Eastern Catholic Confession

[JW55]

What is the difference in the protocol of an Eastern Catholic confession as compared to a Roman Catholic Confession?

 

[SyroMalankara]

It depends on the specific Church, which one are you interested in?

 

[Vico]

What is the difference in the protocol of an Eastern Catholic confession as compared to a Roman Catholic Confession?

Byzantine Catholic form:

Kneel (or stand) before the icon of Jesus Christ and begin with the sign of the cross:

1. “I confess to Almighty God, One in the Holy Trinity, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to all the Saints, and to you, Father, all my sins.”
   Say how long it has been, and your sins, in a conversational style. Then, when any counseling is complete, say:
2. “For these and all my other sins which I remember or cannot call to mind, I am very sorry. I have offended God and have angered Him against me. I am sincerely repentant and promise with the help fo God to better my life. For this, I humbly ask of you, Father, salutary penance and absolution.”
   The priest puts the epitrachelion on your head (if you are kneeling) and gives absolution, and then says “Go in peace, sin no more.”

However, it is most interesting that in the revised Latin Catholic rite of penance from 1974 (Pope Paul VI) one may merely say the Jesus Prayer for the act of contrition.

ibreviary.com/m/preghiere…po=Rito&id=227
cathedralofmary.org/parish/sa…eofpenance.htm

Rite of Penance 1974
The “Jesus Prayer”
Lord Jesus, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner.

 

[JW55]

Thanks. I was primarily interested in the Byzantine form, but would be interested in hearing others if they differ.

 

[Upgrade25]

Maronite form is Identical to Roman form

 

[JRS_88]

I’ve probably posted this before.

This is how confession is done in my Maronite parish.

Confession is face to face. It’s usually done sitting in a pew in the back of the church. Monsignor uses a stole made out of gold colored material.

I make the Sign of the Cross and say how long it’s been since the last confession. Then, Monsignor holds up the end of his stole, and the Cross of the stole is right in front of my face, about six inches away from my mouth. When I tell my sins, I speak toward the Cross of the stole, and my priest bows his head as I speak.

After, I confess my sins, Monsignor lowers the stole, and he speaks with me and gives a penance. Then, he says to make an act of contrition, and he again raises the stole and I say it towards the Cross. Then he absolves me making the sign of the Cross holding the stole, then he will place the end of the stole on the top of my head, saying the Glory be.

This is the way it’s done at my Maronite parish. This is just my experience.

 

[AXO]

Maronite form is Identical to Roman form

I too was interested in the Maronite form, although I doubt it’s that simple. Any more information?

 

[SyroMalankara]

I assume the oldest Maronite forms are closer to the Syriac/Malankara forms:

malankara.com/node/206

 

[SyroMalankara]

Prayer of Repentance

Have mercy upon me, O Almighty Father, You do we praise and do we bless. You do we worship, humbly kneeling, that You should show us Your great mercy. O Christ, Fountain of mercy, show me Your compassion on the day of judgment as You did to the thief on the Cross, the publican and the woman taken in iniquity. Amen.

Prayer Before Confession

O God, Who does not will the death of the sinner, but rather that he repent and live, I confess before You that I have sinned before heaven and in Your sight, while enjoying Your great goodness. By this ungratefulness have I fallen from the estate of sons and am no more worthy to be called a son of Your grace. Make me, O Father, as one of thy hired servants. But blot out my transgressions in Your mercy. Cleanse me from my sin. O Merciful Father, turn Your face from my sins and look not upon my iniquities. Cast me not from before Your face, O Gracious Lord. Rebuke me not in Your anger, but listen to the voice of my sorrow, O Lord, and look upon my tears. May they wash me clean in Your sight, O God, for I do repent most humbly and am heartily sorry for all that I have done wrong. Moreover, I have determined not to return to the hateful paths of sin again. Receive my confession and help me in Your mercy and grace to live a life that brings Your glory and praise. Amen.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Prayer Upon Confession of Sin Before the Priest

