While I’d generally agree, that description doesn’t quite match Minneapolis, Minnesota at this point.

This is beginning to feel like the Swedish penis pump scene in Austin Powers

This ruling affects far more than just Catholics though. And proving that someone else protected the victimizer by interfering with the criminal justice system or intimidated the victim is still separately illegal by making one an accessory and not impacted by this ruling.

That is not in conflict with this ruling. Prove it in court, go straight to PMitA Prison (unless you're wealthy), same as always.

While the individual who did the heinous act may feel religious absolution, that doesn't immunize them from the legal repercussions of the crime though, so that absolution is legally meaningless, so there is no offset of balance in a legal standpoint.

It also doesn't allow the clergy member to intimidate or otherwise attack the victim or destroy evidence in the service of a coverup. It just says that one specific kind of communication can't be compelled as evidence.

I suspect this is spinning this case for the meme.

Even as an atheist I'm torn on this. The clergy privilege is a long standing one like attorney-client privilege. And acknowledging that certain specific groups cannot be forced to divulge the contents of private conversations, is a slippery slope to any sort of ends justifying the means actions.

Shorter article: "Look at Amazon's monopoly around Kindle, aren't monopolies so much more convenient?"