New Hampshire diocese settles case about priest's questions to boy in confessional
May 17, 2013
The Manchester, New Hampshire diocese has agreed to pay $2,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a couple who charged that a priest had asked their son inappropriate questions during a sacramental confession.
A spokesman for the diocese emphasized that the Church was not conceding any wrongdoing on the part of the priest. The diocese wanted to settle the case to “move on,” he said. The spokesman observed that it would be impossible to resolve the lawsuit without discussing what a priest said in confession, and the secrecy of the confessional is protected by the First Amendment.
The priest was accused of speaking to the 14-year-old boy about pornography, masturbation, and intercourse.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
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!
-
Posted by: geoffreysmith1 -
May. 18, 2013 7:12 AM ET USA
"The priest was accused of speaking to the 14-year-old boy about pornography, masturbation, and intercourse." So what? Do the boy's parents imagine that he doesn't know anything at all about such matters? It sounds as though the priest was doing his job and telling the boy how wicked and sinful such actions are, when apparently he didn't know, not having parents who were responsible enough to form their son's conscience by instructing him themselves.
