South Australian priests to defy confession laws

Catholic priests in South Australia will defy new laws requiring them to report confessions of child sexual abuse.

Philip Wilson stood aside as Adelaide Archbishop last month. Picture: AAP

Catholic priests in South Australia will defy new laws requiring them to report confessions of child sexual abuse.

Bishop Greg O’Kelly, the Acting Archbishop of Adelaide, said priests were bound by the sacred and not the secular, claiming the new law “doesn’t affect us”.

“We have an understanding of the seal of confession that is in the area of the sacred … politicians can change the law but we can’t change the nature of the confessional, which is a sacred encounter between a penitent and someone seeking forgiveness and a priest representing Christ,” Bishop O’Kelly told ABC radio.

“That does not change by the law of politicians.”

His remarks came a day after he claimed the Catholic Church was unaware of the new South Australian law, set to take effect in October, under which priests who hear confessions about child abuse will have a legal obligation to report the matter to police.

As The Australian reported today, the Bishop’s claims came despite the legislation having passed parliament last year.

The new law was also widely publicised by Attorney-General Vickie Chapman last month when Archbishop Philip Wilson bowed to public pressure and stood aside following his conviction for covering up child sexual abuse.

The Australian last month ­reported that from Oct­ober the confessional would no longer be exempt from mandatory reporting laws in South Australia.

However, Bishop O’Kelly maintained that the Catholic Church was “blindsided”.

“There was no reference or no communication beforehand, neither at the level of the bishop or with the child protection unit,” he said.

“We were not aware of it, we were not informed of it.”

Bishop O’Kelly also claimed it was the media’s fault because the issue was not more widely reported at the time of the legislation passing.

He said priests could only urge child abusers to seek help.

“You urge it, you go down on your knees and beg him to (seek help) but I can’t break the seal of a confession,” Bishop O’Kelly said.

He said he stood by his comments that, “my faith in the Archbishop and his word is not shaken” by Archbishop Wilson’s conviction for covering up child sex abuse.

Under the new SA law, not reporting abuse will carry a maximum $10,000 fine, and brings expectations of priests in line with those of social workers, teachers, medical professionals and others in positions of authority.

An Attorney-General’s Department spokesman said authorities would follow up instances where the law has been broken, and prosecution may result.

“Where there is clear evidence to indicate a minister of religion … has failed to abide by their mandatory reporting requirements, the matter would need to be investigated by authorities, with further action — including prosecution — taken as appropriate,” the spokesman said.