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…