Confession Over the Phone?

[Kepha15]

Are Catholics allowed to receive the sacrament of reconciliation over the phone? I recently called a local priest to schedule a confession, and he instead offered to do the sacrament over the phone instead of having me drive to the church. I ended up going to the church anyway because I didn’t feel right about it, but would this have been a valid confession if it had been done over the phone?

 

[DJJG]

NO!
Confession MUST be in person. If a priest gives absolution over the phone or 2 way radio, it would not be valid.

This question is addressed quite often and has brought up with Fr. Serpa, on the apologetics forum, as well as on Catholic Answers Radio program. It can not be done EVEN IN AN EMERGENCY!

 

[mattkubes]

he instead offered to do the sacrament over the phone instead of having me drive to the church

Oh boy…I’ve never heard of a priest actually offering to hear a confession over the phone before!!! I suppose it could be that I don’t come on CAF enough…would it be wrong of me to think that this -]should/-] needs to be reported to the local Bishop?

 

[Leopard]

NO! Confession MUST be in person. If a priest gives absolution over the phone or 2 way radio, it would not be valid…

To clarify, it is not the use of telephone equipment that would invalidate the sacrament, but the lack of the penitent’s presence to the confessor. Some churches have telephone handsets installed in their confessionals to assist penitents (possibly confessors also) with hearing difficulties. These telephones operate only across the confessional screen and do not invalidate the sacrament.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Are Catholics allowed to receive the sacrament of reconciliation over the phone? I recently called a local priest to schedule a confession, and he instead offered to do the sacrament over the phone instead of having me drive to the church. I ended up going to the church anyway because I didn’t feel right about it, but would this have been a valid confession if it had been done over the phone?

I’m happy you didn’t feel right about it beacuse, it would not have been valid.

You should inform the priest that Confession over the phone, mail, or Email never has and never will be valid. IF he has done this in the past he needs to put a note in the buletin advising anyone he may have offered this to in the past to come into the church during the regular Confession times ASAP.

 

[Steve40]

Are Catholics allowed to receive the sacrament of reconciliation over the phone? I recently called a local priest to schedule a confession, and he instead offered to do the sacrament over the phone instead of having me drive to the church. I ended up going to the church anyway because I didn’t feel right about it, but would this have been a valid confession if it had been done over the phone?

I asked for confession over the phone once and the priest who was a friend of mine just laughed at me. He said it could not be done over the phone.