Anonymous vs. Face-to-face confession

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MrsMeganMc said:
I absolutely love my regular confessor - he is such an amazing priest and the best confessor that I have ever come across. I am dreading when his assignment is up at my parish - which should be in the next year or so. He has been such an important person in my faith journey - but I know that he will be needed (and loved) at his next assignment.
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Megan, I know what you’re saying here, but trust that it will all work out OK. Our pastor was reassigned 2 years ago. I had gotten to be close to him, and had finally gotten comfortable with him in confession, when the news came of his transfer. Though we have kept in touch, and visit occasionally, I have not been to confession with him since he left.

It took a little while to establish that relationship with my current pastor. The first several times I went, it was very much “you say what you have to say and I’ll say what I have to say”, but it has slowly evolved into a relationship that has allowed some spiritual growth on my part. I like his penances and his advice is often dead-on. God only wants to draw us closer to Him.
 
NB: The purpose of the confessional screen is not to provide anonymity.

tee
 
I have to face my Father in Heaven and I can’t do that if I am sitting behind a screen, even though I prefer to look at my lap or fiddle with my purse. And I’ve spent all my life kind of hiding and feeling hidden, and in Confession I find that is when my soul is the closest to her true Father, even if it is a bit embarrassing a lot to sit face to face, not that I really face because I tend to look at my lap, but I know God is trying to help me in purifying myself more and to come out of my shell more, so I have to try and meet him half way. We are going to come face to face with the Father one day, so I might as well get used to the idea now so I guess one day I can face him without shame.
 
I’ve only gone face to face, so have to say I prefer that mode of confession. To me, it just seems more personable. It’s also more humbling, though I have notice that some of the priests I’ve gone to do close their eyes so it’s “less scary”. Guess if I have something really, really embarrasing, I’ll probably want to go behind the screen though! 😃
 
Cairisti said:
I’ve only gone face to face, so have to say I prefer that mode of confession. To me, it just seems more personable. It’s also more humbling, though I have notice that some of the priests I’ve gone to do close their eyes so it’s “less scary”. Guess if I have something really, really embarrasing, I’ll probably want to go behind the screen though! 😃
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My confessor sits and stares at me…so I usually close my eyes or look down. But I prefer to go face to face and deal with his stare than go behind a screen.
 
kristie_m said:
What is it’s purpose, then? (Not trying to pick a fight…this is just news to me)
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My understanding is that it is to safeguard against the crime of solicitation. (And is as much to protect the priest from false accusation as for the sake of the penitent)

tee
 
thanks tee. Interesting stuff. Do you happen to know, then, when the screen was introduced?
 
I am definitely one who prefers to go behind the screen. Like some of you, I am shy, but I think mainly because when I am directly in front of the priest, I just seem to get a little distracted. I tend to think more of the fact that the priest is staring at me and what he might be thinking, rather than thinking about the sins I am needing to confess.
 
We have only confessionals with screens, but that’s what I prefer anyway. I usually have my eyes closed and my face in my hands during most of the confession, but one time I happened to look up during the absolution and noticed that my confessor turns toward the screen (and the penitent) and comes very close to say the absolution. I like that very much, so now I make a special point to open my eyes to see it.

Betsy
 
Face to Face, before the Icon of the Lord, in front of the Iconostas…

Something very humbling about confession in view of the parish. In a good way.
 
tee_eff_em said:
NB: The purpose of the confessional screen is not to provide anonymity.

tee
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Anonymity was apparently not the original goal, but it’s there anyway, and nowadays people do explicitly use the screen for that reason. 🤷
 
kristie_m said:
thanks tee. Interesting stuff. Do you happen to know, then, when the screen was introduced?
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I do not have a good grasp on the history, but I think the 16th or 17th century. I would welcome any necessary correction on this matter.

tee
 
Carlion said:
Anonymity was apparently not the original goal, but it’s there anyway, and nowadays people do explicitly use the screen for that reason. 🤷
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Yes, I understand the possibility of anonymity is there. I was simply pointing out that anonymity is not a right nor guarantee.

There have been threads in the past where posters are aghast at encountering a confessional/reconciliation room with a glass window set in the door. :eek: Those same posters would be in for an even bigger shock to encounter some old world confessionals, where the penitent doesn’t even get a door. :bigyikes: eg:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Confessionals_-Beichtst%C3%BChle-Gesu_Nuovo-Neapel-Naples.JPG
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SantCompostela25.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_San_Joaqu%C3%ADn-Confesionario.JPG

(Including those I recall at St Peter’s Basilica, though I have not a picture handy)

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
Yes, I understand the possibility of anonymity is there. I was simply pointing out that anonymity is not a right nor guarantee.

There have been threads in the past where posters are aghast at encountering a confessional/reconciliation room with a glass window set in the door. :eek: Those same posters would be in for an even bigger shock to encounter some old world confessionals, where the penitent doesn’t even get a door. :bigyikes: eg:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Confessionals_-Beichtst%C3%BChle-Gesu_Nuovo-Neapel-Naples.JPG
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SantCompostela25.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_San_Joaqu%C3%ADn-Confesionario.JPG

(Including those I recall at St Peter’s Basilica, though I have not a picture handy)

tee
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Those kind of confessionals are quite common in Europe.
 
Carlion said:
Anonymity was apparently not the original goal, but it’s there anyway, and nowadays people do explicitly use the screen for that reason. 🤷
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The use of Confessionals is a western phenomena anyway. In the Byzantine Rite, the spot used is neither closed nor non-visible; who is confessing and whether they are absolved is visible to all who care to watch. What they confess is not.
 
Aramis said:
The use of Confessionals is a western phenomena anyway. In the Byzantine Rite, the spot used is neither closed nor non-visible; who is confessing and whether they are absolved is visible to all who care to watch. What they confess is not.
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You know, that sounds scary to me, everyone being able to see if you’re being absolved or not. But I just realized as I was about to say that, that I’ve gone to individual confessions that are “in the open” like that after a communal penance service, and it’s not a big deal to me…except that if folks stand too close then they might overhear things. :o
 
MrsMeganMc said:
I absolutely love my regular confessor - he is such an amazing priest and the best confessor that I have ever come across. I am dreading when his assignment is up at my parish - which should be in the next year or so. He has been such an important person in my faith journey - but I know that he will be needed (and loved) at his next assignment.
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I have a regular confessor too who is also a great priest. He used to be at a parish thirty minutes away but was transferred to my parish (and a nearby parish) last summer so I was happy he was transferred here.

I usually go face to face. Why go behind the screen if I have the same confessor
 
I’ve only had 1 confession, my first on Good Friday, to the parish priest. I confessed behind the screen, nervous, reading my little paper of (some) pretty yucky sins. It was so great that at the end of it I went on the other side of the screen and hugged him. :rolleyes:

Curious, the Catholic. The CATHOLIC, baby. That’s right!!! Waiting time is over! CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC
 
Curious said:
I’ve only had 1 confession, my first on Good Friday, to the parish priest. I confessed behind the screen, nervous, reading my little paper of (some) pretty yucky sins. It was so great that at the end of it I went on the other side of the screen and hugged him. :rolleyes:

Curious, the Catholic. The CATHOLIC, baby. That’s right!!! Waiting time is over! CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC
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:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping:

And it’s been a little more than a month, so you can have your second confession soon and start forming a wonderful lifetime habit. So happy for you!

Betsy
 
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