Catholic bishops resist blue state law, say they will ‘obey God rather than men’

The Catholic bishop in Washington is resisting a new law signed by the democratic ruler, Bob Ferguson, who say he will violate the stamp of recognition, which will lead to the expulsion of any priest who corresponds to.

Spokan and Washington, Bishop Thomas Daly, issued a statement in response to the law in which he said he and priests “committed to maintaining the conclusion of confession – even to the point of going to prison.”

The new law, signed by Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson, who is Catholic, added “members of the clergy” to a list of professionals wanted to report information related to child abuse or neglect of law enforcement, and the procedure does not provide an exception to the information provided in confession. The law is scheduled to enter into force on July 26.

One of the central principle of the Catholic secrets of recognition is that the priests are obligated with an absolute seal of secrecy, a commitment that requires them to maintain anything that he secretly learns. The violation of this principle results in the so -called “expulsion”, which cuts the person from the Church and eternal life, according to Catholic teaching.

The Ministry of Justice is an investigation into the Washington State Law, “Ma’alit Al -Catholicism”, which requires clerics to report the abuse of children

While Dali said that his diocese has a zero tolerance policy regarding sexual assault on children and that the church “will do everything in our power to maintain the safety of your children”, he said that “the secret of atonement is sacred and will remain in this way in the diocese of Spokan.”

The Archbishop of Seattle Paul Etienne frame the case as an issue about whether the clergy was “responsible for God or the state.”

It quoted the lane of the Bible that reads, “We must obey God instead of men.”

“This is our position now in the face of this new law. Catholic clerics may not violate the conclusion of confession – or they will be expelled from the church,” Etien said.

Paul Mauro says that the choice of the American Pope “cannot be an accident.”

Democrat Bob Fergon won the 2024 Washington Governor’s governor, who defeated Republican rival Dave Richert. (Getty Images)

Etienne said that the law reduces the prohibition of the first amendment to the state, either the creation or prohibiting the free practice of religion.

“Once the state affirms the right to dictate religious practices and create information obtained within this secret – the distinctive communication – where is the line draw between the church and the state? What may the state now require the right to know? What are other religious practices that you will try to legislate?” The head of the bishops asked.

On Monday, the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice opened an investigation into the Possible Violations Act of Religious Protection of the first amendment process.

A statement issued by the division said that the new law “comes out” members of the clergy as “the only” supervisors “who may not depend on the applicable legal privileges, including religious confessions, as a defense of compulsory reporting.”

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Bishop Paul Etienne is a pioneering Catholic cleric for Seattle. (Reuters/Chris Hilgerin)

“It appears that the law is unique to the clergy as it is not entitled to confirm the applicable privileges, compared to other reporters.”

“We take this matter seriously and we look forward to the cooperation of Washington State with our investigation,” Delhin said.

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Bishop Joseph Tyson, from Yakima, Washington, posted on Facebook that he was grateful for an investigation into the Ministry of Justice, saying that the bishops’ attempts to meet the ruler on the law were not answered.

Tyson said: “I realize that many may differ, but in a way that is equivalent to the customer’s privilege for the lawyer, the conclusion of confession allows the good to do moral accountability and guilt,” Tyson said. “We want to hope and pray that the heart of the perpetrator will move through the mercy of God and the directives of the clerics that are skilled to the extent that it will necessarily lead to a confrontation outside the seal of secrets by enforcement of the law.”

Ferguson did not respond to the Fox News Digital request for comment.

Landon Mion from Fox News Digital contributed to this article.