Catholic Church Warns of Excommunication for Priests Who Obey Washington Law Requiring Child Abuse Confessions to be Reported

The Catholic Church announced that priests will be excommunicated if they follow a new Washington state law requiring clergy to report confessions about child abuse to law enforcement.

The Catholic Church has announced that any priest who violates the sacramental seal of confession to comply with a new Washington state law mandating clergy to report child abuse will face automatic excommunication. The announcement follows the signing of Senate Bill 5375 by Governor Bob Ferguson, which adds clergy to the list of mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, with no exception for information obtained during confession.

The Archdiocese of Seattle issued a statement affirming that priests are absolutely prohibited from disclosing anything revealed during the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and those who do so would be expelled from the Church. “Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church,” the statement emphasized. “All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church.”

While the Archdiocese reaffirmed its strong commitment to protecting children and preventing abuse, it stated clearly that this cannot include violating the confidentiality of confession. Church policy already mandates clergy to report abuse, except when such knowledge is gained solely through confession.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law last week.

“While we remain committed to protecting minors and all vulnerable people from abuse, priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” the Church stated.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has launched an investigation into the law, citing concerns that it infringes upon the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the statute forces priests to choose between their faith and the law. “SB 5375 demands that Catholic priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion that cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government,” she stated.

Dhillon also noted that the law appears to unfairly target clergy by denying them privileges allowed to other mandatory reporters. The DOJ has requested cooperation from the state of Washington in its investigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the law for possible violations of the First Amendment.

The bill is scheduled to take effect on July 26. Washington is currently one of only five U.S. states that does not specifically require clergy to report child abuse, according to a federal report. However, most other states that do mandate such reporting include exemptions for confessional communications—an exception Washington has now removed.

The Archdiocese criticized the law as government overreach and warned of broader implications for religious freedom. “This new law singles out religion and is clearly both government overreach and a double standard,” the Archdiocese stated. “The line between Church and state has been crossed and needs to be walked back. People of every religion in the State of Washington and beyond should be alarmed by this overreach of our Legislature and Governor.”