‘Must obey God rather than men’: Washington, Bob Ferguson sued over clergy reporting law
May 29, 2025, 9:51 AM
A silhouette of a crucifix and a stained glass window inside a Catholic Church in New Orleans is seen in December 2012. (File photo: Gerald Herbert, AP)
(File photo: Gerald Herbert, AP)
A group of Catholic bishops and priests filed a lawsuit challenging a new state law that requires any member of the clergy (priests, rabbis, imams, elders, etc.) to be a mandatory reporter, even if it came out of a confessional, for anything related to child safety and child abuse.
“The law forces priests to either break the seal of confession—a sacred promise to keep confessions 100% confidential—or risk jail time,” said Ryan Colby, the director of communications for The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. “This seal is one of the most deeply held traditions in the Catholic Church, dating back over 2,000 years. Breaking it isn’t just a big deal; it means automatic excommunication for individuals who have devoted their lives to serving their God. Imagine the pressure priests are now facing to choose between their faith and the law.”
Washington Democrats who pushed the legislation forward argued that religious liberties should not extend in cases where a child’s safety is on the line. Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5375 on May 2 after the Washington State Senate passed it on a 28-20 vote.
The Archdiocese of Seattle said a meeting requested by the Bishops of the State of Washington with the governor was ignored.
A law requiring breaking a 2,000-year tradition
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Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle warned that clergy face excommunication for complying with the law. In a prepared statement, he argued that, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Washington was one of just five states in the country that did not list clergy as mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect before the bill’s passage.
“What’s even more head-scratching is that the state isn’t targeting professions like lawyers or others under similar confidentiality rules, even though the Church already has strict policies in place to protect minors,” Colby continued. “This lawsuit—which could have huge implications for religious freedom in the U.S.—takes aim at what the bishops believe is a law more focused on punishing priests than solving real issues.”
The hearing for this case, Etienne v. Ferguson, is expected to take place sometime this summer.
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