The crime “directly threatens spiritual freedom,” according to the activist group Hong Kong Watch, because it would power priests to show what was said in the confessional booth against their will.
The former British colony has a legal program different from that of mainland China and is a common law jurisdiction.
The proposed legal crime, which was previously referred to as “misprision of treachery,” was defended by Hong Kong authorities, saying it had long existed in the town and other common law nations.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam responded to a senator’s question last week by saying it would be “very difficult to create exclusions” for people like priests and social workers in relation to the crime.
The state claims that the legislation “has nothing to do with freedom of religion.”
The security law was the subject of a month-long public discussion, and the parliamentary vetting process followed.
Around 390, 000 of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million individuals are Catholic, according to the bishop, and significant followers include two former city officials.