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1. It would appear that the issue of child abuse has taken a back seat to attacking the Church.
   Yes, there are those within the Church family that have hurt and betrayed us but the sacraments are not open to be judged by the mob that have no idea what they are about.
   The mob mentality that exists against the Church is causing division within it.
   With Bishops and priests insulting the cardinal publically and rejecting Church teaching and law.
   Clearly the state can not compel anyone to break the seal of confession but I pray for those priests and the burdens they carry about all the sins they hear.
   Surely turning one's self in would be the appropriate contrition for such terrible crimes.
   After all Jesus came not to condem but to redeem and that is the point of confession.

   Posted By: Ian Spencer

2. Politicians calling for paedophiles to be reported by priests in spite of the seal of confession must have rocks in their heads.
   How would a priest in a darkened confessional even know who the paedophile was, say at St Francis, where the anonymous guilt ridden go to confession - if, in fact, they do go to confession at all?
   Is the priest to physically restrain the paedophile when he has left the confessional?
   I wonder if Cardinal Pell has had a re-think on his alleged public statement that he would not hear the confession of a paedophile.
   Looks like the forgiveness of Christ has been qualified.

   Posted By: Graham

3. I could not agree more with Bishop Robinson and Fr Dillon.
   This will be a cleansing of the most horrific of sins.
   Anything else pales by comparison.
   I live in hope that the current bishops say to the Cardinal 'You do not make anymore statements on behalf of the rest of the Church'.
   Then start reforms immediatly.
   Simple things like optional celibacy and invovement of the laity would be a good start (and not just an exclusive conservative minority).

   Posted By: Peter H Lyall

4. The seal of confession must never be broken, but there is a very simple answer.
   Why does the confessor refuse to continue once it was established that the sin was paedophilia and advise the sinner that he was unable to hear the confession and advise that he/she goes to the police.
   The sinner should also be told that the confessor has a duty to report this information both to the police and to the bishop.
   There was no confession therefore no seal can be broken.
   However, there is the question of confidentiality and perhaps the denial of absolution etc etc to be considered.
   'Those sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, and those sins you shall they are retained...'
   

   Posted By: Mary Bates

5. I think the Commission is a good thing and that in time, the truth will prevail.
   What some people fail to realize is that it is not up to any of us to break the seal of the confessional just because we think it is 'the right thing to do'.
   Who decides? It begins with one offence; where will it end?
   The Church make Canon Law, not anyone else.
   If Fr Dillon feels like breaking the seal, let him go ahead; but he will be excommunicated immediately as a result and be of no use to anyone.
   

   Posted By: paul

6. How many times do Catholics and others have to be reminded that the seal of the Confessional is binding?
   George Cardinal Pell is wiser than the priest you cite.
   You don't cite Tony Abbott. You simply headline him. Wise priests like Cardinal George Pell don't hear the confessions of priests whom they are quite sure have sexually abused children. They refuse to hear them, and to grant absolution.
   Instead, they recommend the contacting of the police. Of course, yes, there are other options that need to be discussed in the public square, which is where George Cardinal Pell spoke at length about all this to media questioners.
   One possibility is for the priest hearing a confession in the Confessional to make legal and moral recommendation to the person confessing to the sexual abuse of children.
   The fact is, children are sexually abused within families, including allegedly 'good' families. Catholics are certainly not the 'only' or even the major abusers in this can-of-worms sphere.
   If the seal of the Confessional were to be removed about anything or everything (including rape, murder, theft and much else that it evil), the Church itself would be undermined in a way that could never be repaired.
   
   

   Posted By: Dr Susan Reibel Moore

7. Talk of excommunication for any priest who breaks the seal of the confessional is problematic.
   A priest would have to carefully consider his options if he is specifically bound by civil law to report a crime.
   What happens if he decides that he will not comply with the law and takes the risk the offender won't offend again. And if he/she does?
   How will that priest feel if a child is abused or worse?
   He might go to jail but knowing that he hasn't reported someone who goes on to harm another would be an unbearable burden.
   I find it impossible to support what Cardinal Pell and others who advocate breaking the law (of the country) to comply with Cannon Law. The consequences are too great.

   Posted By: Jeff Kevin

8. Let's turn the confessional into an information gathering centre for the police. Let's turn priests into police informers.
   As Dr Susan indicates, where dose this stop? Priests should 'dob in' murderers, rapists, thieves, drug trafficers, pimps, prostitutess maybe even adulterers!
   Let's drive people away from forgiveness and redemption.
   Let's drive people away from God.

   Posted By: deric davidson

9. Susan: It’s no good simply repeating that the Confessional seal is binding; this is what must be re-evaluated. It cannot simply be assumed it’s an untouchable rule.
   There may be cogent reasons for keeping it intact but clearly equally there are reasons why it’s being scrutinised right now.
   Besides, I think the particular thrust of the debate is a partial and conditional, not a uniform, one; namely whether the seal should be subordinate to official reporting in those cases where a sin that is also a serious crime is confessed.
   I don’t think there’s any suggestion that the sorts of things that worry non-criminal minds fit into the category.
   Your warning that the Church would be undermined that could never be repaired might be prophetic in more ways than one: this might indeed be an area that should be demolished and never be repaired if it is found to have been part of the systemic structure that fostered or exacerbated the abuse of authority.
   Moreover, to protest that abuse takes place in families does not in any way invalidate the grounds for re-assessment of the way sacraments of reconciliation are constructed or ministered, and to protest that Catholics are not the major abusers, does not appear to acknowledge the deep disjunction between what church leaders preach and what they have failed to do and the necessity for the church to bravely self-examine.

   Posted By: smk

10. In response to Dr. Susan Reibel Moore may I say, that if 'wise' priests are absolutely sure that priests have sexually abused children they are morally and legally obliged to inform police of these heinous crimes.
    The question of hearing their confession shouldn't even enter into it.
    Let's be clear about this,the Royal Commission was called because of these crimes committed by clergy within the Catholic Church and it is not good enough to say that the case against the church is diminished because other institutions and indeed individuals are guilty of the same crimes.
    The crimes of child sexual abuse are horrendous but if the Royal Commission proves that there were cover-ups or shifting of guilty clerics to other communities to re-offend or indeed to deny victims justice to protect the good name or the assets of the church then the perpetrators of these crimes should be prosecuted no matter what their status in the Catholic Church may be.

    Posted By: John Grace

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