France rebukes bishop who said sex abuse revealed at confession would stay secret
Paris, FranceReuters France’s top bishop has been summoned by the interior minister after saying that the pact of secrecy would prevent a priest from reporting sex crimes against children that were revealed during Catholic confession. Following the publication of a report this week about sexual abuse of children by the clergy, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, who […]
Sight-Seeing: It’s time for evangelicalism to embrace the act of confession
SKYE JETHANI, in an article first published on Religion News Service, looks at the importance of the practice of confession…
Some US Catholics suffer sacramental withdrawal as virtual confessions are ruled out
San Antonio, USRNS Annie Gonzales wants to confess her sins. COVID-19 has made that impossible. Father Brian Mahoney raises his arms during a confession held in the parking lot, due to the coronavirus outbreak, at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, US, on 6th April. After Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued an […]
ESSAY: WHY ENDING THE SECRECY OF ‘CONFESSION’ IS SO CONTROVERSIAL FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
In an article first published on The Conversation, Mathew Schmalz, professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in the US, looks at why the act of confession is so important in the Catholic Church…
Vatican says states cannot force priests to violate seal of confession
Vatican CityReuters The Vatican on Monday reaffirmed Catholic teaching that priests cannot reveal what they learn in confession, in an apparent response to moves in Australia and elsewhere to force them to do so in cases of sexual abuse. A document from the Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, which deals with issues of the sacrament of confession, […]
ESSAY: TAKING STOCK OF THE CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE CRISIS – TRANSPARENCY
US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE, in the final of a series of three articles first published on Religion News Service, looks at how the Catholic Church can increase transparency…
THE BIG PICTURE: ‘PUT YOUR MIND AT REST…’
See OUTREACH MEDIA’s November poster…
ESSAY: ABANDONING CELIBACY WON’T STOP SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS
US Catholic priest THOMAS REESE, in an article first published on Religion News Service, responds to the recommendations of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse…