Confession at Latin Rite parish

[ByzCath08]

My wife & I went to confession today at the local latin rite parish. We normally will go to our Byzantine parish, but time was at a premium today. When we left I was commenting to her how different it is going to confession in a latin rite parish. Our priest places the epitrachelion over your head during absolution and offers it up to kiss the epitrachelion afterwards. She ends up telling me that after the priest gave her absolution, she was so used to have the epitrachelion placed over her head and kissing it after being given absolution, that she didn’t know how to end the confession, so she stood up and kissed the priest’s hand. I had to laugh at that one. I told her he probably went back to the rectory and talked about the last 2 penitents of the day…both making the sign of the cross wrong and one kissing his hand!

 

[jwinch2]

My wife & I went to confession today at the local latin rite parish. We normally will go to our Byzantine parish, but time was at a premium today. When we left I was commenting to her how different it is going to confession in a latin rite parish. Our priest places the epitrachelion over your head during absolution and offers it up to kiss the epitrachelion afterwards. She ends up telling me that after the priest gave her absolution, she was so used to have the epitrachelion placed over her head and kissing it after being given absolution, that she didn’t know how to end the confession, so she stood up and kissed the priest’s hand. I had to laugh at that one. I told her he probably went back to the rectory and talked about the last 2 penitents of the day…both making the sign of the cross wrong and one kissing his hand!

Funny!

I would be just as lost going to an Eastern Rite parish. I would be interested in trying it out sometime but will be sure to mention to the priest that I am from that Latin Rite to avoid any confusion.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Funny!

I would be just as lost going to an Eastern Rite parish. I would be interested in trying it out sometime but will be sure to mention to the priest that I am from that Latin Rite to avoid any confusion.

Eastern Rite priests here in North America are so used to the Latin Rite way of confession. Just because there’s so much more Latin Rite Catholics and everyone’s used to the Latin Rite way

 

[jwinch2]

Eastern Rite priests here in North America are so used to the Latin Rite way of confession. Just because there’s so much more Latin Rite Catholics and everyone’s used to the Latin Rite way

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[5Loaves]

My wife & I went to confession today at the local latin rite parish. We normally will go to our Byzantine parish, but time was at a premium today. When we left I was commenting to her how different it is going to confession in a latin rite parish. Our priest places the epitrachelion over your head during absolution and offers it up to kiss the epitrachelion afterwards. She ends up telling me that after the priest gave her absolution, she was so used to have the epitrachelion placed over her head and kissing it after being given absolution, that she didn’t know how to end the confession, so she stood up and kissed the priest’s hand. I had to laugh at that one. I told her he probably went back to the rectory and talked about the last 2 penitents of the day…both making the sign of the cross wrong and one kissing his hand!

Thanks for sharing that!
I’m so often kissing a Latin priest’s hand because they will put out their hand to shake hands and when I grab it it just seems like the natural thing to bend down and kiss it. When I see our Latin Bishop at different events I always forget to kiss his ring and kiss his hand instead. I think all the kissing that goes on in the Orthodox and ECCs is one of the great parts of our relationships with one another. We usually have two priests con-celebrating in my parish and I love seeing them kiss, and of course the deacon’s frequent kissing of the priest’s hand when exchanging the censer etc.

 

[Stephentlig]

My wife & I went to confession today at the local latin rite parish. We normally will go to our Byzantine parish, but time was at a premium today. When we left I was commenting to her how different it is going to confession in a latin rite parish. Our priest places the epitrachelion over your head during absolution and offers it up to kiss the epitrachelion afterwards. She ends up telling me that after the priest gave her absolution, she was so used to have the epitrachelion placed over her head and kissing it after being given absolution, that she didn’t know how to end the confession, so she stood up and kissed the priest’s hand. I had to laugh at that one.** I told her he probably went back to the rectory and talked about the last 2 penitents of the day…both making the sign of the cross wrong and one kissing his hand!**

 

[BusterMartin]

Eastern Rite priests here in North America are so used to the Latin Rite way of confession. Just because there’s so much more Latin Rite Catholics and everyone’s used to the Latin Rite way

Indeed - at least from my experience this is true. With my current Ruthenian priest I have to ask him for the eastern for of Confession specifically. Otherwise, he will have me use the Latin Rite form since that’s technically what I am right now and he wants to be accommodating to me. Just tell the priest you’re Latin Rite and he’ll either let you use that or he’ll just walk you through the eastern form.

