Religious liberty commission examines Washington Confession law
June 20, 2025
» Continue to this story on Religion Clause
CWN Editor's Note: The US Department of Justice’s new Religious Liberty Commission held its first hearing on June 16.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, are among the members of the commission, which is chaired by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas.
Among the topics examined by commission members was a new Washington law that violates the sanctity of the Sacrament of Penance by requiring priests to report the sexual abuse of minors when they learn about it in the confessional.
“To my, look, nonlegal mind, this is the most outrageous violation of the free exercise clause that I can think of, or the state involving itself illegitimately in the interior workings of a church,” said Bishop Barron.
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
