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JD Flynn's avatar

Hey all, as we return to Substack and comments get underway, may I remind you that our only comment policy is Christian charity -- which means treating both interlocutor and the subjects of discussion as members of the body of Christ, in accord with their dignity.

This basically doesn't preclude even the strongest disagreements, but exhorts that disagreement is undertaken with an excess of charity.

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Cajun Power's avatar

No one is going to confess to violations of criminal law if there is a chance that they'll be reported. Or if they do confess, they'll do so anonymously. The idea that removing the priest-penitent privilege will stop abuse is absurd.

I'm sure that Fr. Connell has probably seen the worst of the worst, and it rightly sickens him, but this just isn't really a solution.

Moreover, it's an extremely slippery slope. There's no real reason why sexual abuse should be reported but not murder, or theft, or bribery, etc. Once the inviolable becomes violable, it's over. Yes, you can argue that sexual abuse is the most heinous crime, and therefore shouldn't be subject to the priest-penitent privilege, but that's ultimately a matter of degree, not principle.

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