Heated Exchange Between Hong Kong Government and Religious Freedom Advocates

CV NEWS FEED // Religious freedom advocates are currently locked in a heated exchange with Hong Kong government officials over a statement they released condemning a new law that would violate the seal of confession. 

The sixteen religious freedom experts released a statement on Wednesday, expressing “profound and grave concerns” about Article 23, the latest piece of legislation being pushed by the government that would sentence priests up to 14 years in prison for not informing authorities of “treason” made known to them in the confessional. 

Co-founder and Chief Executive of the religious freedom organization Hong Kong Watch, Benedict Rogers and Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies, Ethics and Public Policy Center, George Weigel are among the sixteen signatories. 

According to the statement, “the new law could force a priest to reveal what has been said in Confession, against his will and conscience and in total violation of the privacy of the individual confession.”

The authors continued:

This clear violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be condemned by people of conscience of all faiths and none throughout the world.

The statement urges the international community to speak out urgently in defense of Hong Kongers’ religious freedom. It also urges Pope Francis and the Vatican, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and all other global religious leaders to speak out.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region responded fiercely to the statement in a press release on Thursday, claiming that “the offenses of treason and misprision of treason […] have existed for a long time,” and that “they do not target religious personnel or followers, and have nothing to do with freedom of religion.”

However, they were not remiss in adding that “freedom of religion is not for protecting anyone who has committed serious offenses from legal sanctions,” and that Article 18 “clearly stipulates that freedom of religion may be subject to limitations to protect public safety, order, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”