seal of confessional Archives

Judge blocks Washington law that forces priests to break Seal of Confession

A federal judge sided with Catholic priests and blocked a Washington state law from going into effect that would threaten priests with jail time and fines for not breaking the Seal of Confession.

News

Matt Lamb

• Jul 18, 2025Jan 6, 2026

Bishop Barron asks court to block Washington law that violates Seal of Confession

Bishop Robert Barron is urging a federal court to strike down Washington’s new requirement that priests break the confessional seal and excommunicate themselves or go to jail.

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Matt Lamb

• Jul 8, 2025Jul 9, 2025

Orthodox churches sue Washington state over law forcing priests to violate Seal of Confession

Orthodox churches, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, filed the latest legal challenge to Washington’s new law forcing priests to violate the Seal of Confession or face jail time.

News

Matt Lamb

• Jun 18, 2025Jun 19, 2025

Washington bishops sue to stop law forcing priests to violate Seal of Confession or go to jail

Washington clergy filed a federal lawsuit against the state for threatening them with jail time unless they commit the excommunicable offense of violating the Seal of Confession.

News

Matt Lamb

• May 30, 2025Jun 2, 2025

Washington bishops say priests won’t comply with new law requiring them to break Seal of Confession

Seattle Abp. Paul Etienne, speaking for the state Catholic conference, said ‘priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation.’

News

Matt Lamb

• May 6, 2025

Trump DOJ investigating Washington for new law forcing priests to break Seal of Confession

The Trump DOJ has launched a federal civil rights investigation into a new Washington law that would jail priests unless they break the Seal of Confession, an excommunicable offense.

News

Matt Lamb

• May 6, 2025May 6, 2025

Washington governor signs bill forcing priests to break Seal of Confession

Left-wing Washington Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson – a professed Catholic – signed legislation on Friday that will force priests to break the Seal of Confession in some cases or go to jail.

News

Matt Lamb

• May 2, 2025May 3, 2025

Washington Senate passes bill to jail priests for not violating Seal of Confession

Democrats in the state of Washington continue to push forward legislation that would jail Catholic priests if they decline to break the Seal of Confession. The bill is being sponsored by a pro-abortion, pro-LGBT self-professed Catholic state senator.

News

Matt Lamb

• Mar 5, 2025Mar 5, 2025

Washington advances bill to jail priests for not breaking seal of confession

A bill to throw priests in jail for nearly a year for not breaking the seal of confessional is moving forward in the state of Washington. However, Bishop Thomas Daly and a legal scholar have criticized the bill's obvious religious freedom problems.

News

Matt Lamb

• Feb 10, 2025Feb 11, 2025

Washington bill would jail priests for not breaking Seal of Confession: ‘No exemption’

A Democratic state senator in Washington wants to mandate that priests commit an excommunicable offense or face jail time for not breaking the sacred Seal of Confession.

News

Matt Lamb

• Feb 4, 2025Feb 5, 2025

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Articles tagged seal of confessional

Judge blocks Washington law that forces priests to break Seal of Confession

Bishop Barron asks court to block Washington law that violates Seal of Confession

Orthodox churches sue Washington state over law forcing priests to violate Seal of Confession

Washington bishops sue to stop law forcing priests to violate Seal of Confession or go to jail

Washington bishops say priests won’t comply with new law requiring them to break Seal of Confession

Trump DOJ investigating Washington for new law forcing priests to break Seal of Confession

Washington governor signs bill forcing priests to break Seal of Confession

Washington Senate passes bill to jail priests for not violating Seal of Confession

Washington advances bill to jail priests for not breaking seal of confession

Washington bill would jail priests for not breaking Seal of Confession: ‘No exemption’