Catholic priests in Washington will no longer face jail time for protecting the Seal of Confession, after the state agreed on October 10, 2025, to settle a lawsuit filed by the Catholic leadership in the state.
“Washington was wise to walk away from this draconian law and allow Catholic clergy to continue ministering to the faithful,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket, one of the law firms that was representing the Church in Etienne v. Ferguson.
The settlement, said Rienzi, "is a victory for religious freedom and for common sense. Priests should never be forced to make the impossible choice of betraying their sacred vows or going to jail.”
“It is a credit to the Attorney General of Washington, the Governor, and the Archbishop and Bishops that they were able to come together and find common ground under the First Amendment to protect religious liberty while seeking to eradicate the scourge of sexual abuse,” said Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel for First Liberty Institute, another law firm working to protect the seal of confession.
Bill would have sentenced priests to jail
Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed Senate Bill 5375 into law on Friday, May 2.
The bill, which is titled "Concerning the duty of clergy to report child abuse and neglect," made it so members of the clergy, of all denominations, are mandatory reporters in the state.
Shortly after the bill's passage, Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane announced that he and the priests of his diocese would not be complying with the law and were willing to go to jail rather than violate the seal of confession.
Unlike similar bills in other states, the law did not include a carve-out for things that are revealed in a sacramental confession. It did, however, permit attorneys and other figures to maintain confidentiality when given identical information regarding child abuse or neglect.
Violators of the law were subject to up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and "potential civil liability."
In July, a federal court issued an injunction blocking the law just days before it was set to go into effect.
"We're grateful"
The Washington State Catholic Conference, which represents the public policy views of the state's Catholic dioceses, expressed relief at the settlement and renewed their commitment to combat child abuse.
“Preventing abuse and upholding the sacred seal of confession are not mutually exclusive—we can and must do both,” said Jean Hill, Executive Director of the Washington State Catholic Conference in a statement provided to Aleteia.
Hill continued, "That’s why the Church supported the law’s goal from the beginning and only asked for a narrow exemption to protect the sacrament. We’re grateful the state ultimately recognized it can prevent abuse without forcing priests to violate their sacred vows.”
Presently, priests and other clergymen in Washington are required to report any discovery of abuse and neglect to authorities. Priests are not bound to any sort of secrecy outside of the context of confession.
Seal of confession
The seal of confession prohibits a priest from disclosing anything that is said to him during the Sacrament of Confession.
In the year 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council taught:
“For whoever shall dare to reveal a sin disclosed to him in the tribunal of penance we decree that he shall be not only deposed from the priestly office but that he shall also be sent into the confinement of a monastery to do perpetual penance.”
Learn more about its history and how it works below:
In the history of the Church, various priests have chosen martyrdom rather than breaking the Seal. Read about one below:
