# Should Catholic priests be required to report crimes admitted in the confessional? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 15, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052 "2012-11-15T01:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/61 "2012-12-05T19:36:36Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Again, you wouldn’t duck into a confessional to have a discussion about someone. It’s for a specific, formalized sacrament, not just a quiet place to have a confidential chat. And, again, it is irrelevant what it is supposed to be if it is being abused and used for something else. We already know that priests and bishops knew about pedophiles and sent them elsewhere. Being able to send a priest elsewhere already goes beyond what confession is supposed to be used for. Also, you don’t have to go to a priest to be forgiven by God. That was the one thing that turned me around about Catholicism. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/62 "2012-12-05T20:38:13Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Yes, besides whatever theological problems I may have with confession, if one is truly remorseful, they should be willing to receive the punishment of the justice system. That doesn’t follow. One may be remorseful but believe the secular justice system is unfairly harsh or biased. Submission to spiritual authority and judgment does not necessitate submission to worldly authority and judgment. I may commit the crime of theft in a country which practices a strict version of Sharia and be genuinely remorseful, but I have no intention of turning myself in and losing a hand. I may be willing to pay restitution or even spend some time in jail, but permanent disability is a punishment which I feel a just god would not demand. I’m not going to turn myself over to a secular justice system which would mete out such a punishment. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/63 "2012-12-06T19:43:57Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And, again, it is irrelevant what it is supposed to be if it is being abused and used for something else. We already know that priests and bishops knew about pedophiles and sent them elsewhere. Being able to send a priest elsewhere already goes beyond what confession is supposed to be used for. Sorry for any confusion. I was reacting to **Manda JO** ’s post about "Is there any evidence that Catholic authorities used the seal of the confessional to conceal their cover ups? You know, something like “Hey, Frank, we had a disturbing report about that new guy we got from . .. " “Wait, no, don’t tell me. Let’s step into the confessional before we discuss him”.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/64 "2012-12-06T21:52:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And, again, it is irrelevant what it is supposed to be if it is being abused and used for something else. We already know that priests and bishops knew about pedophiles and sent them elsewhere. Being able to send a priest elsewhere already goes beyond what confession is supposed to be used for. I guess I am still not sure what you mean here. A priest who hears another priest’s confession is bound to not reveal that, even to other priests and bishops. So if they learned of abuse, it wasn’t through what was said in Confession. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/65 "2012-12-07T02:54:17Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I have no problems with making priests mandatory reporters as we do with teachers, therapists, and the like regardless of confessional seals. Problem is, those professions all depend on licensure by the state to practice. We put teeth into those laws with the threat of revocation of licensure. We cannot make a law defining what a preist is or who is eligible for preisthood, any attempts to do so are going to run afoul of SOCAS legislation. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/66 "2012-12-07T10:58:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But if I meet someone at a party, and they tell me they are a child molester, I will certainly contact the authorities, but I shouldn’t be legally required to do so. Why shouldn’t you be? I live in a country where not reporting a known crime is itself a crime, and I’m fine with that. Citizens in some circumstances can be empowered with what is usually police powers (citizen arrest, traffic regulation…), are involved in judicial process (jurors), I’m not sure why they shouldn’t have a duty to report crimes too. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052/67 "2012-12-07T11:04:42Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Sorry for any confusion. I was reacting to **Manda JO** ’s post about "Is there any evidence that Catholic authorities used the seal of the confessional to conceal their cover ups? You know, something like “Hey, Frank, we had a disturbing report about that new guy we got from . .. " “Wait, no, don’t tell me. Let’s step into the confessional before we discuss him”.” Right, and my point is that since it’s the cover up, not the abuse, that is the issue, worrying about the confessional is kind of a red herring. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-catholic-priests-be-required-to-report-crimes-admitted-in-the-confessional/641052.md?page=3)