The suggestion by IICSA that the Seal of Confession is violable misunderstands its essence, writes Fr Richard Whinder
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, has recommended a new law requiring anyone working with children to report allegations of sexual abuse to the police, and that those who fail to do so should face prosecution. The report states: “Mandatory reporting… should be an absolute obligation; it should not be subject to expectations based on relationships of confidentiality, religious or otherwise.” In effect, the new law would seek to require Catholic priests to break the Seal of Confession, should an abuser reveal a crime within the context of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
