A controversial clause that would have compelled priests to break the sacramental seal of confession in cases involving child abuse was withdrawn from a French parliamentary bill after heated debate, preserving the absolute confidentiality of the sacrament. The main legislation it was attached to, aimed at tackling violence in schools, was adopted by the National Assembly on June 1, 2026, with the clause removed.
The proposal, advanced by the centrist group Ensemble pour la République, led by the former prime minister Gabriel Attal, formed part of a wider response to allegations of historic abuse at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram Catholic school in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Some 200 former pupils filed complaints, with about 90 of them concerning sexual abuse. Article 9 of the original text explicitly stated that ministers of religion would not be exempt from mandatory reporting obligations, even for information received “in the exercise of their ministry”, and that no appeal to the seal of confession could override this duty.
