If only all parishes needed them.Sigh. If only all parishes could set up a take a number system
Don’t get frustrated or worry about this. Take today’s Gospel reading to heart! When someone leaves the confessional after your own examination, get up. If someone else does the same, signal them to go ahead. Anyone else there will know that you are ready and will allow you to go next, IMO. I don’t think an argument will break out over who’s next like in a doctor’s office! People kinda know who’s next. Our one confessional room (one person only, no double sided) is in the rear of the daily chapel. People sit in the chairs against the back wall and move over as each person moves on. People in prayer after confession sit elsewhere. No guess work here!Does anyone notice the difference in some parishes when it comes to Confession? At one parish, everyone lines up in the aisle to go in for Confession. At another one, people remain in the pews, wherever, kneeling in prayer or seated.
It’s so hard to tell who’s doing an examination of conscience, who’s saying their penance and who’s waiting to go in!?!?! What’s up with that??? It’s very frustrating.
I wish it were the same to each and every parish so that everyone knows the routine. When we line up, while everyone is seated, we get the strangest looks. As if we’re bucking the trend.
Does anyone know “the rule” about the order of going in to Confession?
On a side note, how do you feel about double confessionals where a penitent is seated to one side of the priest while another penitent is making their confession at the same time? I prefer the one penitent per Confession, rather than a possible 3 way. Just venting.
Peace.
+JMJ+
I don’t think the OP was turning this into a major life crisis, just posting a concern. Your snarky comment did nothing to help.
Who said it was a crisis? This is a discussion forum and this seems like a perfectly legitimate thing to discuss.
I don’t understand why it would be a problem that things are done differently at different churches. We are not required to have absolute uniformity in all things, and the needs of each parish are different. In some places, the confessionals are located at the front of the church. In others, confessionals are at the back. In some places there might not be a good place to form a visible line. Perhaps the number of penitents in some parishes has been so small for a number of years that an alternative to waiting in line just seemed natural, and the system has yet to adjust to a greater number of people? This seems to be the case in my own parish. I have a very small parish and confessions are heard before the Divine Liturgy, in the front of the church. When one walks into the church, one can see at a glance if Father is hearing a confession. Rarely has there ever been more thank 2-3 people waiting for confession, and we usually just sit in the pews, at least 2/3 back, on the other side of the church from where the confessions are heard. There is no “rule” and no line, simply a system of courtesy and respect for the person confessing and each other. With only 2 or 3 people waiting, it is easy to know if another person arrived earlier than I did. Having some sort of formal line would seem unnecessary. Lately, though, the parish has been growing, and so has the number of people waiting for Confession. Sometimes I find 7 or 8 people waiting for confession, and it has become a little more confusing to know who is next, who is waiting for confession and who is just praying. Maybe soon it will be time for a change, for more order in the process? But who’s to arrange this? How will it happen? Will someone emerge and put a “Confession line” sign somewhere, and expect the others, who have been doing it one way for some time, to just make the change? Perhaps it will happen that way, but I doubt it. I think we’ll all just continue to be courteous, to exchange looks of inquiry when it doubt, and to give way if it seems more critical for another. Father is always happy to hear confession after the Liturgy, too.
I don’t get this – we’ve been confessing in the 3 stall confessionals for centuries (and for most of those years the penitent’s stall was either wide open or had only a curtain) and NOW it’s a problem?!?
Sorry, but with all due respect, Tim was just voicing his opinion and I sort of agree. Do YOU really think your post helped in any way as you accuse Tim of doing? Shall we “love one another” as Jesus says or point fingers?
Thomas, re-read the Gospel from last weekend (8th OT): anxiety and worry. Going to confession should not confuse, frustrate or cause anxiety. Each person sitting in the pews take their own time in examination of conscience. When you are ready, get up. If someone else gets up too, offer them to go first. Others will see that and realize that you are ready. I am sure they will not get upset with you. Stop worrying! I know…that’s easy to say!
This!!
Does anyone notice the difference in some parishes when it comes to Confession? At one parish, everyone lines up in the aisle to go in for Confession. At another one, people remain in the pews, wherever, kneeling in prayer or seated.
It’s so hard to tell who’s doing an examination of conscience, who’s saying their penance and who’s waiting to go in!?!?! What’s up with that??? It’s very frustrating.
I wish it were the same to each and every parish so that everyone knows the routine. When we line up, while everyone is seated, we get the strangest looks. As if we’re bucking the trend.
Does anyone know “the rule” about the order of going in to Confession?
On a side note, how do you feel about double confessionals where a penitent is seated to one side of the priest while another penitent is making their confession at the same time? I prefer the one penitent per Confession, rather than a possible 3 way. Just venting.
Peace.
+JMJ+
