Washington state’s new law forces Catholic priests to choose between jail time or violating sacred Catholic sacraments by reporting what they hear in the confessional booth.
At a Glance
- Washington bishops have filed a federal lawsuit against a new law requiring clergy to report child abuse with no exception for confessional secrecy
- Senate Bill 5375, signed by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson, makes priests mandatory reporters with potential criminal penalties including imprisonment
- The Catholic Church argues the law violates the First Amendment and targets their faith by forcing priests to break the sacred seal of confession
- Unlike similar laws in most other states, Washington’s legislation provides no religious exemption for clergy-penitent privilege
- The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the law, labeling it “anti-Catholic”
Big Government Targets Religious Freedom Again
Here we go again, folks. Another Democrat-controlled state government is trampling all over the Constitution and centuries of religious tradition. Washington state’s bishops have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new law that would force Catholic priests to violate the sacred seal of confession by reporting child abuse allegations heard during the sacrament. This isn’t just government overreach — it’s a direct assault on religious liberty that would make our Founding Fathers roll over in their graves.
Senate Bill 5375, signed by Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson (who conveniently identifies as Catholic when it suits his political agenda), designates clergy as mandatory reporters of child abuse without any exception for the priest-penitent privilege. The law effectively creates an impossible choice for priests: violate your sacred religious oath and centuries of church teaching, or face criminal penalties including imprisonment. This is exactly the kind of religious persecution the First Amendment was designed to prevent.
A Thinly Veiled Attack on Faith
Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here. This isn’t about protecting children — it’s about targeting religion. If Washington state was truly concerned about child safety, they wouldn’t be singling out one of the most sacred practices of the Catholic Church. The lawsuit, titled Etienne v. Ferguson, argues that the law violates both the First Amendment’s religious freedom protections and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. And they’re absolutely right.
“It’s hard to imagine a more brazen attack on faith than state bureaucrats policing the sacrament of confession.” – Mark Rienzi.
Becket, a religious liberty law firm representing the bishops, points out the obvious: this law is designed to force Catholic priests to choose between their faith and state law. What’s particularly telling is that most other states that designate clergy as mandatory reporters include specific exemptions for confidential communications during religious confession. Not Washington. They’re deliberately targeting a 2,000-year-old religious practice that Catholics believe is divinely ordained.
The Left’s Hypocrisy on Full Display
Governor Ferguson, who claims to be Catholic himself, had the audacity to say: “I’m disappointed my Church is filing a federal lawsuit to protect individuals who abuse kids.” This statement reveals either a profound ignorance of Catholic teaching or a willful misrepresentation designed to score political points. The Church isn’t protecting abusers — it’s protecting a sacred sacrament that Catholics believe is essential for spiritual healing and salvation.
“Washington’s law isn’t about protecting kids — it’s about jailing priests for following the Church’s ancient faith practices. We’re asking the court to step in and stop the state from turning a sanctuary for the soul into a tool of surveillance.” – Mark Rienzi.
The irony here is staggering. The same progressives who preach endlessly about respecting religious diversity and cultural traditions have no problem steamrolling over 2,000 years of Catholic practice when it suits their political agenda. The Washington State Catholic Conference had previously supported a version of the bill that included exceptions for confession — a reasonable compromise. But that wasn’t good enough for the radical left that controls Washington state.
Standing Up for Constitutional Rights
Thank God the Trump administration’s Justice Department has launched an investigation into this unconstitutional law, correctly identifying it as “anti-Catholic.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly forbids priests from divulging confessions under any circumstances, including death. This isn’t some arbitrary rule — it’s a foundational element of Catholic spiritual practice that predates the United States itself. Forcing priests to violate this sacred trust is no different than forcing a Muslim to eat pork or a Jew to work on the Sabbath.
What’s particularly infuriating is that priests already report abuse they learn about through means outside the confessional. The Church has implemented extensive measures to combat clergy sexual abuse in recent decades. But that’s not enough for the secular progressive zealots in Washington state government, who seem determined to use state power to reshape religious practice according to their own ideology. This isn’t just unconstitutional — it’s un-American to the core.
The bottom line is simple: If this law is allowed to stand, no religious practice in America is safe from government interference. Today it’s Catholic confession, tomorrow it could be any religious practice that doesn’t align with progressive orthodoxy. The First Amendment was designed precisely to prevent this kind of government intrusion into matters of faith. Let’s hope the courts remember that.
