Latest news with #SacramentofReconciliation
Newsweek
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
DOJ Sues Against Law That Church Threatened To Excommunicate Priests Over
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against a new law that demands priests report child abuse revealed during private confession. One American Archbishop and other Catholic Church figures warned priests will be excommunicated for obiding by Washington State's new law set to take effect on July 27. Why It Matters The issue spotlights the enduring tension between religious freedom and the state's duty to protect children from abuse. The laws proponents argue it's necessary to help safeguard against child abuse, while critics argue that compelling clergy to breach the confessional seal damages their ability to practise religion freely. The outcome may influence how other states approach mandated reporting requirements for clergy, especially as constitutional and civil rights groups enter the debate. Stock image shows a priest in the confessional recites the rosary awaiting penitent. Stock image shows a priest in the confessional recites the rosary awaiting penitent. Getty Images What To Know The Democrat-led state of Washington passed a law in May requiring clergy to report any suspected child abuse and neglect learned during confession, which was previously exempt, within 48 hours of hearing of it. The Archdiocese of Seattle responded, saying: "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession—or they will be excommunicated from the Church." Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle said: "Priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation." The Justice Department's lawsuit backed the Catholic leaders in a legal filing on Monday, arguing the law "unlawfully targets clergy and, specifically, Catholic priests" and "directly interferes with and substantially burdens this sacred rite" of confession. "Complying with [new law] SB 5375 under these circumstances would place Catholic priests fundamentally at odds with the core tenets and beliefs of their religion, and even prohibit them from continuing to serve as priests in the Catholic church," it added. "Under Catholic canon law, priests are "prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to the detriment of the penitent even when any danger of revelation is excluded." Washington Senator Noel Frame, a Democrat who sponsored the initial bill, has rejected church leaders' talk of excommunicating priests, and suggested the church change its own rules. "I am reminded that Canon law has changed many times over the years in the Catholic faith and there's nothing to say they cannot change their rules to allow the reporting of real time abuse and neglect of children," she told NPR last month. "That is within their power to change and I think they should so." The Justice Department, in a news release announcing the lawsuit, argued the bill "violates the free exercise of religion for all Catholics, and requires Catholic priests to violate the confidentiality seal of Confession" and would deprive them of the free exercise of religion, something protected under the first amendment and the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. They added that this would subject them to "immediate excommunication from the Catholic Church." What People Are Saying Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., told Newsweek via email on Tuesday: "The DoJ has a history of intervening where States impose laws that appear to impinge on citizens' rights to practice religion freely. In so doing, it is upholding rights enshrined by the First Amendment. While the Washington Senate Bill may be making the headlines now, it's just the latest in a long line of state laws that have fallen foul of Constitutional rights." Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a release: "Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society. Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion." In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, who signed the law, said: "It is disappointing, but not surprising, to see the DOJ seek to shield and protect child abusers." What Happens Next The law is set to go into effect on July 27. Meanwhile, it is facing another lawsuit from bishops of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the dioceses of Spokane and Yakima who raised concerns about religious freedom.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Diocese announces Mass, observances to close Eucharistic Revival
The Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese will mark the closing of Eucharistic Revival in the Catholic church in America with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Mark L. Bartchak at 5 p.m. June 22 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona. Prior to the liturgy, the faithful will have the opportunity for Eucharistic adoration beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing throughout the afternoon. At 3 p.m., a holy hour for vocations will be prayed, and priests will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed at 4 p.m. for the intention of welcoming Catholics home to the church, and at 4:15 p.m., Bartchak will lead a Eucharistic procession inside the cathedral, leading up to the Mass. The national Eucharistic Revival has been a three-year movement by the bishops of the United States to educate and inspire Catholics to re-ignite their personal relationship with Christ through the Holy Eucharistic.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- The Independent
A million people make wilderness pilgrimage to honour 13th-century Virgin Mary icon
