The March Catalyst contained a story about a New Hampshire bill that would have mandated Catholic priests to reveal to state authorities information learned about child sexual abuse in the confessional. Subsequently, by a vote of 208-111 it was sent to interim study for the next year.
Bill Donohue wrote to every New Hampshire lawmaker who sits on the Children and Family Law Committee asking that they reject this initiative. He argued there was no evidence that this bill would have any impact on child sexual abuse, and that in any case it was clearly unconstitutional.
The bill’s sponsor, Mary Stuart Gile, would be ill-advised to bring the bill back next year. We’ve beaten her twice (in 2003 and 2006), and we pledge to confront her in 2007 if she tries again.
