2008 Woodie Awards
Confessional privilege?
Andrew Sparks '09
Issue date: 9/15/06 Section: Commentary
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"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." So reads the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Whereas most people focus especially on the first part of that quote, especially with the advent of the so-called "Religious Right", it is equally as important to consider "the free exercise thereof." For this reason, I must expose the atrocious act of Mary Gile, the Attorney General for the state of New Hampshire, who is currently pushing Bill #1127 through the state legislator. If passed, the bill would require Catholic priests to divulge what they hear in confession if the penitent has confessed child abuse.
This of course runs completely against the aforementioned freedom of religion, since New Hampshire's Catholics would not be able to freely exercise their religion. This stems from the age-old confidentiality between penitent and priest, a confidentiality that has survived for centuries in all societies, even through communist Russia, where the totalitarian regime respected the seal of confession.
Fortunately, both priests and parishioners have promised to go to jail in civil disobedience rather than acquiesce to this bill which, if passed, would make the Catholic Church an arm of the law. Unfortunately for Mrs. Gile, she doesn't know when to quit, and will have to once again see her proposed bill be shot down as New Hampshire Catholics defend their rights.
Live free or die.
Sources: The Concord Monitor, The Catholic League
Whereas most people focus especially on the first part of that quote, especially with the advent of the so-called "Religious Right", it is equally as important to consider "the free exercise thereof." For this reason, I must expose the atrocious act of Mary Gile, the Attorney General for the state of New Hampshire, who is currently pushing Bill #1127 through the state legislator. If passed, the bill would require Catholic priests to divulge what they hear in confession if the penitent has confessed child abuse.
This of course runs completely against the aforementioned freedom of religion, since New Hampshire's Catholics would not be able to freely exercise their religion. This stems from the age-old confidentiality between penitent and priest, a confidentiality that has survived for centuries in all societies, even through communist Russia, where the totalitarian regime respected the seal of confession.
Fortunately, both priests and parishioners have promised to go to jail in civil disobedience rather than acquiesce to this bill which, if passed, would make the Catholic Church an arm of the law. Unfortunately for Mrs. Gile, she doesn't know when to quit, and will have to once again see her proposed bill be shot down as New Hampshire Catholics defend their rights.
Live free or die.
Sources: The Concord Monitor, The Catholic League