IN A JOINT STATEMENT, THE BISHOPS OF BOHEMIA, MORAVIA AND SILESIA RESPOND TO CRITICISM OVER THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE HOLY SEE REGARDING THE SECRECY OF CONFESSION AND SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CHURCH.
Newsroom (25/02/2025 20:17, Gaudium Press) The Czech Bishops’ Conference (ČBK), in a statement published on February 25th , defended the Legal Agreement between the Holy See and the Czech Republic, which, among other things, aims to protect the secrecy of confession.
However, they also showed understanding for the protests against the Agreement. “It is with regret that we realize that this indignation has a just cause. The way the Church deals with sexual violence does not always meet the high standards that society rightly expects of it. However, we stress that it is unfair to confuse these issues with confessional confidentiality. This is not a privilege of the Church or the confessor. It concerns only the act of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and protects the penitent, not the priest.” The bishops emphasized that any questioning of the secrecy of confession would above all harm the religious freedom of the faithful.
Legal agreement between the Holy See and the Czech Republic
The Agreement, which consists of 16 articles with the aim of further strengthening the friendly relations between the Holy See and the Czech Republic, favours cooperation between the Church and the State in promoting the common good and the spiritual, human and cultural values of the Czech people, guaranteeing the freedom of thought, conscience and religion of all citizens, and the freedom of the Church in fulfilling its mission.
In this way, the state recognizes the right of the Catholic Church to operate according to its own rules, to govern itself and to freely appoint its ministers of worship. It also guarantees the right to conscientious objection both in the context of military service and in the health sector. The Agreement protects the inviolability of sacramental secrecy, without conditions or limitations, and the confessional secrecy of pastoral workers. It also recognizes the Church’s right to establish educational and charitable institutions, as well as to provide spiritual assistance and pastoral care to people housed in welfare, health and prison facilities.
However, critics of this Agreement fear that it favours the cover-up of abuses. In their statement, the bishops emphasize that they are committed to ensuring that the church is a safe place where no one has to fear violations of dignity through sexual violence. This also includes the prosecution of offenses and cooperation with law enforcement authorities.
In October last year, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Prime Minister Petr Fiala signed this agreement between the Holy See and the Czech Republic in Prague. The Czech Senate approved the Agreement at the end of January this year and the Agreement will be on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies in March. The Agreement can only enter into force once both chambers have approved it. Opponents of the Agreement have announced that they will take legal action against ratification after a motion in the Senate to have the treaty reviewed by the Constitutional Court before approval was not accepted.
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
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