"The Seal: A Priest's Story" recalls the true story of an outrageous violation of religious liberty which created an unprecedented rift between the powers of Church and State. It was the first time a violation of the seal of confession was alleged in a capital case in the United States, and the first time an attempt was made in court to define a violation of the seal of the confessional as a First Amendment violation.
The unprecedented experience related in this book, which created a rift between the powers of church and state in "The Seal: A Priest's Story," remains a significant benchmark in the battle for religious liberty in this Country and is a testimony to the genius of the American Constitution. Yet, this incident remains a red flag of warning to all those who hold our First Amendment rights as sacred.
The author, Rev. Timothy Mockaitis, born and raised in Chicago,later entered seminary studies at Mt. Angel Seminary near Portland, Oregon. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1978 for service to the Catholic Church of Oregon. After a number of parish assignments, he entered further studies and obtained a Master of Science degree in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland in 1989. He authored articles for several professional journals and presently serves as Pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Salem, Oregon.
