Louisiana Diocese asks SCOTUS to protect priest from breaking seal of confessional

The Diocese of Baton Rouge has filed a Petition for Certiorari asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn a decision that would require a priest there to reveal the contents of a young girl's confession. The case involves the duty of "mandatory disclosure" that can apply when an adult is aware of the abuse of a child. This case involves an allegation that the girl informed the priest of abuse committed by a parishioner. The Diocese maintains that priests are strictly forbidden from revealing matters disclosed in the confessional, on pain of severe ecclesiastical penalty. Given the posture of the case -- the Louisiana Supreme Court remanded for further proceedings -- certiorari at this stage may be more of a long shot than usual. h/t Howard Bashman