CONFESSIONAL’S SECRECY

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1927, Page 6

CONFESSIONAL’S SECRECY

DR LISTON’S COMMENTS.

(Roecial to “Star.") AUCKLAND, June 13. Speaking at St. Benedict’s last evening, Dr Liston made reference to a recent cablegram from Paris concerning the seal of the Confessional. After pointing out that the English law fully recognised the secrecy between a client and solicitor, and welcoming a claim made by a prominent medical practitioner in Saturday’s “Auckland Star” for similar recognition of professional secrecy between a patient and doctor, Dr Liston said that the canon law of the Catholic Church long since settled the practical principle, as between penitent and confessor. History, ancient and modern, tells a story of fidelity to this trust, and the Bishop quoted instances of priests undergoing imprisonment rather than betray it. Among them was a French priest, who, to the intense admiration of the “Sydney Morning Herald,” served three years at the New Caledonia convict settlement.

Dr Liston pointed out that the New Zealand law is in line with the wise provisions for silence, for the Evidence Act, 1908 (1) lays it down that a minister shall not divulge in any proceeding any confession made to him in his professional character, except wjth the consent of the person who confessed. “In England there is ho statute law on the point, and judicial pronouncements have not been uniform, but probably there will be legislation in England to the desired effect and, indeed, concluded the Bishop, it is a distinct advantage to society itself if a wrongdoer' can with perfect security admit his guilt to one friend in the world who will be bound in the strictest possible way’ to maintain silence, for such disclosure promotes repentance and consequent abstinence from future wrongdoing, whilst it fosters repentance, followed by satisfaction in some shape or other for the past.”