Bishop urges Utah lawmakers to protect seal of confession in sex abuse reporting bill
National Catholic Reporter – February 3, 2024
“We do not oppose the proposed legislation, as initially written, but we are concerned about the possibility that the language could be changed to require that Catholic priests report such abuse even if they have learned about the abuse solely during the sacrament of confession,” Bishop Solis said in a Feb. 2 letter. The bishop said in his letter that any requirement that would force priests to break the seal of confession would force them to “face the untenable choice of breaking the law or being excommunicated.”
CTV News (Montreal) - September 13, 2026 Montreal, QC - Former Montreal priest Brian Boucher’s statutory release has been revoked following allegations he viewed child sexual abuse material on public transit. The Parole Board imposed stricter conditions for any future release. Boucher remains detained on new charges and is due back in court in November.
The Canadian Press - September 8, 2026 Montreal, QC - Former Montreal priest Brian Boucher, 64, will remain in custody until his next court appearance on Nov. 23, 2026, after waiving his right to a bail hearing on new charges involving child sexual abuse material. Boucher was previously sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019 for sexually assaulting two boys and was released into the community in 2024. He was stripped of his priesthood in 2020.