Democratic Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill May 2 forcing Catholic priests to break their seal of confession in cases of alleged child abuse.
The bill, introduced in the state senate in January, requires clergymen to be added to the state’s list of mandatory reporters in cases of suspected abuse or neglect of a child, even if the information is discovered during a confessional. “Except for members of the clergy, no one shall be required to report under this section when he or she obtains the information solely as a result of a privileged communication as provided in RCW 5.60.060,” the legislation read.
Ferguson, who is Catholic, signed the bill into law and told reporters he felt it was “pretty straightforward,” KXYL.com reported. (RELATED: Liberal SCOTUS Justices Give Icy Reception To Proposal That Would Greenlight Publicly Funded Religious Charter Schools)
“My uncle was a Jesuit priest for many years, (I’ve) been to confession myself – and so I’m very familiar with that,” Ferguson said. “I felt this was important legislation and protecting kids is first priority.”
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson (C) with Washington State Assistant Attorney General Colleen Melody (L) and Washington State Solicitor General Noah Purcell (R) announces his decision on potential action regarding President Donald Trump’s latest Executive Order on immigration on March 9, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Bishop Thomas Daly of the Spokane Diocese released a statement the same day the bill was signed saying his clergymen would not break the seal of confession.
“This week, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law Senate Bill 5375, which seeks to force priests to violate the Seal of Confession if child abuse is revealed within the celebration of the sacrament … I want to assure you that your shepherds, bishop and priests, are committed to keeping the seal of confession – even to the point of going to jail.” Daly said, according to the press release.
Daly also urged “those legislators who question our commitment to the safety of your children” to reach out to Catholic teachers, priests and families. He wrote that the Diocese has a “zero-tolerance policy regarding child sexual abuse.”
A 2023 version of the bill included a provision excluding priests from disclosing information if it was from a confessional, according to The National Catholic Register. Similar laws proposed in Delaware and Vermont in 2023 failed to pass and another bill proposed this year in Montana failed to make it out of committee.
The governor’s office and the Archdiocese of Washington did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
