Gov. Bob Ferguson ignored pleas from Catholic priests and signed a new law stripping members of the clergy of their ability to hear confessions as “privileged communication.”
I may not be a lawyer, but that clearly violates the 1st Amendment.
The state legislature passed SB 5375, targeting the confessional and requiring priests and ministers to report any confession involving potential child abuse.
As if anyone would confess after that.
The law, titled an ACT Relating to the duty of clergy to report child abuse and neglect, is a direct attack on the Catholic and other Christian churches.
It redefines “member of the clergy” to include every imaginable religious person.
“Member of the clergy” means any regularly licensed, 28 accredited, or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder, or 29 similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, 30 religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community, or sect, 31 or person performing official duties that are recognized as the 32 duties of a member of the clergy under the discipline, tenets, 33 doctrine, or custom of the person’s church, religious denomination, 34 religious body, spiritual community, or sect, whether acting in an 35 individual capacity or as an employee, agent, or official of any 36 public or private organization or institution.
It addresses all their official duties and makes them mandatory reporters.
The politicians in Washington are godless authoritarians who want to make the State supreme. Priests cannot comply, and won’t. They would be excommunicated.
Priests have always had the same privilege of confidential communications as do lawyers. These politicians are smart enough to know it would deal a devastating blow to the Catholic Church. Catholics have to confess to a priest to be saved.
Jonathan Turley Weighed In
Jonathan Turley agrees this is a war on faith, not just in Washington. He noted how aggressive Washington has been:
The Democrats effectively declared war on religion, and particularly the Catholic faith, with this abusive law. The matter is now set for a showdown in the federal courts and, hopefully, an expedited process for judicial review and appeals.
Washington has been one of the most aggressive states in litigating against religious rights, including its long litigation in the Masterpiece Cake Shop case.
In Washington, the governor and the Democrats have added to the four stages of the confession. Examination, confession, absolution, and penance may now be followed by incarceration.
The officials in Washington appear to be prepared to imprison priests. That’s what communists and fascists do.
In Washington, the governor and the Democratic legislators have added to the four stages of the confession. Examination, confession, absolution, and penance may now be followed by incarceration… https://t.co/SkmeJ7vjVr
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 7, 2025
Wa State gets their own left-leaning Pope, then “Declares War on Religion”?? These people are SO sick, they have no idea what they really want.
LOL. No wonder they don’t like it.
MOST CATHOLIC PRIESTS are DEVIANT BOY GROPERS and NOT Men of GOD.
Ironic in that the catholic confessional is not Biblical in any way. A Christian can only confess to Jesus for forgiveness, not another man.
Why do Washington State voters keep electing these crooks? And don’t get me started with the 2004 governor’s race. Dino Rossi won, but he was robbed when they illegally recounted the votes in Gregoire’s favor!
May they be Destroyed by Earthquakes, Volcanoes & Tsunamis.
On the other hand, for years doctors have been required to report child abuse. Ehy not clergy?
The first place they should have tackled as a test run should have been the Legislators themselves, as they are not only privy to such confessions, they also engage in such as part of their inclusiveness in being a Legislator all over the United States, including the Federal Congress in D.C. Biden himself showered naked with his daughter and rub his “ahem” up and down her back and neck, and was never turned in for such “turn ons”. What sins are Legislators hiding? They should exclusively criminalize themselves first, and see how THAT works. Hypocrites.
If they hated me they will also hate you.
At this point the best thing that could happen to Washington State is a full unzip of the Juan de Fuca plate. Western Washington state is as bad as it gets. Communists, perverts and serial murderers. If west of I 5 sunk into the sea Washington would be a better and freer place. Lots of evil in western Washington, Western Oregon and western Commiefornia.
The governor and any Catholic member of congress who supported this should be excommunicated. All Catholics are required to have primary allegiance to the Divine and Natural Law before the laws of state, who derive their authority from Christ the King. If the vast majority of bishops in the church were actually Catholic instead of modernist, masonic, church of accompaniment™️ lavenders, this would have already happened. Mater Misericordia, ora pro nobis!
Washington State Democrats are drunk on power and thirsty for more. Safe majorities in both houses and a long line of succession in the Gov mansion for decades….not to mention the “cheat by mail-votting” system. The Marxist moves by this Democrat-run leadership are breathtaking: increase on every kind of tax imaginable, capital gains tax on unrealized gains, estate taxes, outlawing opposition to mandated vaccines, attempts to tax drivers per mile annually, etc. Even park, fishing and hunting licenses are going up in many cases by 50%. This is a state that went further left in November 2024.
So, Deagle 2025 is still going forward?
I dare you to try that on the Muslims! Pass the popcorn!
Well, that’s one way to bring God down on their heads. Those legislators will be sorry they started this persecution. One thing a priest does when he hears a confession of someone who has broken the law is he tells them they should turn themselves in. These hypocritical legislators have shot themselves in the foot if they want to catch child abusers. Now, no one will go to confession and that is most likely these atheist’s true motivation. It looks to me like Satan has a foothold in Washington state.
GOD should SMITE all Catholic Priests.
They are deviant boy-gropers.
Ahh, with that stance then, they must hold journalists, lawyers, doctors accountable, as well. Well, nasty Marxist atheists your twisted, Trickery will NOT prevail!
I am really surprised the LGBTQASHATS went along with this.
Christian religions, per se, have been under attack for the last fifty years, give or take, about the same time ‘journalism’ abandoned the Fourth Estate in favour of the ‘propaganda’ of the Fifth Column. The ‘fingerprints’ of the left and an ancient ‘cult’, masquerading as a religion, are all over it…
Uh oh.
School teachers and Doctors have to report child abuse or even suspicion of it. I just wonder if any priests will report on themselves. Sorry had to go there. If this legislation is confined to child abuse I can’t argue against it. How many times have we told our children to tell an adult if anyone is hurting them? How can you exclude the clergy from reporting child abuse?
Remember your Gospels.
Matthew 18:2-6
Matthew 18:10
Matthew 18:14
Matthew 19:13-14
Matthew 21:15-16
Mark 9:36-37
Mark 10:16
Jesus says to protect the children.
Because of something called the 1st Amendment. No doubt you plan to attack the 6th Amendment’s attorney-client privilege next, using “for the children” as your excuse.
People, not just politicians, in Washington State have just all lost their minds. What is in the water out there?
WA has been invaded and conquered by the two-legged locusts known as “Californians.” They have done the same to OR, CO & NM, and are threatening to destroy NV & AZ.
Pure nonsense. Same tired refrain. Do your homework and you’ll identify that the vermin are from all over AND are homegrown.
No, Washingtonians are LIBRAT, COMMIE, LEFTYIST BORG.
They have taken over Spokane and I HATE IT.
Purple hair, tattoos, piercings, sloppy, gross hygiene.
Who’s next? Psychiatrists…..
In fact, there is precedent for that. The US military does not recognize doctor-patient privilege. Psychiatrists there should be required to recite a special version of the Miranda warning: “Anything you say to me can and will be used against you in a court-martial, Article 15, demotion, or other adverse action.”
These legislators are the same creeps that torment Washington’s children by forcing them to endure programs that glorify sodomy and other filthy, perverse acts.
LOLOL…The PRIESTS do MOST OF THAT.
Catholic Priests are deviant BOY GROPERS.
This is the ONLY legislation I agree with from Washington State.
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