Frankfort, KY (January 7, 2003) – The Catholic
Conference of Kentucky announced today its opposition to proposed legislation
before the 2003 Kentucky General Assembly. Representative Susan Westrom of
Lexington has introduced a legislative proposal, House Bill 58, which would
remove the clergy-penitent protections in reporting instances of child abuse
or neglect. CCK views the proposed legislation as an assault on the First
Amendment’s guarantees to practice one's religion free of government
interference.
According to Vincent E. Senior, CCK’s Executive Director,
"The confidentiality of the confessional is at the very heart of the Catholic
faith and must not be infringed upon by state government. If this legislation
passes, it would seriously damage the historical inviolability of the seal of
confession." In fact, a priest may not violate the seal of confession even to
save his own life. Any priest who violates the seal of confession faces
automatic excommunication from the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic
Church (No. 1467) cites the Code of Canon Law (No. 1388.1) in
addressing this issue, which states, "A confessor who directly violates the
seal of confession incurs an automatic excommunication reserved to the
Apostolic See; if he does so only indirectly, he is to be punished in accord
with the seriousness of the offense."
The right of each American to practice his or her own
religion, or no religion at all, is a fundamental freedom guaranteed by the
Bill of Rights. CCK is calling on Kentucky’s General Assembly to recognize the
Constitutional issues that HB 58 presents. According to Senior, "Americans
enjoy a degree of religious freedom unlike any in the world and I doubt if
this legislation would pass a Constitutional test."
The Catholic Conference of Kentucky is the public policy
agency of the state’s four Roman Catholic Bishops.
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