Washington state attorney general agrees to protect seal of confession

(The Center Square) – The Washington State Attorney General’s Office reported on Friday that it has reached an agreement with the Catholic Church over a new abuse reporting law. The agreement stipulates that clergy are still mandatory reporters of child abuse, but it includes an exception for information learned exclusively during the Sacrament of Confession. A federal court blocked the Office of the Attorney General, or AGO, from enforcing the law in July, just days before it was set to take effect. Senate Bill 5375 required Washington clergy members, including priests, ministers, rabbis and other people to act as mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. The preliminary injunction barred Washington state from enforcing provisions that require those clergy members to report what they learn under the seal of confession. The AGO filed stipulations on Friday that make the injunctions permanent, requiring clergy to report only what they learn outside of confession.