NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

    OTTAWA, SEP 17, 1999 (ZENIT).- In a recent letter labeled "urgent" to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy, the Catholic Conference of Canadian Bishops expressed their "grave concern" for the government's proposal to the preparatory commission of the International Criminal Court, to eliminate the protection of privacy from the secret of confession.

    The letter, signed by Father Emilius Goulet, Secretary General of the Bishops' Conference, refers to "disquieting reports ... that the Canadian representative ... has proposed that the new international court not recognize the centuries-old legal tradition that respects the sacred confidentiality of matters shared between a penitent and priest during the confession of sins."

    While acknowledging that the proposal has received very little international support, the bishops make it clear that they are "disturbed that the Government of Canada would even propose such an undertaking."

    "The strict confidentiality of matters shared between a priest and penitent," the text continues, "not only concerns the more than one billion Catholic and Orthodox Christians in the world who consider the confession of sins to be a sacrament, but members of all religions, given that the recognition of such confidentiality has been legitimately extended over time to include private religious counseling in all religious faiths."

    "Furthermore, the inevitable effects of the Canadian proposal would have meant interference with the right to personal privacy as well as erosion of freedom of conscience and religion. As you will recall, in a letter dated August 5, 1999, to the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, you had rightly stated that religious freedom is a fragile right in many areas of the world. Such freedom would certainly not have been strengthened internationally by this recent Canadian proposal," the document concludes. ZE99091725

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