By Paige Cockburn.The Catholic Church will not accept the royal commission's recommendation to lift the seal of confession regarding child sex abuse, arguing it impinges on religious liberties. Key points:
The Catholic Church says the one recommendation it cannot accept is breaking the seal of confession
They argue it would be harmful to religious liberty and not improve child safety
Voluntary celibacy for some clergy will now be examined;
It is also accepted that canon law be amended to make child sexual abuse a canonical crime, not a 'moral failing'
Almost nine months after the commission's findings were handed down, the Church has delivered its formal reply.
It said it would not change secrecy rules, meaning clergy do not have to report abuse revealed in the confessional.
"This is because it is contrary to our faith and inimical to religious liberty," the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) and Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) said in their response.
"We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people while maintaining the seal.
"We do not see the seal as mutually exclusive."
The Catholic bodies used their response to argue that children would be less safe if mandatory reporting of confessions was required.
A perpetrator or victim might be less likely to raise abuse in confession if confidence in the sacramental seal was undermined, the response said.
"So an opportunity would be lost to encourage a perpetrator to self-report to civil authorities or victims to seek safety," it said.
Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge, who spoke at a press conference in Sydney this morning, said breaking the seal also had practical limits, as most confessions were anonymous."If I am a confessor and someone comes to me anonymously and confesses abusing a child, without identifying the victim, what am I supposed to do?" he said."[Tell] the police … 'someone whose name I don't know, who is anonymous, has confessed to abusing a child, the identity of whom I don't [know] either'."
However, the Catholic Church has accepted that cannon law should be amended to make child sex abuse a canonical crime, not a "moral failing".
Archbishop 'doubts' voluntary celibacy rules will change soon.The Church also said it would consider a recommendation from the commission on voluntary celibacy.
The ACBC said expert theological and canonical advice will be sought on changing canon laws so celibacy is not mandatory."Inadequate initial and continuing formation of priests … for celibate living may have contributed to a heightened risk of child sexual abuse," the response said.
"[But] … the royal commission made no finding of a causal connection between celibacy and child sexual abuse."
Archbishop Coleridge nevertheless said there was a "dark side" to celibacy."I am the first to admit that," he said.
But he recognised that the roots of voluntary celibacy were deep. "Will [this change] happen soon? I doubt it."
www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-31/catholic-response-to-royal-commission-child-sex-abuse/10183020 | 
