Overview

• A federal injunction granted July 18 by Chief Judge David G. Estudillo bars enforcement of the confession-reporting mandate in Seattle, Yakima and Spokane dioceses
• The Justice Department officially joined the archdioceses’ challenge on July 20, arguing the law infringes First Amendment protections and labels it anti-Catholic
• SB 5375 requires all clergy in Washington to report suspected child abuse learned during confession within 48 hours, making the state one of only seven without a confessional exemption
• Senator Noel Frame warns that blocking the mandate could leave abuse unreported, while the Catholic Church maintains the seal of confession is a core sacrament
• Both sides are preparing appeals to the Ninth Circuit and potentially the Supreme Court to resolve the church-state dispute over religious liberty and child-protection requirements