Confidentiality Issue Not Addressed in Canons

With respect to the “Taping of Confessions,” the general public has been left with a very erroneous impression about the Episcopal Church and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Unfortunately, the interpretation and reporting of news is somewhat comparable to the interpretation of Scripture. When something is lifted out of the context of its setting and cited, the implied meaning is generally lost. This is what took place with the quotation in the article.

The Canons of the Church do not specifically address the issue of confidentiality. The governing factor lies in the personal conviction of the priest and in his or her understanding of the inviolable nature of this sacrament and the trust of the penitent.

The historic tradition of the Church Catholic has always recognized the “Seal of the Confession,” and this being the absolute obligation not to reveal anything said by a penitent. This sacred tradition continues to be valid, and I believe, honored to the fullest extent this day.

What we are looking at in the incident cited is isolated and certainly not a trend in the Episcopal Church. The general reaction of clergy in hearing about this has truly been one of disbelief. I am sorry that I can’t be more explicit about this specific case; however, we are under the constraint of a court-imposed “gag order.”

In closing, I assure you that this is not a normal or appropriate action on the part of a priest, nor is this the direction the church is going.

The Rev. Canon D. BRUCE MacPHERSON, Canon to the Ordinary, The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles