Should The Catholic Church Be Force To Report Child Abuse?

There's  currently a ‘Protect the Seal’ blog campaign going on  and Catholic bloggers are being urged to feature this ribbon on their blogs in support.  It look like the Irish government has  propose  to introduce legislation that would make it mandatory for priests to reveal details of child abuse.....Especially  if it became known during and  in the confessional.

 A group of Irish priests has announced that the country’s Catholic clergy will refuse to comply with any law requiring them to break the seal of the confession. The statement of defiance comes in response to proposed legislation announced by the government late last week, under which priests could face up to five years in prison for failure to disclose sexual crimes against minors admitted by penitents.   There is also a proposed bill in Australia to force priests to break the seal of silence.  Some say this is nothing but an attack on Catholicism. 

 Most priests are aware  that if they reveal anything they have learned during confession to anyone, even under a threat of their own death or that of others, that they would be automatically excommunicated.