 

[onmyknees]

Thanks for sharing that!
I’m so often kissing a Latin priest’s hand because they will put out their hand to shake hands and when I grab it it just seems like the natural thing to bend down and kiss it. When I see our Latin Bishop at different events I always forget to kiss his ring and kiss his hand instead. I think all the kissing that goes on in the Orthodox and ECCs is one of the great parts of our relationships with one another. We usually have two priests con-celebrating in my parish and I love seeing them kiss, and of course the deacon’s frequent kissing of the priest’s hand when exchanging the censer etc.

My friend from South America says that they always kiss the priest’s hand instead of shaking it. I like the idea of this more traditional way to greet our priests. I am kind of nervous about kissing our priest’s hand because I have never seen anyone at our parish (U.S) doing this. Should I kiss his hand or would it not be appropriate anymore?

 

[ByzCath08]

Believe me, I’m getting alot of mileage out of that event!

 

[Joe_Kelley]

My friend from South America says that they always kiss the priest’s hand instead of shaking it. I like the idea of this more traditional way to greet our priests. I am kind of nervous about kissing our priest’s hand because I have never seen anyone at our parish (U.S) doing this. Should I kiss his hand or would it not be appropriate anymore?

Here in Southern California I think many of the Hispanics do. I don’t know any other groups that do now. I think the priests and bishops tolerate it, but are trying to discourage it.

I have seldom seen anyone kiss the priest’s hand in my some 70+ years. I think the last time I knelt to a bishop or kissed his ring was over 40 years ago.

I think it is good for both the person and for the priest/bishop to remind them both of his special state, but I try to go with the flow and not cause disruptions.

I was told that one of the older auxiliary bishops in Los Angeles encouraged people to kiss his hand, until a small child bit his finger. He had to say mass for a month or more with a heavily bandaged finger; so discouraged kissing thereafter.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

…Our priest places the epitrachelion over your head during absolution and offers it up to kiss the epitrachelion afterwards…

I assume the epitrachelion is what we refer to as his stole. I went to an Eastern rite priest once at a conference. He explained putting the stole over my head, which I think is a great symbol, but didn’t tell me about kissing it.

At a Maronite parish the deacon explained to us that they confess in front of the icon screen rather than in a confessional. [He admitted that he sometimes goes to a Latin parish if he has something serious. ]

 

[onmyknees]

Oh, It is so sad that they are trying to discourage it. I love the idea of kissing the priests hand because when they are ordained they are imprinted with an indelible sacramental character. They serve in the person of Christ, the head.

 

[twf]

In my archdiocese, the large Filipino community will always take the priest’s hand and touch it to their foreheads. Kissing or reverencing a priest’s hand is not unknown in the Latin Church, it just varies from region to region. Among Anglo-North Americans it has sadly fallen into disuse. Isn’t it proper to also give a Byzantine priest a profound bow as a living icon of Christ?

When I met the Latin primate of Canada, I genuflected on my left knee and kissed his ring. I would do likewise for my local bishop but I think he’d look at me funny

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Oh, It is so sad that they are trying to discourage it. I love the idea of kissing the priests hand because when they are ordained they are imprinted with an indelible sacramental character. They serve in the person of Christ, the head.

It is unfortunate that they do not humbly accept it as a tribute to their office rather than to thier person. Giving honor to the office is a duty for both them and us. Just as we should show honor to the office, they should accept the honor for the office.

 

[wjp984]

When I grew up as a Ruthenian Catholic, we were taught the Latin rite way of Confession and there were confessionals.

This practice has since been abandoned and the parish has eliminated the confessionals and returned to the eastern way for Confession. However, I’m pretty sure for this reason, just about all Eastern Catholic priests are very familiar with the Latin Rite form of Confession and probably still use it.

I prefer the Latin Rite Confession because it is more private. However, on occasion, I will go to an Eastern Rite Confession and I use the Roman Rite way I was taught and just go with the flow. The priest will inform me if there is something more I am supposed to do.

 

[OrthodoxJosh]

I see a lot of reference to the “eastern rite of confession”. I wonder how this differs from the Orthodox rite of confession. To be honest, I have never actually encountered a singular rite of confession in the Orthodox Church. In the Antiochian Church I have experienced priests who either use a rite that is in the archdiocesan published prayer book, or the small red “Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians” (which was typically how I did confession until I ran into a rule of confession from the Russian tradition that really spoke to my heart, and my priest was happy to confess me either way). The only real “rite” I would say was common was the epitrachelion being placed over my head as I knelt before the Icon of Christ at the Prayer of Absolution (which also seems to slightly differ according to priest) and then kissing it, and the priest’s hand. More (name removed by moderator)ut would be great.