Pilgrims, their faces and vibrant flamenco dresses coated in dust, congregated around an ox-driven carriage carrying the icon of the Virgin Mary. They had journeyed for nearly 12 hours on foot, horseback, and wagon, traversing the rugged dirt roads to reach this sacred destination. As festive flamenco music faded and revellers set aside their drinks, the Catholic faithful gathered among the pine trees, a few miles from the hamlet of El Rocío, to pray the evening rosary. Meme Morales, a long-time pilgrim since the early 1990s, reflected on the dual nature of the pilgrimage. "One can drink and hang out. Our best friends are here. But it's essential to pray," she said, accompanied by her two daughters. "The Virgin is something that forms part of our life." The veneration of the Rocío Virgin has been a tradition since the main icon was discovered near the village in Andalusia around the end of the 13th century. It has grown into one of world's largest, most unique Catholic pilgrimages. For days before Pentecost weekend, about a million people do the 'romería del Rocío' in swirling clouds of dust that's as pervasive and natural as the faithful's devotion. Feast and faith as pilgrims make their way It looks like a rolling, wild party, even among the religious brotherhoods, more than 130 of whom participate, taking different paths from around the region and as distant as Brussels. Morales' group is the Triana brotherhood. From when they break camp around dawn until well into the night, they sing flamenco songs, many specific to each brotherhood — accompanied by guitar and rhythmic clapping. Homemade food and copious amounts of water, beer and sherry are shared with friends and strangers alike. But there are prayers at every break along the country paths, priests to hear confession at day's end, conversations about the pope, mission trips and social outreach, even solemn Masses in the fields. 'Without that, this wouldn't make any sense. It would be a picnic,' said Patricia Rodríguez Galinier, who oversees liturgical celebrations for the Triana brotherhood. Based in a neighbourhood by the same name in Seville, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) away, it's one of the largest and oldest, founded more than 200 years ago. Rodríguez had just helped set up Mass by the Triana 'simpecado' — meaning 'without sin.' It refers to their version of the icon of the Virgin, carried by an ox-driven cart covered in silver and fresh flowers. At each night's camp, wagons are set in a circle and people gather to worship through the night. With the oxen tied to small trees and some riders still on horses in the 90-degree weather (33 Celsius), more than 700 faithful listened to the homily by their spiritual director, the Rev. Manuel Sánchez. He quoted Pope Leo XIV's first public words about God's love for everyone — adding, to laughter, that love included those at that moment receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation behind the wagon still grasping their beer bottles. 'There's a profound sense of spontaneity in El Rocío … just like in the Gospel when Jesus goes to have dinner with folks,' Sánchez said later. 'We have a lot of time to come to God crying in life, but that's not El Rocío.' Popular devotion rooted in a place at the margins One reason for the pilgrimage's down-to-earth nature is El Rocío's location, in the wetlands and sand dunes of the Guadalquivir River's estuary, said Juan Carlos González Faraco, a University of Huelva professor who has studied the pilgrimage. Until the last few decades, when large-scale greenhouse farming and natural protected areas have taken over, it was a malaria-prone wilderness frequented mostly by cattle and horse ranchers. That's allowed the centuries-old pilgrimage tradition to continue without the strictness of other places of devotion to Mary. It has stayed in the hands of the brotherhoods instead of the institutional church, said González. He's a member of the main brotherhood from Almonte, the closest town to the sanctuary that manages its white church filled with golden images and orange sand from the pilgrims' footsteps. Its president, Santiago Padilla, spent hours at the sanctuary's doors Saturday, solemnly welcoming each brotherhood as they arrived. 'They come laden with intentions, supplications, prayers. And it's the moment we shake their hands, we hug and we give thanks to the Virgin for this pilgrimage they made,' said Padilla, whose family has been pilgrims for generations. A return to countryside roots Padilla wore an impeccably white jacket and formal riding kit, like many members of the brotherhoods who do the pilgrimage on horseback. Women wear shawls and long, flaring dresses or skirts — to better ride sideways on horses and protect themselves from the brush and the sun. Such outfits might look like Spanish stereotypes, but they pay homage to the working traditions of many families from the area. 'Everything that has a good presence takes us a bit closer to God,' said Ignacio Sabater Wasaldúa, the Triana brotherhood leader. He rode horses this year alongside his son, helping lead the dozens of wagons and thousands of pilgrims on foot. The brotherhoods stress that their commitment to Christian life transcends one yearly pilgrimage — though it draws inspiration from it and they wouldn't consider missing it. 'El Rocío should be a model for society, with affection and solidarity,' Sabater said. Triana, for instance, maintains a chapel with daily Masses and brings nearly 200 youth from marginalised backgrounds to the brotherhood's house in El Rocío for a summer camp. 'I'm a rociera the whole year,' said Macarena Ruíz, who started participating in the late 1980s and whose three children are camp counsellors. Despite Spain' s growing secularisation, youth remain involved in the pilgrimage, whether to maintain a family tradition, make new friends or live out their faith. This year, Triana's youth group organised Eucharistic adoration late into the second night at camp. 'That's the assurance that this will not be lost,' said Esperanza García Rivero, whose grandfather took his wagon on the pilgrimage in the 1940s. Sweat and tears before Mary, mother of God Hidden beneath the traditions and the festivities, many pilgrims are motivated by promises they made to the Virgin. After a double mastectomy for breast cancer, Paloma Maria had a large Mary tattoo designed between her shoulders. 'It's her who takes care of me. My Rocío Virgin is everything for me,' said the young woman from Cordoba. Maria Mendoza also came to give thanks when, together with García and her close Triana friends, she walked into the sanctuary Saturday after the brotherhood was formally received in front of it. More pilgrimage events awaited, culminating in Sunday night's final procession of the Rocío icon to visit every brotherhood in town. It's a massive scrum that lasts hours, after which the faithful make their long return journeys, on foot, horses and carts. But this was the first moment when the women were finally face to face with their Virgin. Tears quickly mixed with sweat and dust on their faces. 'So many thoughts swirling, for you, for your friends … it's just an explosion,' Sara de la Haza whispered. Then someone in the crowd intoned the Triana's salute to the Virgin. The friends wiped their eyes and started joyfully singing — 'You are the white dove, you are what I've loved the most since the day I was born.' ___
Herald Malaysia
