The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has rejected a recommendation from the Royal Commission to lift the veil of secrecy around Church confessionals.
It means they'll continue to maintain confidentiality even if they're informed about abuse disclosures, claiming the move would be contrary to religious liberty.
"This isn't because we regard ourselves as being above the law, or because we don't think the safety of children isn't supremely important, we do," Archbishop Mark Coleridge said about the decision.
"But we don't accept that safeguarding and the seal are mutually exclusive, nor do we believe that abolishing the seal will make children safer, in fact in some cases it may make them less safe."
The Catholic Church has however announced it will consider imposing voluntary celibacy, changing canon laws so the practice isn't mandatory.
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| Archbishop Coleridge PHOTO: AAP/Dan Himbrechts |
