Confession Line Etiquette

[Chatter163]

But I’m curious about the posters who have said that there are separate lines, and each person gets in line for a particular priest. Does the confessional have a sign saying which priest is in there? Ours doesn’t.

Yes, it has always been my experience that churches with multiple priests hearing confessions at the same time have signs indicating which priest is in which confesional. Sometimes multiple languages may also be indicated (“Fr. X, English/Français/Italiano”). In many parishes, a priest typically sits in the same “box” all the time, so even without the signs, one usually knows.

The signs are slideout plaques than easily be changed:

http://www.tonini.net/ProductImages/89-0904.JPG

My parish even has this sign for when it is needed.

http://www.tonini.net/ProductImages/89-0909.JPG

 

[Titus]

Dear Titus,

I really wasn’t being unkind! This is just a miscommunication.

You see, I thought you were being humorous (I misread) and you thought I was being uncharitable. But actually I was being charitable, as, I was laughing at what I thought you intended as a joke. You see:

First, the title of this thread caught my funny bone for some reason. I imagined people writing in some pretty funny advice about what not to do/say in the confession line. Like, well:

• Never comment on your gift of mind-reading.
• Never ask, “Do you mind telling me what you are going to tell the Priest?”

For some reason every time I saw this thread I checked to see if it had gotten silly yet. Then I saw you wrote:

In my mind, I changed “one” confessor to: “the” confessor.

I laughed, and thought, “Finally! I guess it takes a Brit to have a sense of humor!” I saw that m134e5 “misunderstood” you and took you seriously, and I wanted to let you know that not *all *Americans are lacking in humor, so I fired off a to let you know I got your joke!

Oh my goodness. I hope this clears it up. I think its all because if feel like Michael Doyle here:

• and I think this kind of tension is breeding grounds for humor, you know?

But I think my comment, misunderstood to be uncharitable, breeded more uncharitablitly,and I didn’t catch it till now, and I feel bad about that.

Well, if we can’t take a joke, we shouldn’t have joined. If only one could sense someone’s tone of voice over the internet!

 

[LilyM]

Yes, it has always been my experience that churches with multiple priests hearing confessions at the same time have signs indicating which priest is in which confesional. Sometimes multiple languages may also be indicated (“Fr. X, English/Français/Italiano”). In many parishes, a priest typically sits in the same “box” all the time, so even without the signs, one usually knows.

The signs are slideout plaques than easily be changed:

http://www.tonini.net/ProductImages/89-0904.JPG

My parish even has this sign for when it is needed.

http://www.tonini.net/ProductImages/89-0909.JPG

Wow, those are some fancy-looking signs - ours are simple pieces of white cardboard! I suppose there’s a fair amount of turnover with the priests in much of our diocese though.

To the thirty minute confession :bigyikes: I know some priests are talkative, but I’ve NEVER had one go that long.

My first general confession after 10 years away from the Sacrament would still have been half that, or less. Of course, being a revert I knew you are only required to confess mortal sins, so out of consideration for those behind me in the queue I concentrated on those.

Maybe the priest was too stunned in horror at my sins to be chatty as well

 

[Jason_Hurd]

Maybe the priest was too stunned in horror at my sins to be chatty as well

The opposite appears to be the case in my parish. There is one priest in particular who dwells and dwells on how you have hurt Christ by your sins, and that you should know better, etc. Actually I appreciate this, and it is the main reason I go back to this confessor, but he does go on. The other day we were in line for his confessional so long that we thought the ‘Occupied’ light was stuck, but no, there was someone inside. And she was a nun! Maybe he took longer with her because she REALLY should have known better!

 

[KatieD]

I have been in line for so long on some Saturdays that the priest has had to leave in order to say Mass (we have confessions for 45 minutes or so on Saturday afternoons, however only one priest hearing them). On other Saturdays, there are just a couple of us. I think the priest I usually go to has a reputation for being a little tough - I’ve had friends say they are surprised I would like him - but I think he’s a wonderful confessor. I find him to be gentle and soft spoken, and he has given me some very helpful advice too. I would have no problem telling the person behind me that I was waiting for one priest or the other.