Confidence in the confessional is vital, says Fr Gary Dench
On 20 October 2022 the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report. There had been much speculation as to the recommendations it would make regarding the internal governance of the Catholic Church and its doctrinal teachings.
One recommendation was the introduction of mandatory reporting. This is an already well-established procedure within the Church outside of sacramental Confession. Where clergy have suspicions about the abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult they are to make those concerns known to the appropriate authority. The report, however, goes further in setting out that this obligation is “absolute” and that it would unjustifiable to “provide exemptions for some faith-based settings or personnel and, in particular, in the context of sacramental confession”.
