Confession is sacred

THE kneejerk reaction of the Government to the Cloyne Report and their intention to bring a bill to the Dáil, forcing priests to report to the gardaí incidents of child abuse heard during the sacrament of confession, just shows how this government misunderstands the purpose of the sacrament.

Either they have allowed the avowed atheists in their midst to influence them or they have no idea of the religion in which they profess to believe.

A priest is not allowed to reveal, under pain of mortal sin, what he hears in confession to anyone.

Confession is between the penitent and God.

Valiant priests have gone to jail for refusing to divulge a penitent’s sins.

To do so would destroy the sacrament itself.

However if a priest, or anyone else for that matter, becomes aware of a crime other than in confession then, of course, he would be duty bound to inform the gardaí.

Brian P Ó Cinneide

Durban

South Africa