Denver Catholic

8 MAY 25-JUNE 7, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC World & Nation With no job and empty pockets, Jennifer needed help to start a new life. Our staff at Marisol Homes welcomed her and her son, making them feel right at home at our interim housing. Four months later, Jennifer moved into stable housing with her son. "I left with self-esteem, responsibility and an education," Jennifer said. "They supported me in everything. I'm very blessed to have been at Marisol (Catholic Charities' interim housing)." In honor of the mothers in our lives, will you make a gift today and help mothers like Jennifer find renewed hope. Give the gift of hope. Support mothers and children experiencing homelessness Four months later, Jennifer moved "I left with self-esteem, responsibility and an education," Jennifer said. "They supported me in everything. I'm very blessed to have been at Give the gift of hope. Donate at ccdenver.org/give (720) 799-9311 California confession bill won't stop abuse, but threatens religious liberty, critics say BY CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY S enate Bill 360 is under active consideration by the California State Legislature. For the latest updates, visit catholicnewsagency.com. California's state senate will vote on a bill that would require priests to violate the seal of confession in certain limited circumstances. An amende d text of the bill passed the Senate appro- priations' committee May 16. The bill, as amended, would require priests to report to law enforcement knowledge or suspicion of child abuse gained from hearing the sacramen- tal confessions of other priests or co-workers. The bill originally would have required California priests to violate the seal of confession anytime they gained knowledge or suspicion of child abuse from hearing the confession of any penitent. In a'May 20 statement, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles said the bill remains "an unacceptable violation of our religious freedoms that will do nothing to protect children." As amended, he said, "SB 360 still denies the sanctity of confession to every priest in the state and to thou- sands of Catholics who work with priests in parishes and other Church agencies and ministries." Clergy in California are already required to report knowledge or sus- picion of child abuse in most circum- stances, though penitential conversa- tions like sacramental confession are exempted, as are other kinds of privi- leged conversations, among them those covered by attorney-client privilege. The bill's sponsor, California state Senator Jerry Hill (D -Calif. 13), has claimed that "the clergy-penitent privilege has been abused on a large scale, resulting in the unreported and systemic abuse of thousands of chil- dren across multiple denominations and faiths." The senator has claimed that such abuse has been revealed through "recent investigations by 14 attorneys general, the federal government, and other countries." Hill's oª ce declined to respond to requests from CNA for clarity or specifi c instances of the abuse cited. Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Ange- les'said in a May 15 column'that Hill's claim is "simply not true. Hearings on the bill have not presented a single case — in California or anywhere else — where this kind of crime could have been prevented if a priest had dis- closed information he had heard in confession." "SB 360 claims to solve a crisis that does not exist," Gomez said. While priests are forbidden from disclosing the contents of sacramental confessions under any circumstances, and face excommunication for doing so, few believe Hill's bill would prevent child abuse. California Catholic Conference exec- utive director Andy Rivas told Angelus News May 15 that "there is no evidence that forcing priests to disclose what is learned in the confessional would pre- vent a single case of child abuse." If penitents report being abused, several priests told CNA, they are generally asked to discuss the matter with the priest-confessor immediately after confession has ended. When such conversations take place after confes- sion, clergy members in California are already required by law to report them. The bill is not the fi rst time Hill has

• Cover