protect children and that allowing exceptions based on religious practices would undermine that purpose.
She said it is within the Catholic Church’s power to change its policies to allow priests to report abuse revealed during confession.
The legislation passed both chambers of the Democrat-controlled state Legislature largely along party lines, with a 28–20 vote in the Senate and a 64–31 vote in the House. A few lawmakers broke with their parties on both sides.
Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat and a Catholic, signed the bill into law earlier this month.
The Archdiocese of Seattle condemned the measure.
Archbishop Paul Etienne stated that priests cannot comply with the law if the information is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He said this obligation stems from Canon law, which declares the sacramental seal inviolable.
According to that law, any priest who directly violates the seal can be excommunicated. The Archdiocese affirmed that it remains committed to protecting children but insisted that confessions must remain confidential.
The Washington State Catholic Conference said it supported adding clergy as mandatory reporters but asked for an exception during confession. The group stated that such an exception had been granted in most states that require clergy to report suspected abuse.
The WSCC described the confessional seal as a religious practice protected by the First Amendment and said the law intrudes on that constitutional right. It also said the Catholic Church had taken steps since 2002 to strengthen its policies around abuse prevention and reporting.
The Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, has opened a civil rights investigation into the law.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon has said the law forces priests to choose between their faith and the law, calling it a violation of the Constitution, according to the Catholic Herald.
The DOJ claims that clergy are being unfairly singled out and denied privileges granted to other professionals, such as lawyers and physicians, whose privileged communications remain protected under Washington law.
The Justice Department launched the investigation on May 8, citing concerns that SB 5375 could infringe upon the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. The provision shielding clergy from being compelled to testify about confessions will be formally removed when the law takes effect.
Members of the clergy are considered mandatory reporters in 28 states, with most providing limited exceptions for confidential settings like confession.