Australian Gov't Recommends Making Celibacy Optional for Catholic Priests to Protect Children

On December 19, 2017, details emerged of an Australian royal commission’s inquiry into child sexual abuse, which recommended making celibacy optional for Catholic priests to help protect children. The inquiry, which reviewed thousands of accounts of abuse across major institutions, reported that more than 60 percent of survivors who reported abuse in religious institutions cited the Catholic Church. The report described “catastrophic failures of leadership” within the church, particularly before the 1990s, concluding that the issue was not a case of a few “rotten apples” but a serious failure of major institutions.

In addition to recommending voluntary celibacy, the commission stated that priests should be required to report abuse disclosed to them, even within the confidential seal of the confessional. Archbishop Fisher, in a statement, expressed shame over the failure of past church leaders to respond to criminal activity but noted that abuse also occurs in families where celibacy is not observed. He stated that the decision on voluntary celibacy would ultimately rest with the Vatican.

Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, confirmed that the bishops would present the recommendations to the Holy See. However, Archbishop Hart expressed conflict regarding the recommendation to report abuse heard in confession. While stating he respected the law of the land, he declared that the seal of confession is a sacred charge before God that he could not break, though he would try to encourage individuals to disclose abuse outside the confessional.

The Vatican responded to the report by stating it would study the recommendations thoroughly and seriously.