Bishop of the Diocese of Ballarat Paul Bird said that at present the law in Victoria recognises the confidentiality of religious confession. 

"In my view, to change the law to remove this confidentiality would not make children any safer," he said.

"It would simply guarantee that an offender would never confess such a crime. So removing this confidentiality would not help the safeguarding of children,” he said.

Bishop Bird said the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse had asked that the Australian Bishops seek clarification from the Holy See as to whether information from a victim obtained during a confessional would be included in the seal of confession or whether in fact a priest would be free to report such a disclosure. 

"I believe there is good reason to see this as not included in the seal of confession because the seal essentially refers to confidentiality for a penitent who confesses their sins," he said.

"We are waiting on a response from the Holy See on this question," he said.

Abuse survivors have condemned the Catholic Church’s response to recommendations from the Royal Commission.

While Australia's Catholic leaders have vowed to end the cover up of child sexual abuse and have accepted 98 per cent of recommendations, the Seal of Confession rules remain unbroken. 

The bishops and peak body for religious orders, Catholic Religious Australia, will not break the seal of confession to reveal child sexual abuse, even if priests risk criminal charges under extended mandatory reporting laws. 

“It is contrary to our faith and inimical to religious liberty," Australia Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Mark Coleridge said.

Clergy abuse survivor Phil Nagle was furious saying the Catholic Church thought it was above the law.

Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.