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Krisdun
Guest
Heard about a priest starting to offer drive-in confessions during this crisis with the sacrament being performed in parking lots (person just sticks their head out of the window to receive absolution). Can it work?
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phil19034
Guest
It can. But it might not be a good solution for every parish.
From what I understand, the parishes where this works have A LOT of land and have a massive parking lot and/or drive way. So they can avoid traffic issues when cars are lined up waiting for confession.
Parishes with tiny parking lots or no parking lots are most likely not going to be able to pull this off.
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Irishmom2
Guest
The search feature is your friend.
Priest offers drive-through confessions during coronavirus Liturgy and Sacraments
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jrgmercado
Guest
It’s being done here in my county across several parishes…the KofC have been assisting with traffic and it’s my understanding that some have even built a “mobile” confessional.
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TheLittleLady
Guest
What do you mean by “work”?
Is the sacrament valid if you drive up and speak to priest? Yes.
Or do you wonder about the logistics?
There have been several threads in recent days concerning “drive-in confession” and, as a side issue, whether telephones can be used as a kind of “hearing aid” where priest and penitent can see one another, but are separated by several feet of open air. Some bishops are authorizing this (at least the “drive-by” option), some are not. The Church has not spoken definitively about either issue.
I would like to see someone sit down with Pope Francis, explain that this is a workable stop-gap solution in parts of the world with “car culture” — I imagine a lot of Argentinians are car-reliant, it’s a big country with lots of wide-open spaces — and ask him if he could give at least a temporary blanket authorization of this for the entire Church. I would also point out that the “cell phone as hearing aid” is actually less likely to compromise confessional secrecy, than the conventional scenario where bystanders (and people in old-time dual-penitent confessional booths) can easily overhear what is being said.
I would like to see someone sit down with Pope Francis, explain that this is a workable stop-gap solution in parts of the world with “car culture” — I imagine a lot of Argentinians are car-reliant, it’s a big country with lots of wide-open spaces — and ask him if he could give at least a temporary blanket authorization of this for the entire Church. I would also point out that the “cell phone as hearing aid” is actually less likely to compromise confessional secrecy, than the conventional scenario where bystanders (and people in old-time dual-penitent confessional booths) can easily overhear what is being said.
Four pews back would have to be 8-10 feet away at the very least. The priest and penitent would have to talk at a normal speaking volume to be audible to one another. I really wouldn’t want to do that. Some churches have acoustics that magnify any sound made in them. I went to one church that was like an echo chamber — when someone would cough, fidget in their pew, or rattle their keys, it would ring throughout the church. I never liked going there, for that reason.
I am much more in favor of the outdoor option. I have already stated my views on “the phone as hearing aid”, so I won’t belabor that here.
I am much more in favor of the outdoor option. I have already stated my views on “the phone as hearing aid”, so I won’t belabor that here.
You know, at this point, I would just go for general absolution, for all people who could safely gather together in a discrete space (in cars in the church’s parking lot, or even safely spaced indoors), tell the people that they need to get to “regular” confession as soon as they can, after this storm passes, and be done with it.
I hope you’re right. I will tell you, it would just be my “strategic wild guess” that everything should be shut down until the end of May, just to make sure, just to let the curve get good and flat. However, it is easy for me to sit back and say that, son is homeschooled, I’m retired, I get a pension, I have no debt, and I have a stockpile of food that, depending upon how one eats, could last till then or close enough to it. People are hurting. I hear that. Pray God it will be sooner rather than later.
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