Canon Law

Opening Statement

This essay does not advocate a predetermined legal or religious outcome. Its purpose is to examine, as fairly and carefully as possible, the competing arguments surrounding proposals to create a child-abuse exception to the clergy-penitent privilege or sacramental seal of confession. The protection of children, the preservation of religious liberty, the responsibilities of clergy, and the practical consequences of mandatory-reporting laws all deserve serious consideration. After reviewing these perspectives, readers should be left to decide how, or whether, these important interests can be reconciled.¹

Introduction: A Difficult Intersection of Law, Religion, and Child Protection

Introduction

Few issues illustrate the continuing moral and legal debate over capital punishment more clearly than the sharply contrasting positions of Pope Leo XIV and Donald Trump. One approaches the death penalty primarily as a question of the inherent dignity of every human person; the other views it principally as an essential instrument of justice, punishment, and public safety.

This difference is not merely theological or political. It reflects two fundamentally different understandings of criminal justice, the purposes of punishment, and the role of government in responding to the most serious crimes.

Articles Tagged with Canon Law

Confessions, Confidentiality, and Child Protection: Questions at the Intersection of Law and Religion

The Pope vs. the President: Two Visions of Capital Punishment

Introduction