THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, Canberra, has already passed a law requiring religious organisations to fall under mandatory reporting conducting scheme. This is extended to the seal of confession wherein the priest has to report any form of abuse within 30 days to the authorities concerned. The confession provision will take effect on March 31, 2019. There are protests galore in Australia with several archbishops coming out against the new law on the confession of penitents saying the confession is to God and the priest is just a mediator. Melbourne Archbishop Dennis Hart has said he will rather go to jail than divulge confessional secrets.
Diocese of Canterbury under the Church of England has told Christians they should not divulge sex abuse secrets to clergy as the priest will be reporting it to the relevant authorities. Church of England canon law states information divulged during confessions must be kept a secret. This was reported by the media in England. In Kerala, the Orthodox Church is reeling under severe criticisms following the complaint lodged by a woman and her husband that she was repeatedly exploited following the confessions she has made before a clergy. She has complained that the priest to whom she had confided had later passed on this information to another priest who also started blackmailing and exploiting her.
Public relations officer of Kerala Catholic Bishops’ conference Fr Jimmy Poochakattu told Express “This is the Anglican Church and we cannot comment on this matter.” Reji Njellani of Open Church Movement said “Confessions if found to be of sexual abuse in nature, should be reported to the police. The priest should take decisions based on civil and criminal laws of the countries concerned where they are doing service and not canon law.”
V K Joy of Joint Christian Council said “The priests are indeed utilising the believers who are confessing before them. They ask unnecessary questions and try to exploit them. K P Shibu, who passed away recently, was a priest of a Catholic congregation and in his book ‘Oru Vaidikante Hridayam’ he has clearly exposed how the priests exploit children, society ladies, nuns and women whose husbands are abroad.”
Social activist Sebastian Vattamattom said state intervention is a must. The question is whether the Catholic and Orthodox Churches would initiate reforms and the clergy report the confessions of penitents to the authorities concerned. If that happens it will be a big movement in the history of the Church.