A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction barring Washington state from enforcing a law that would have required Catholic priests to break the seal of confession by reporting child abuse disclosed during the sacrament.
In an order on Friday, U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo approved a permanent injunction in Etienne v. Ferguson, finding S.B. 5375 in violation of the First Amendment by infringing on the plaintiffs’ free exercise of religion in relation to the Catholic sacrament of confession.
The order prohibits state and county prosecutors from enforcing the legislation, which was signed into state law by Gov. Bob Ferguson in May and set to take effect in July.
Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
