Latest news with #PaulD.Etienne
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Catholic bishops sue Washington over law requiring priests to break confessional seal
A group of Roman Catholic bishops and priests filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging a new Washington law that requires clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect, even when the information is received in confession. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, argues that the law—set to take effect July 27—violates constitutional rights to religious freedom by forcing priests to choose between adhering to the centuries-old doctrine of confessional secrecy or facing criminal charges. The plaintiffs include Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, Yakima Bishop Joseph J. Tyson, Spokane Bishop Thomas A. Daly, and eight priests from dioceses across the state. They are suing Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and all 39 of Washington's county prosecutors in their official capacities. At the center of the legal battle is Senate Bill 5375, signed by Ferguson on May 2. The bill expands the list of mandatory reporters of child abuse under state law to include clergy, without exceptions for information received in the confessional. Violations carry a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. The plaintiffs claim the law 'puts Roman Catholic priests to an impossible choice: violate 2,000 years of Church teaching and incur automatic excommunication or refuse to comply with Washington law and be subject to imprisonment, fine, and civil liability.' Under canon law, any priest who discloses information received during confession is automatically excommunicated. The plaintiffs say this punishment cannot be lifted by anyone except the pope and argue the new law specifically targets Catholic doctrine by removing privileges for clergy that still exist for other professionals like attorneys, union representatives, and domestic violence advocates. Supporters of the law, including lawmakers who pushed the bill through the legislature, have framed it as a child protection measure, saying it is meant to ensure clergy cannot shield abusers behind religious confidentiality. The complaint alleges the law violates the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment and similar protections under the Washington Constitution. The bishops also argue that their dioceses already maintain policies requiring priests to report suspected abuse, except when learned in confession. They say they support broader mandatory reporting laws—so long as they respect the sacramental seal. The plaintiffs are asking the court to block the law's implementation and declare it unconstitutional.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Excommunicated': WA Archdiocese pushes back against mandatory reporting law, DOJ investigating
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A new Washington law making all clergy mandatory reporters, signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson last week, is facing pushback after the Archdiocese of Seattle released a statement that they would excommunicate any Catholic clergy who follow the new law. Beginning as Senate Bill 5375, the law requires clergy members to report any child abuse or neglect, even information shared with a priest during confession. The initial bill was passed through the Senate and House over the last several months and was officially signed into law last Friday. However, in response, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne released a statement from the Archdiocese of Seattle pushing back against the law, which has led to the Washington Department of Justice opening a civil rights investigation into the law's constitutionality. Multnomah County overpaid more than $78K for recruiting services, report finds According to the Archdiocese, the new law requires clergy to 'violate the Seal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, better known as confession.' In response, Archbishop Etienne cited Acts 5:29, 'We must obey God rather than men,' saying, 'this is our stance now in the face of this new law. Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession – or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church.' The Archbishop added that the church agrees with protecting children and preventing child abuse, noting the Archdiocese of Seattle already has mandatory reporter policies for priests. However, those rules don't apply to information received during confession. On Monday, the announced they are investigating the law, which 'appears on its face to violate the First Amendment.' In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon called the law a violation of the constitutional right of the free exercise of religion. He also added the law 'singles out' clergy as the only people who can't rely on legal privileges as a defense of mandatory reporting. 'SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government,' said Dhillon. 'Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals. We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State's cooperation with our investigation.' Portland archbishop 'stunned' at unprecedented selection of new pope from U.S. The Archdiocese of Seattle cited the text of the First Amendment in their rebuke, specifically where it reads, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' Furthermore, fearing further incursion into their constitutional rights, they asked the question: With this new law, where is the line drawn between church and state? 'This new law singles out religion and is clearly both government overreach and a double standard,' Archbishop Etienne concluded. 'The line between Church and state has been crossed and needs to be walked back. People of every religion in the State of Washington and beyond should be alarmed by this overreach of our Legislature and Governor.' Although the bill was signed into law by the governor, the new law is not set to take effect until July 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
DOJ Probes Washington State Law Requiring Priests to Report Confessions of Child Abuse
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a civil rights investigation into a new Washington state law that requires clergy to report child abuse or neglect revealed during confession. In a May 5 Senate Bill 5375, According to a Justice Department press release on May 5, the law 'appears on its face to violate the First Amendment,' and 'singles out 'members of the clergy' as the only 'supervisors' who may not rely on applicable legal privileges, including religious confessions, as a defense to mandatory reporting.' 'SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. 'Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals. We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State's cooperation with our investigation.' Related Stories 3/31/2025 2/19/2025 The law passed the Washington Senate by a vote of 28–20 and the House by 64–31. It amends the state's mandatory reporting rules to include clergy with no exception for information obtained through confession. The bill also specifies that clergy supervisors cannot use religious privilege to avoid obligations to report abuse. The Washington State Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of Seattle, Spokane, and Yakima, previously opposed the measure. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, in a 'This new law singles out religion and is clearly both government overreach and a double standard. The line between Church and state has been crossed and needs to be walked back. People of every religion in the State of Washington and beyond should be alarmed by this overreach of our Legislature and Governor,' he said. Supporters of the bill The Washington Catholic Accountability Project described it as Washington state's 'last chance to protect children' and urged lawmakers at the time to pass the bill without religious exemptions. 'This marks the final stretch in a 20-year fight to close Washington's glaring, long-standing loophole, which allows clergy to withhold knowledge of child abuse from authorities preventing them from investigating to ensure a child's safety and well-being,' the group said at the time. The coalition includes dozens of advocacy groups, faith leaders, and legal organizations that contend clergy should be held to the same reporting standards as teachers, doctors, and social workers. The Epoch Times reached out to the group and did not hear back by publication time. The office of Gov. Ferguson did not respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times on the Justice Department's announcement before publication.
