I can't answer for USA, nor indeed Ireland (the gist of this thread) but the law I am used to, UK law, is sovereign.

In other words, there can be no conflict between church law and civil law, as civil and criminal law is the only law on the statute book. Sure, there examples of church influence still pervading, such as Sunday shop opening times over here, but church law can be described as rules for members. It doesn't have any bearing whatsoever on the duty of citizens to report crime.

I would possibly argue that in promoting the confessional, the Catholic church is actively seeking to have its staff compromised unless you make it absolutely clear that knowledge of crime cannot be concealed.

If church imposes something on a priest that is contrary to law, you just end up with the mess of both sides liable to prosecution. Here in The UK, I go about my business supposedly assured that nobody is above the law. Naive? Maybe. But that doesn't mean you ignore a law because it is difficult to prove. Saying it is wrong to withhold evidence should be enough for decent people to abide by the law.

Of course it is hard to police, but there again so are many other laws. Doesn't make them any less necessary to protect society.

Sorry Joe, we are talking real law here, and confusing it with church rules, called law by its members, means we are talking two different things. There is no such thing as church law, only rules for members and staff to abide by, by choice, and never in contravention of criminal law.

If priests refuse to budge on this due to a tradition being old and sacred, each society will have to decide whether refusal to obey the law makes them fit and proper to have positions of trust in communities.

And you know, it wouldn't be the irreligious heathens such as me who are making church irrelevant, it is increasingly churches themselves.