Are you always free to confess anonymously behind a screen?

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Rob2

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There was Father John , I’ll call him , in my parents’ parish who had serious hearing problems …In time the bishop would assign him to work in the diocese with Catholics who are deaf .

Once I went to the Sacrament of Reconcilaition to my parent’s church and Father John was the confessor . I had to look him straight in the face when confessing because of his need to lip read . I felt a little awkward at first , but gradually relaxed when I could see in his face only love and acceptance .

Yesterday I went to a Jesuit parish for the sacrament . Father Peter , I’ll call him , is one of the priests there . He too has serious hearing problems . He uses sign language when celebrating Mass , or when talking with you , but I do find I can usually understand what he is saying . Any way he is patient with people .

I wondered why I was the only one waiting for Confession , until Father Peterl opened the door and beckoned me to come in . Others must have heard that Father Peter was on duty , and chose to stay away . 😄

It’s the fourth time I have confessed to Father Peter . Again one has to look him straight in the eye . And do you know , it’s liberating to do so , to look at the face of a man who is so obviously radiating the love and mercy of God ?
 
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It is nice when stories like this where the Church does the right thing supporting people with disability challenges.

So often, they mess it up.

Good job.
 
My first confession was in 1956 .

There were two priests , the parish priest of whom we were all terrified and his curate who was ok . It was a rush as to who could get into the queue for the curate . I ended up in the parish priest’s queue .

We had been taught how the priest would not be able to see us because he was behind a screen with closed curtains .

I walked in nervously with my set-piece ready . I knelt down , and there before me in full view with face up to the curtainless screen was the dreaded priest .

I started off , and then he said he would mention a few things , and if I had done any of them just to nod . I had no need for the laundry list , and the priest was rather gentle .

I was telling this to a friend the other week , and he told of how he had been to confession to a priest most were afraid of , but in the confessional he found him to be gentle .
 
The title suggests that you’re wondering if the screen is always an option, but the posts are just stories about going to confession. Nothing wrong with stories, but it’s kind of confusing
 
BoomBoomMancini said:
The title suggests that you’re wondering if the screen is always an option, but the posts are just stories about going to confession. Nothing wrong with stories, but it’s kind of confusing
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The question posed in the title of the thread is “Are you always free to confess anonymously behind a screen ?”

Then I give examples of how I have not been free to confess anonymously behind a screen .

I mention how on occasions it would have been impossible for the priests to literally hear my confession because they were deaf , so they needed to see me . Then I mentioned how at my first confession the priest had the curtain drawn back to see me and presumably so that I could see him .

I can’t see what is confusing .
 
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You are always free to confess anonymously. It’s your right as a penitent. You just chose not to speak up and ask for it. I’m sure if you had, they would have made some accommodation, whether that meant referring you to a priest without a hearing problem, or in the second example, simply closing the curtain.
 
BoomBoomMancini said:
You are always free to confess anonymously. It’s your right as a penitent. You just chose not to speak up and ask for it. I’m sure if you had, they would have made some accommodation, whether that meant referring you to a priest without a hearing problem, or in the second example, simply closing the curtain.
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But the curtain was on the priest’s side of the screen so we were unable to close it .
 
Why not just ask him to draw the curtain?

I mean, if it doesn’t bother you, great. I personally am fine either way. But you still had the right to be behind the curtain. You just didn’t ask for it.

But I might have misunderstood. I thought you were asking if there were situations in which you were forbidden from confessing anonymously. There aren’t, but there might be situations in which it requires some extra coordination.
 
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BoomBoomMancini said:
Why not just ask him to draw the curtain? You just didn’t ask for it.
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We were kids . It was our first confession . Totally new experience . We had never been in a confessional before . We didn’t know what our rights were .

Plus , we were scared of the priest . And “scared” is a mild word to use .
 
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BoomBoomMancini said:
You are always free to confess anonymously. It’s your right as a penitent. You just chose not to speak up and ask for it. I’m sure if you had, they would have made some accommodation, whether that meant referring you to a priest without a hearing problem, or in the second example, simply closing the curtain.
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Anonymity is not guaranteed. A fixed grate is required by canon law in the Latin Rite, but there is no requirement that the curtain be closed. There was a fixed screen in place. Of course, you could ask the priest to close the curtain if that makes you more comfortable, but that doesn’t make the confession anonymous.
 
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I mean, there are situations in which if you REALLY want to be anonymous, you might have to go to a different parish. Even if there is a heavy curtain, if the priest recognizes your voice, there’s not much you can do without just going elsewhere
 
babochka said:
Anonymity is not guaranteed. A fixed grate is required by canon law in the Latin Rite, but there is no requirement that the curtain be closed. There was a fixed screen in place. Of course, you could ask the priest to close the curtain if that makes you more comfortable, but that doesn’t make the confession anonymous.
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This Boston Diocese website says " Most churches have traditional confessionals or reconciliation rooms with the option to confess either face-to-face or kneeling behind an opaque screen. In Church law, both the priest and the penitent have the right to opt for the screen ."

 
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Rob2 said:
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babochka:
Anonymity is not guaranteed. A fixed grate is required by canon law in the Latin Rite, but there is no requirement that the curtain be closed. There was a fixed screen in place. Of course, you could ask the priest to close the curtain if that makes you more comfortable, but that doesn’t make the confession anonymous.
Click to expand...
This Boston Diocese website says " Most churches have traditional confessionals or reconciliation rooms with the option to confess either face-to-face or kneeling behind an opaque screen. In Church law, both the priest and the penitent have the right to opt for the screen ."

Frequently Asked Questions about the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation/Confession - The Light Is On For You
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Where does that say that you have the right to anonymity? It says that you have a right to a screen and that the screens in most churches are opaque. While most people equate that with anonymity, many screens are not opaque and the priest and penitent can see each other easily enough. This is less common in the US than in some other places.
 
In my church, if your sins were bad enough, the priest would pull you out of the confessional, in front of the entire congregation and… then I woke up. Thank goodness that was only a dream.

But for real, I like looking the priest right in the face with no screen or wall in between. There is something more “human” about the experience, not to mention it can be more humbling to not “physically hide” behind something. I think of Adam and Eve who hid from God and how things might be different if they ran to face Him right away.
 
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The Church can’t guarantee actual anonymity. As I said, there’s always voice recognition. I probably should have said you have the right to attempt anonymity.
 
I know some churches in my city where there are only face to face confessions and there are other churches that have a wall with a small screen. Either of these options are acceptable!
 
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Because I have scrupulosity and normally see one Confessor most of the time, there is no point in trying to sit behind a screen. I am usually already in line when he gets in!

Besides, often times I might have a question or he will have something he wants to explain to me. That kind of thing works better face to face. It is a much more “personal” experience. I can see times where I might just want to be Mr. X behind a screen, but normally, I just go in, let him see me and face the music.
 
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