23-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Focusing on Jesus and hope beyond the prison
Easter 2025 brought profound spiritual meaning and joy to inmates across nine prisons within the Diocese of Penang. May 23, 2025 Msgr Henry Rajoo with the faith sharers and Deputy Director of Penjara Seberang Jaya after the Easter celebration at Jawi Prison. By Chan Lilian Easter 2025 brought profound spiritual meaning and joy to inmates across nine prisons within the Diocese of Penang. For the first time in several facilities, the celebrations included not only Mass and Confession, but also the deeply moving and humbling ritual of the washing of feet. This powerful gesture brought many to tears, stirring hearts in unexpected and transformative Jawi Prison, Msgr Henry Rajoo, accompanied by ten faith sharers from the Penang Diocesan Prison Ministry (PDPM), led a heartfelt Easter celebration. The inmates — referred to as prospects — were visibly moved during the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as hymns of repentance resonated through the hall. Many were especially touched by the song As I Have Done for You, a powerful reminder of Jesus' boundless love and the washing of the feet, a PDPM faith sharer explained in Bahasa Malaysia: We are here today to remember the final days of Jesus Christ. When the priest washes your feet, remember that Jesus also knelt to wash His disciples' feet in love and humility. God loves you that much. So, pray for strength and hope — not only for yourselves but for your families too.'Msgr Henry delivered his homily in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, and Tamil, ensuring every one of the fifty Christian and Catholic inmates could fully receive the message. His words of hope rang clear and true: 'If you focus only on your struggles, nothing changes. But if you focus on Jesus, everything changes. Jesus gives you a new beginning. He was crucified but is risen. He is our Hope — and hope does not disappoint.'The Easter celebration concluded with a joyful rendition of Yesus Bangkit Soraklah and a warm 'Easter Share-A-Meal' with the inmates. They were treated to a delicious spread of nasi tomato, ayam masak merah, traditional kuih, and more — generously provided by the Penang Diocesan Prison Ministry (PDPM).Adding a special touch, lovingly handcrafted herbal soaps from the Church of the Risen Christ, the Church of St Anthony in Nibong Tebal, and the Chinese CEC children of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit were presented to prison officials for the inmates' Masses were also celebrated throughout April and May in several other facilities, including:Taiping Prison (Perak); Kamunting Prison (Perak); Arau Correction Centre (Perlis); Tapah Prison (Perak); Penang Remand Prison; Batu Gajah Prison (Perak); SP Juvenile Prison (Kedah); Alor Setar Prison (Kedah), and Pokok Sena Prison (Kedah).For the past ten years, the Penang Diocesan Prison Ministry (PDPM) has journeyed weekly with inmates across Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak — bringing the light of Christ into places often marked by darkness. Having celebrated their 10th anniversary in June 2024, the ministry is now preparing for the Jubilee of Prisoners in November 2025, trusting in the Lord to continue guiding their mission of love, healing, and transformation. PDPM extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Malaysian Prison Department for its support and collaboration in making the Easter celebrations possible. Together, they remain steadfast in their commitment to walk alongside inmates, offering hope, dignity, and the promise of a life beyond the bars.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Catholic Church to excommunicate priests for following WA law requiring child abuse confessions to be reported
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways 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. "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church," the Archdiocese of Seattle said in a statement. "All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church." "The Catholic Church agrees with the goal of protecting children and preventing child abuse," the statement added, noting that it "remains committed to reporting child sexual abuse, working with victim survivors towards healing and protecting all minors and vulnerable people." The new law — signed by Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson last week — added "members of the clergy" to a list of professionals who are required to report information that relates to child abuse or neglect to law enforcement, and the measure does not provide an exception for information offered at a confession booth. Doj Investigating 'Anti-catholic' Washington State Law Requiring Clergy To Report Child Abuse 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. Priests in the Catholic Church have been bound by the absolute seal of confidentiality, an obligation that requires them to keep anything learned in confession a secret. Read On The Fox News App The Archdiocese of Seattle said its policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters unless the information is received during confession. "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," its statement said. Utah Bill Would Protect Clergy Members When Reporting Child Abuse To Police Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law last week. The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the law for possible violations of the First Amendment's religious protections. "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 cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said. "Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," she continued. "We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State's cooperation with our 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 will go into effect on July 26. Washington is one of just five states that does not explicitly or implicitly require clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect, a federal report shows, according to Fox 13. Most states exempt information obtained through confession from mandatory reporting, but Washington now joins just a handful of states that do not provide such exemptions. "This new law singles out religion and is clearly both government overreach and a double standard," the Archdiocese of Seattle said. "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." Original article source: Catholic Church to excommunicate priests for following WA law requiring child abuse confessions to be reported
