The law, passed earlier this year and set to take effect on July 27, 2025, makes it a legal requirement for clergy to report suspected abuse regardless of how the information was obtained. Unlike other states that include exemptions for confessional communications between clergy and congregants, Washington’s law removes that shield—effectively criminalizing priests and pastors who honor the sacred confidentiality of the confessional.
“This is a clear and dangerous overreach,” said Bishop Barron in a public statement. “It is a brazen act of religious discrimination and a direct assault on a core tenet of the Catholic faith: the inviolable seal of confession.”
Catholic canon law demands absolute confidentiality for the sacrament of confession. Any priest who breaks that seal is subject to immediate excommunication. Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and is a respected voice in Catholic media, argues that Washington’s law forces clergy into an impossible moral and legal dilemma—either betray their vows or face criminal prosecution.
The law’s supporters argue that child protection should supersede religious privilege, emphasizing the need to close legal loopholes that could shield predators. State lawmakers backing SB 5375 claim it’s part of a broader push to ensure no abuser escapes justice due to institutional silence or religious technicalities.
But critics say the law goes too far and specifically targets religious practice in a way that violates constitutional protections. “This law does not apply equally across professions,” noted the brief submitted by Bishop Barron. “It singles out clergy while protecting confidentiality in other fields like healthcare and legal counsel.”
Multiple Catholic and Orthodox bishops have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the law, and the U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights inquiry into its constitutionality. A hearing on the preliminary injunction is scheduled for July 14.
If the courts uphold the law, religious leaders warn it could set a dangerous national precedent, eroding the boundaries between church and state and criminalizing core elements of religious practice. “This isn’t just about Washington,” said Barron. “It’s about the very soul of religious freedom in America.”
