Catholic Church won't break seal of confession, but will consider voluntary celibacy

Australia's Catholic leaders have vowed the church's shameful child sexual abuse history will never be repeated.

Catholic Religious Australia president Sister Monica Cavanagh and Archbishop Mark Coleridge deliver the Church's response. Source: AAP

The Australian report was completed after consultation with the Vatican.

The leaders vowed the Catholic Church's shameful history of priests and others in its ranks sexually abusing children will never be repeated, pledging accountability and a plan of action in response to a royal commission's call for sweeping reforms.

But Archbishop Coleridge said they would not yield to the royal commission's call to break the seal of confession to reveal child sexual abuse, saying it contrary to their faith and would hamper religious liberty.

Priests won't report information relating to child sex abuse made in confession.

AAP

 

"This isn't because we regard ourselves as being above the law, but because we don't think the safety of children is supremely important - we do. But we don't accept that safeguarding and the seal are mutually exclusive," said Archbishop Coleridge.

He said the call to abolish priest privilege showed a lack of understanding of what happens in confession and it could even make children "less safe".

"Were trusting inviolability of the seal undermined, any child mentioning this to a priest would also be seriously diminished, any chance of a priest to impress upon the victim they need to inform responsible adults, outside confession, and find a way to safety, would also be lost."