In a last-minute twist, a California bill that would have required priests to break the sacramental seal of confession was shelved by its sponsor amidst a remarkable grassroots campaign mounted by the state’s Catholics, members of other faith groups, and religious liberty advocates from across the country.
Senate Bill 360 was withdrawn the day before a scheduled July 9 hearing in the California Assembly Public Safety Committee, effectively removing it from any further consideration this year.
The bill’s author, State Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), decided to shelve his bill after learning that it did not have enough votes to pass out of the committee.
The #KeepTheSeal campaign launched in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles resulted in the delivery of more than 140,000 letters to the State Capitol building in Sacramento as of July 8, the day before the committee vote. Another 16,700 emails were sent to representatives from concerned Catholics in Los Angeles.
In the days leading up to the committee vote, opposition to the bill intensified as hundreds of Catholics around the state made plans to travel to Sacramento to attend the July 9 committee hearing.
On July 8, a statement signed by Muslim, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and Baptist faith leaders, as well as representatives from Eastern Catholic Rites and historic Black churches was delivered to committee members declaring that “we are all one with American Roman Catholics in condemning the attack on religious freedom that the current version of California Senate Bill 360 represents.”
Full story at Angelus News.
Peoples, the joint statement by “Muslim, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and Baptist faith leaders, as well as representatives from Eastern Catholic Rites and historic Black churches” in support of the Catholics of California is a direct result of the ecumenical effort and outreach by the Church, significant since Vatican II. Note that please.
Jon,
Maybe the major religions have learned something since their experience in Nazi Germany.
Regardless, I’m certain that those with fascist/communist tendencies, such as Senator Hill, will be back once again to thwart a free people.
They heard our voice.
And what is amazing is that even those communities that don’t explcitly rely upon the Sacrament of Reconciliation to lift themselves up our of pain, but that other Christians and non-Christians as well can recognize the importance that it has in our lives. THAT is good evangelical witness.
I think most all realized that this law would be damaging to all. Many a parent, not realizing his/her strength, has gone to confession after hitting a child or teen too hard and received good advice how not to do it again.. Should a priest be forced to turn all these people in and have them put in jail. After all abuse comes in many forms and how far do we go with it.
Any serious abuse found out outside the confessional, of course, should be reported to the proper authorities.
Remarkable. I reallly expected this bill to get to Newsom and he would sign it. Maybe we learned a lesson. If we unite and push back on nonsense like this it may stop a lot of ugliness. Jerry Hill is nothing but an anti-Catholic bigot.