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Comment by Spivak | Hacker News Reader

The fact that there isn't a carve-out for confessions under seal of the confessional is weird since they get one for everything else.

If you try to deputize priests for literally God's sake you destroy the point of the sacrament. Which would be fine in the abstract if there wasn't a long-standing precedent for respecting it. Washington trying to break E2EE with God lol.

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Civil law has generally recognised the confessional seal. For example, priests can’t be compelled to testify on anything they hear in the confessional.

Another example is attorney - client privilege.

Attorneys and priests are expected to do important duties for the good of society and thus have certain privileges.

Just out of curiosity as I’m not familiar with the laws here; If a random person on the street confesses a crime (child sexual abuse or otherwise) to me am I required to report it or do I simply have the right to report it if I so choose?

No, because you aren’t a mandated reporter, although in PA the laws are so broad that a volunteer who sweeps the Sunday school classrooms ends up being a mandated reporter.

It would be unconstitutional to require all citizens to “report” crimes they hear other people confess to them, for rather obvious reasons, although I’m sure some state government will try that next.

What I can say is that police must not ignore a crime they learn about (in most countries). The same may not hold for ordinary citizens.

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