Australia church abuse: Priests 'must report' confessions

[Anomalocaris]

The Catholic heads are saying we will not comply because we report to a higher authority!

The higher authority has proved to be wanting. So power to the people. Next.

---

Glob...

This whole story is based on confession and the right the church has to keep that confession silent...

Now what happens when the gub-ment can force the church to reveal anyone's confessions? People will simply stop confessing.

Now at least you have some over site and some disciplinary action taken from with in the church, force the confessions.. you will have nothing.

1. How is a confession kept from being used to prosecute the guilty and alerting appropriate, non-pedophile infested, sources of help for the victim different from nothing, Drich?

2. Why are you so eager to keep confessions from pinning down the guilty and alerting proporiate sources of help for the victim, Drich?

3. Your church protecting you over your victims won't allow you to sleep easier at night, Drich.

[Cyberman]

Police =/= Government. Just saying the bleeding obvious.

[Minimalist]

Glob...

This whole story is based on confession and the right the church has to keep that confession silent...

Now what happens when the gub-ment can force the church to reveal anyone's confessions? People will simply stop confessing.

Now at least you have some over site and some disciplinary action taken from with in the church, force the confessions.. you will have nothing.

Your consistency is amazing dripshit.  You are ALWAYS a dickhead.

[Aoi Magi]

Glob...

This whole story is based on confession and the right the church has to keep that confession silent...

Now what happens when the gub-ment can force the church to reveal anyone's confessions? People will simply stop confessing.

Now at least you have some over site and some disciplinary action taken from with in the church, force the confessions.. you will have nothing.

The whole supposed point of a confession is supposed to be an escape from one's own sins. That is where the confidential part comes in. Being abused is not a sin of the child and them confessing is just them asking for help, and when an adult they are confessing to is incapable of helping the child themselves, I believe they are morally obligated to find some actual help for the child.

Also, most of the confessions are about crimes, whether real or made-up, so why shouldn't the authorities be aware of it? If a crime is being confessed and nothing is being done about it, isn't it the same as not confessing in the first place?

[Catholic_Lady]

Catholic clerics should face criminal charges if they do not report sexual abuse disclosed to them during confession, an Australian inquiry has recommended

The inquiry had heard harrowing tales of abuse, which were never passed on to the relevant authorities.
The Church has indicated it will oppose altering the rules around confession.  (why???)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40920714

It's because a big part of confession's defining characteristic is that it remain 100% confidential. If a person confesses a horrible crime they have committed, the priest's responsibility is to guide that person to take ownership with the law, as penance. But they cannot reveal to anyone anything that was said to them in the confessional, no matter how bad it was. The confidentiality of it is part of the sacrement.

And of course, it can also be argued that the people who confess to crimes in a confessional but don't turn themselves over to police, would never have confessed in the first place if they were not promised confidentiality. Making confession not confidential anymore would just mean no one would confess to crimes anyway, defeating the whole purpose of this proposed law.

[Anomalocaris]

CL:  

What value is a confession where the confessee has no intention of making meaningful restitution and take socially mandated consequences for his crime?

It's only purpose is to allow the confessee to undeservedly feel better about himself while leaving the victim just as victimized and uncompensated as before, while the church benefits from this grotesque transaction by binding the criminal more closely to the self-aggrandizing, self enriching purpose of the church.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Remember, without faith in god, you cannot be moral.

[Minimalist]

CL:  

What value is a confession where the confessee has no intention of making meaning restitution and take socially mandated consequences for his crime?

It's only purpose is to allow the confessee to undeservedly feel better about himself while leaving the victim just as victimized and uncompensated before, while the church benefits from this grotesque transaction by binding the criminal more closely to the self-aggrandizing, self enriching purpose of the church.

The whole point of "confession" is so that the pervert priest can be told that pappy jesus forgives him...now don't do it again until next time.

[Mr.wizard]

I don't understand the argument that "if it wasn't 100% confidential that the criminal wouldn't confess", ok maybe that's true but what good is the confession if if it's kept confidential? Justice will not be served and you put the rest of community at risk by not telling the authorities.

[Catholic_Lady]

CL:  

What value is a confession where the confessee has no intention of making meaning restitution and take socially mandated consequences for his crime?

It's only purpose is to allow the confessee to undeservedly feel better about himself while leaving the victim just as victimized and uncompensated before, while the church benefits from this grotesque transaction by binding the criminal more closely to the self-aggrandizing, self enriching purpose of the church.

Except when the priest instructs the confessee to turn themselves in, they are required to do so if they want their confession to be valid. You need to be truly sorry for what you have done in order to be forgiven in confession. If you are truly sorry for a crime, you will turn yourself in. If you don't, that means you weren't truly sorry and therefore won't be forgiven.