Confession during coronavirus

  • Thread starter Thread starter SimpleTruths
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

SimpleTruths

Guest
With the coronavirus, is there any remote confession available or is that against canon law?
 
Did you see tisbears thread on he drive up confession?
 
40.png
Priest offers drive-through confessions during coronavirus Liturgy and Sacraments
I know this isn’t the topic of the thread but I have had a priest lay his hand on my head during absolution at least once. It didn’t seem odd to me so maybe it happened before that too, although I didn’t remember specifically. I just remember that one time because it was at a retreat.
Click to expand...
 
Unless your diocese has specifically said otherwise, you should assume that confession is still available in the usual way.
 
Gotta be person to person. Drive up risks about a million violations of the seal of the confessional. Hatetheists will fake it and post it up on YouTube. And with Alexa listening in?
 
The bishop of our local diocese has recommended that confessions take place outside, preferably made through a narrowly opened car window. I kid you not.
 
Last edited:
My 17 year old sister and my older sister tried to go to confession before the diocese had made that decision, and there was no priest there.
 
Ask and you shall (probably) receive. Try phoning ahead or making an appointment - a priest has an obligation to hear your confession at any reasonable time!
 
Thank you all. I will contact my diocese for their options. God bless and take care
 
Along those lines, I’ve got a question about this. I live outside of Rome, Italy, and we need to now travel with papers that show we’re going out on some necessary task (grocery store, pharmacy, people working in necessary jobs like agricultural). As public worship is ‘forbidden’ until at least 3 April, this includes Priests travelling and us travelling to Priests.

My suspicion is that all Sacraments are suspended until at least 3 April, but if there was a way I and our family could call up our Confessor and have Confession over the phone, that’d be a real help, y’know?

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
I don’t think they will do it over the phone, as that’s not allowed to my knowledge.
However, I don’t think the Sacraments are suspended in Rome (Mass is suspended but not Sacraments) as some churches are allowed to be open and the Pope’s secretary has also urged priests to visit people to bring the Sacraments.


I would suggest that you call up your parish and ask if there’s any way you can have confession.
 
Last edited:
It’s not that they’re suspended. I think I misspoke. However, we are not allowed to travel without need, and the government doesn’t consider this a ‘need.’
 
But are not work-related travels still allowed, for tasks one cannot do from home ? Technically, even though you couldn’t go the the priest, the priest could come to you, as it’s his job…
 
Only for essential jobs, for the most part. Restaurants, sporting events, schools, most stores that I know of are all closed. Only if you were in grocery stores, pharmacies, healthcare, agribusiness, or anything essential can you travel. Otherwise the police stop you, look at your paperwork, and fine you. It’s generally to mitigate what the Italians call ‘Furbizia,’ which is this tendency to try to get around the rules/laws. Otherwise people here would be saying, ‘Yeah, there’s a travel ban, but I can go out and have dinner with my parents. Or go to the pub. Or whatever.’
 
I see, thank you !

That’s probably what expects us too, here north of the Lombardy border (although the Swiss federal council’s new measures do not - yet - restrict travel as much).

I guess acts of perfect contrition will be the way to go then…
 
You can’t stop by the church on your way to and from someplace else?
The priest isn’t allowed to make pastoral visits as part of his job? That is his work.
Have you asked the priest about this or just assuming?
I think you really need to call your priest and ask because we are not where you are.
But in any event I don’t think anyone is going to do a confession over the phone. It must be in person.
If you can’t confess then perfect contrition would be the way to go.
 
Last edited:
‘On my way to somewhere else’ is only the grocery store that’s down the street, and the pharmacy that’s a little further down the street. The Church is 15 minutes and a hike in the other direction.

According to the paperwork we need to fill out, no, pastoral visits do not seem acceptable. His work is also to conduct funerals, but those are on hold until at least 3 April as well. Many people have jobs that they are not able to engage in. They are forced to stay home. The government does not recognize these as necessary to basic survival.

I’m afraid my Italian is not sufficient enough to hold a phone conversation with the local Priests about this, however I know from reading the paperwork that my Confessor, an American Priest presently in Rome, would be stopped at the Metro and promptly turned around.

Perfect contrition looks like it will have to be sufficient until restrictions are lifted
 
Well then people who really care don’t have to do drive thru. Some people are willing to risk being heard to receive the sacrament. Honestly I don’t get the importance of the seal for most people when we all commit the same sins. Sure, if you don’t want your loved one to listen in, or you are a criminal who doesn’t want to go to jail. Even I wouldn’t care if my worst sins were known by random people.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top