Can a priest require all confessions to be done face to face?

[Bashful]

I was wondering if a priest can require all confessions to be conducted face to face and not allow one to go behind the grille or the curtain in order to be anonymous? I rather be anonymous when I do receive the sacrament of penance but what can I do if I am at a church where going behind the grille or the curtain is not an option?

 

[adamhovey1988]

I was wondering if a priest can require all confessions to be conducted face to face and not allow one to go behind the grille or the curtain in order to be anonymous? I rather be anonymous when I do receive the sacrament of penance but what can I do if I am at a church where going behind the grille or the curtain is not an option?

I don’t know why people have such a big problem with confession face to face look if it’s your pastor he knows your voice anyway. I think people tend to forget that’s confessional with a relatively recent event in the history before it was done publicly. That being said, you do have the canonical right I believe, to have confession anonymously. I think it wise to call up the parish secretary and tell them you want to make an appointment for a confession if at all possible and that you prefer to be anonymous

 

[Vico]

I was wondering if a priest can require all confessions to be conducted face to face and not allow one to go behind the grille or the curtain in order to be anonymous? I rather be anonymous when I do receive the sacrament of penance but what can I do if I am at a church where going behind the grille or the curtain is not an option?

No.

CIC (Latin Canon Law)

Can. 964 §1. The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.

§2. The conference of bishops is to establish norms regarding the confessional; it is to take care, however, that there are always confessionals with a fixed grate between the penitent and the confessor in an open place so that the faithful who wish to can use them freely.

§3. Confessions are not to be heard outside a confessional without a just cause.

However if you go to an eastern Catholic church for confession, there are different norms so there may be no screen.

CCEO (Eastern Canon Law)
Canon 736

1. The proper place for celebrating the sacrament of penance is a church, with due regard for the prescriptions of particular law.
2. Due to infirmity or another just cause, this sacrament can be celebrated outside the proper place.

 

[1ke]

I was wondering if a priest can require all confessions to be conducted face to face and not allow one to go behind the grille or the curtain in order to be anonymous?

No, the penitent **always **has the option. That is unambiguous and it is the law of the Church. It is your right.

I rather be anonymous when I do receive the sacrament of penance but what can I do if I am at a church where going behind the grille or the curtain is not an option?

If your parish does not offer that option then I suggest you talk to your pastor about it, making an appointment to do so. Point out the obligation to offer confession in the confessional with a fixed grill. Discuss how to offer this in your parish, perhaps at certain times or take a look at the physical facilities to see what changes need to be made if necessary.

If things do not change, then you would need to make your issue known at the diocesan level with a letter to the bishop.

 

[1ke]

I don’t know why people have such a big problem with confession face to face look if it’s your pastor he knows your voice anyway.

This is completely irrelevant. The penitent ALWAYS has the option of confession behind the screen.

I think people tend to forget that’s confessional with a relatively recent event in the history before it was done publicly.

This is not accurate. Public penance followed by public confession of grave, public sins did indeed exist in the first centuries of the Church. Private confession has existed since the beginning of the Church and is integral to the sacrament.

See Trent, Session 14, Chapter 5:

For the rest, as to the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, although Christ has not forbidden that a person may,–in punishment of his sins, and for his own humiliation, as well for an example to others as for the edification of the Church that has been scandalized,–confess his sins publicly, nevertheless this is not commanded by a divine precept; neither would it very prudent(e) to enjoin by any human law, that sins, especially such as are secret, should be made known by a public confession. Wherefore, whereas the secret sacramental confession, which was in use from the beginning in holy Church, and is still also in use, has always been commended by the most holy and the most ancient Fathers with a great and unanimous consent, the vain calumny of those is manifestly refuted, who are not ashamed to teach, that confession is alien from the divine command, and is a human invention, and that it took its rise from the Fathers assembled in the Council of Lateran: for the Church did not, through the Council of Lateran, ordain that the faithful of Christ should confess,–a thing which it knew to be necessary, and to be instituted of divine right,–but that the precept of confession should be complied with, at least once a year, by all and each, when they have attained to years of discretion. Whence, throughout the whole Church, the salutary custom is, to the great benefit of the souls of the faithful, now observed, of confessing at that most sacred and most acceptable time of Lent,–a custom which this holy Synod most highly approves of and embraces, as pious and worthy of being retained.

 

[carefullytread]

This is not accurate. Public penance followed by public confession of grave, public sins did indeed exist in the first centuries of the Church. Private confession has existed since the beginning of the Church and is integral to the sacrament.

Well, yes, and no. Adam is right that the confessional is a more modern invention. You correctly point out that private confessions have a longer history. Those wonderful confessionals only date from the 16th century however.

 

[tee_eff_em]

No, the penitent **always **has the option. That is unambiguous and it is the law of the Church. It is your right.

Be sure to complete that sentence – The penitent does not always have (open ended) options!

In a converse of the OP question, a confessor can require all confessions to take place behind a fixed grille*. A penitent may only opt to confess face to face it the confessor first offers that choice.

