
In 2022, over 70,000 reports of child abuse were reported in Kansas; nearly 1,000 of those came from Lyon County, according to the Child Protective Services intake reports. To combat child abuse, lawmakers have categorized certain professions as mandated reporters. These individuals are required to report any suspected cases of child abuse to the authorities.
Senate Bill 87, which was recently introduced to the Kansas Legislature, would categorize all religious clergy as mandated reporters. This sounds like a great idea, however, the wording of the bill disregards the sanctity of reconciliation, the most important sacrament of Catholicism. As a practicing Catholic, I oppose this bill as it’s currently written.
Reconciliation is an important gift from God. During reconciliation, the priest is acting in persona Christi, he is acting in the person of Christ. A penitent confesses their sins to Christ (the priest) which reconciles their relationship with God, the church and their own person. Afterwards, the penitent is blessed and their soul is free from any stain of sin, the goal of every Catholic.
Historically, Kansas has respected the sanctity and privacy of reconciliation by defining “penitential communication” as a protected and privileged form of communication with Kansas Statute 60-429. This statute is important because Catholic priests are bound by the seal of confession. If a priest breaks this seal, they are excommunicated from the church; they are stripped of their faith of which they have devoted their life.
What happens in the confessional, stays in the confessional.
SB87 specifically mentions “penitential communication privilege” and how it “shall not apply” to this bill. This phrasing is clearly a baseless attack on religious freedom. If I confess that I stole something from my neighbor, could there be a law that would require the priest to tell the police? Where does the infringement stop; where is the privacy?
Do you really think someone would confess that they were abusing their child? Confession is intense, there are still things that I’m working up the courage to confess too; I guarantee something as serious as child abuse is never talked about in the confessional.
If a priest witnesses abuse in a church pew, the parish hall or during youth group, of course the priest should be required to report that incident to the proper officials; in fact, I’m sure most priests already do, it’s part of being a good Catholic. However, specifically targeting a three-minute conversation between a Catholic and Christ is not a good strategy to prevent child abuse.
I’m sure every Catholic person and priest would agree that child abuse is an ungodly, unchristian and unbecoming act. I am also sure that every Catholic person and priest would agree that the seal of confession must never be broken.
Children must be protected, but penitential communication must also be protected.