Australia church abuse: Priests 'must report' confessions

[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?