Washington has abandoned its effort to force Catholic priests and other religious leaders to divulge information on child abuse and neglect they learn of in confession.

With a pair of legal filings, the state agreed not to enforce the controversial provision of a new state law that adds clergy to a list of professions that must report to law enforcement when they have “reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect.”

Stipulations filed in federal court on Friday will largely preserve the law, while casting aside the controversial component related to confessions. Catholic bishops and Orthodox churches sued over that element, arguing it was unconstitutional.

The agreements the state reached in those cases reflect the preliminary injunction issued by a federal ju

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