SPOKANE, Wash. – A new law in Washington requiring clergy to report suspected child abuse, even if revealed during confession, is facing legal challenges from several Catholic bishops, including Spokane’s Bishop Thomas Daly.
Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5375 into law last month. The law mandates that clergy become mandatory reporters of child abuse with no exceptions for confessional information.
Failure to comply could result in criminal charges, while violating the confessional seal could lead to excommunication.
The Diocese of Spokane, led by Bishop Daly, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the law is unconstitutional.
The church leadership declined to comment, but a parishioner from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes shared their perspective.
“I don’t really see it as a valid religious freedom issue. Protecting children should be the utmost… there’s kids that are abused and it affects them their whole life,” Julian Matthews, a parishioner, said.
Priests at the cathedral have been advised to refrain from commenting as the legal process continues. The law is set to take effect on July 27.