(* Insert standard admonition that fixed grilles have nothing to do with anonymity, per se)

tee
Insert standard not-a-canon-lawyer disclaimer

 

[1ke]

Be sure to complete that sentence – The penitent does not always have (open ended) options!

you know, I didn’t say the penitent had open ended options.

I responded to their question regarding confession behind the screen. That is always their option.

UGH.

 

[Bookcat]

No.

 

[Kielbasi]

Well, yes, and no. Adam is right that the confessional is a more modern invention. You correctly point out that private confessions have a longer history. Those wonderful confessionals only date from the 16th century however.

I don’t know if something from the 1500’s is really a “recent event”.

 

[phil19034]

you know, I didn’t say the penitent had open ended options.

I responded to their question regarding confession behind the screen. That is always their option.

UGH.

Speaking canonically, you are correct. But I personally know of situations where some priests have insisted on face-to-face Confessions outside regularly posted confession times.

 

[truetofaith]

They just had a Penance Day with 10 priests from the surrounding parishes and most were face to face but there were 2 lines at the Confessionals. They were long lines though, for privacy.

 

[1ke]

I don’t know if something from the 1500’s is really a “recent event”.

Private confession goes back to the beginning of the church.

Trent reaffirmed it in the 1500s.

 

[Mary_Estelle]

The seal of confession also ensures your privacy. The priest does not know my voice. Everyone thinks I am someone different by the sound of my voice. Also, face to face confession does not protect your identity. I know of at least one older lady who had to be very “loud” because Father couldn’t hear well so she hated face to face and stopped going.I also prefer “closed” confession. Just my opinion. Peace

 

[carefullytread]

I don’t know if something from the 1500’s is really a “recent event”.

When discussing the Catholic Church, it might be . She just has so much history.

 

[truetofaith]

The seal of confession also ensures your privacy. The priest does not know my voice. Everyone thinks I am someone different by the sound of my voice. Also, face to face confession does not protect your identity. I know of at least one older lady who had to be very “loud” because Father couldn’t hear well so she hated face to face and stopped going.I also prefer “closed” confession. Just my opinion. Peace

We are friendly with the priests and they know my voice. I usually go to another parish for confession.

 

[Phemie]

Mustn’t forget that closed in confessionals like we see here in North America were not the norm everywhere. Confessionals in many of the churches of Europe don’t guarantee your anonymity. The priest and penitents are in full view and the priest can see you as you approach.

youtube.com/watch?v=BKHKmEtpWao

 

[tafan]

Confessionals in many of the churches of Europe don’t guarantee your anonymity. The priest and penitents are in full view and the priest can see you as you approach.

youtube.com/watch?v=BKHKmEtpWao

Not true at all. I am almost positive that confessional is in St Peters, and I have been to confession in St Peters multiple times and all of the the priest could not see anyone approaching. The upper part of the doors are normally closed. As a matter of fact, my experience in St Peters, and in most places in Europe is that face-to-face confessions are not normally available.

 

[tafan]

I don’t know why people have such a big problem with confession face to face look if it’s your pastor he knows your voice anyway. I think people tend to forget that’s confessional with a relatively recent event in the history before it was done publicly. That being said, you do have the canonical right I believe, to have confession anonymously. I think it wise to call up the parish secretary and tell them you want to make an appointment for a confession if at all possible and that you prefer to be anonymous

Why do people have such a big problem with face-to-face confession? Because we do, its uncomfortable. Sorry, but that’s the way it is.

Do priests know everyone’s voice? THey know a few people, the vast majority of the penitents they do not recognize the voices with any certainty.

As to public confessions being the norm until recent, other responses have refuted that accurately.

One should also be aware of the fact that anonymous confession must be provided to the penitent, but face-to-face confession is not required to be an option. I know several priests who normally will not do face-to-face confessions. They dislike the fact that some people expect it. Do you really think priests want to always know who did what? I consider face-to-face confessions a bad modern convention. Not fair to the priests or the penitents.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Not true at all. I am almost positive that confessional is in St Peters, and I have been to confession in St Peters multiple times and all of the the priest could not see anyone approaching. The upper part of the doors are normally closed. As a matter of fact, my experience in St Peters, and in most places in Europe is that face-to-face confessions are not normally available.

As a priest of Europe, I wish to make very clear that it is what you write that is not true at all.

The confessional in the video is indeed in Saint Peter’s Basilica. In fact, the confessional where the Pope was hearing confessions, after himself confessing, is next to the altar with the body of Saint Josaphat behind lead crystal. They are in that part of the Basilica where Vatican I was held.

It is not at all unusual for us to leave the door open, as seen in the video, or, where a curtain is used, to leave it partially open. It has been this way for all of my life. Here is an old photo of Padre Pio in the confessional



If one wishes to confess face to face, one does as Pope Francis did in the video. One may also remain standing, rather than kneeling as he does. If the door is closed, one simply knocks on it. Face to face confession is readily available here in Europe and it long has been.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

In Saint Peter’s Basilica, as elsewhere, the grates are quite perforated. They are a fixed barrier between the confessor and the penitent – they are not about anonymity. I can clearly see through the perforations.