Armenians and confession

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I understand that the Armenian Apostolic Church does not practice private confession but rather what Latins would call “general absolution” during the liturgy. What is the justification for this? And what is the Armenian Catholic practice?
 
Someone once posted the link to this presentation on Saints and Sacraments of the Armenian Church by Bishop Kaloustian. It can be found at Paper.
There is private confession not only in the Roman Catholic Church, but in all the Ancient Eastern Churches, including the Greek, Russian, and Armenian Churches. The unfortunate fact however, is that in many places it is not practiced. But in Jerusalem it is still practiced. There is a small chapel in the Cathedral of St. James, where an elderly priest sits all during the services. Anyone desiring to go for confession sees the priest at this chapel. The priest draws the curtain and hears the confession.
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I came from the Assyrian Church which practices general absolution. I can’t speak too much about the Armenian Church, and would love to hear people’s contribution to this discussion. For my own background, I can say that it was honestly a practice that is out of the norm and braking with the traditions of our Church. I think that perhaps ages of persecution had led to the practice which stayed.
 
Private confession was something invented in Ireland and Scotland during the 7th century. It traveled eastward from there. Its no surprise that churches that far east would still practice public confession since that is the practice of the very ancient church.
 
Formosus: We’re not talking about public confession so much as general absolution…no oral confession involved.
 
I am just pointing out that the practice of Public confession (and hence a public general absolution) are older then private confession by far. So it would only make sense that the Armenians, whom are orientals, might still practice a more public form of the mystery. whether they do oral confession or not.
 
Dear Formosus, I think still the issue here is general absolution without any act of confession to a bishop. Even though, there were public rights of absolution, a tleast the implication was that the person was reconciled already to the bishop.

Can anyone from the Armenian Church verify that it is indeed general absolution without confession… as is the case in the Assyrian one?
 
Sorry… I’m trying to avoid confusing everything up… public confession and absolution rites still imply that the penitent is sorry and has confessed his faults. The penitent doing penance implies that the penance was prescribed. It is not just done on the entire congregation as-is…
 
twf said:
I understand that the Armenian Apostolic Church does not practice private confession but rather what Latins would call “general absolution” during the liturgy. What is the justification for this? And what is the Armenian Catholic practice?
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From what I have read they also (Oriental Orthodox Armenians) don’t use Unction/Annoiting of the Sick, it falling out of use centuries ago, but it is still on the books.
 
What is the Armenian Catholic practice? The Chaldean Catholic practice? Surely both churches have introduced a rite of private confession. Was this fabricated, borrowed from another rite/tradition, or drawn from some ancient tradition no longer in use? Anyone know?

I’m not sure, but I doubt that the Code of Canon Law for the Oriental Churches allows for general absolution as the norm within the Catholic Communion.
 
An Armenian Orthodox mentioned that private confessions were heard as the penitent placed his head in the confessor’s lap.
 
this is pretty late thread but,
I am Armenian Catholic, and we have this small Armenian church in my city. We do practice private confessions. They are exactly the same as in Roman Catholic church (using confessional).
 
Cluny said:
An Armenian Orthodox mentioned that private confessions were heard as the penitent placed his head in the confessor’s lap.
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Well, I can certainly imagine, how that practice could lead to problems … It’s no wonder, if it was abandoned. 😛
 
twf said:
What is the Armenian Catholic practice? The Chaldean Catholic practice? Surely both churches have introduced a rite of private confession. Was this fabricated, borrowed from another rite/tradition, or drawn from some ancient tradition no longer in use? Anyone know?

I’m not sure, but I doubt that the Code of Canon Law for the Oriental Churches allows for general absolution as the norm within the Catholic Communion.
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General absolution is possible sometimes, but still requires individual confession.

CCEO Canon 721
  1. For a member of the Christian faithful to enjoy the sacramental absolution given to many at the same time, it is required not only that the person be properly disposed, but also at the same time intend in due time to confess individually the grave sins which at the present time cannot be confessed.
 
Many Oriental Orthodox Churches, private confession fell into disuse. However, it is still required by even the most lax prior to a major event, such as Marriage or Ordination. There is a move toward reintroducing individual confession, at least emphasized during the Great Lent, Christmas Lent, and other penitential seasons.

The Copts each have their own ‘Father of Confession’ and their monastic Tradition and structures are so strong that this never became a sparse practice
 
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