I confess to God the Father Almighty, and to His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit, in the presence of our Lady the Virgin, ever sacred in her virginity, and all the holy angels, of Michael, of Gabriel, both chief of angels, and St. John the Baptist, of the holy apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, the twenty-four prophets, the twelve apostles, the four evangelists and the seventy-two sent forth.
I confess the holy faith of the three Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus in the most noble priesthood ascribed unto You, Father Priest, by which You loose and bind.
I have sinned through all my senses, both inwardly and outwardly, in word, in deed and in thought. My sin is great, very great, and I repent of it most sincerely, purposing not to fall again into the same ever, preferring death rather than embrace sin. And I ask you, by the authority of the sacred priesthood, that you absolve me and forgive, asking God to pardon me through His grace. Amen.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Prayer of Absolution for the Laity

The priest lays his right hand on the head of the penitent and says:
May God have mercy upon you, and may He guide you to everlasting life through the authority of priesthood which was entrusted by our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples who, in turn, entrusted it to their successors until it was given me; I who am weak and sinful, absolve you, brother (sister) of all the sins that you have confessed and are repentant of them, as wellas of all the transgressions which have escaped your memory in the Name of the Father +, amen, and of the Son +, amen and of the Holy Spirit + for everlasting life. Amen.

Prayer of Absolution for the Clergy

May God, Who blessed his holy disciples, bless you. May He preserve you from all evil deeds and perfect you in the gracious ones that you may be the keeper of His commandments and the fulfiller of His laws. May He make you a chosen vessel that is fit for the service of His glory. May you enjoy peace in Him, and may He be pleased with you and according to His Good Will, may you be blessed, absolved and consecrated, in the Name of the Father +, amen, and of the Son +, amen and of the Holy Spirit + for everlasting life. Amen.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Prayer After Confession

O Lord Jesus Christ, our great Physician, and Fount of mercy, behold me now in Your presence, the blind to receive sight within from You, to behealed of all my sickness and to be made rich in my poverty. I believe that You have accepted my confession and are pleased to acknowledge my supplications; that You have forgiven me and cleansed me from my sin. Ever do I render thanks to You, O Lord, and Your praise is at all times upon my lips, in accordance with the multitude of Your loving kindnesses. I beseech You, by Your grace, to confirm me in my purpose and promise that I may never return unto sin; and to grant me triumph over all my temptations that I may love You alone upon earth, and my spirit may be exalted in Your praise until that day when I shall see You in Your heaven above for ever more. Amen.

Prayer Before Receiving the Holy Eucharist

O Bread coming down from heaven to nourish everyone, grant that I may partake of You in all pure desire, adoration and godly fear. O happy Wine of Life, may I be intoxicated by Your love. O You Who did cry, saying: “Whosoever is athirst let him come to Me and drink,” behold my soul in thirst has come to You to be satisfied by the Water of Life. O God, I am not worthy that You should come into my heart. Speak a word to heal my soul which is athirst for You even more than the thirst of the deer to the streams of water, O Cup of Blessing and Salvation. O Heavenly Manna and Bread of Life, dwell in me forever more. Amen.

Prayer After Receiving the Holy Eucharist

With what tongues shall I utter Your praise, O God, most high and greatly to be praised, for this Your wondrous grace. It passes all telling; forYou have even been pleased to give of Yourself to Your servant for nourishment; and have rejoiced his heart with the wine of Your sacrifice. You have sanctified me by Your Spirit, and have satisfied my hunger from out of the bounty of Your house. My heart is Your perpetual dwelling place that You may preside over all my faculties and my desires, controlling them as You will. And I beseech You that this my Communion increase my faith and strengthen my trust in You that it rekindle the fire of Your love within me, causing me to grow in every virtue; that it be a weapon to shield me from all the tricks of the enemy of my soul until I become one with You in that life above where You are with all saints, so that I may join in the chorus of praise and adoration to Your Father and Your Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

 

[Vico]

What is the difference in the protocol of an Eastern Catholic confession as compared to a Roman Catholic Confession?

You should be able to identify forms at least for each major tradition:

• East Syrian (Assyrian)
• West Syrian
• Armenian
• Byzantine
• Coptic
• Latin

 

[MP_Kid]

In the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church it is similar to the Roman Church. We do not have confession booths though. We are just in a room with the priest. There is no wall between us.

 

[L_Marshall]

I am a Latin-rite Catholic. But I assist regularly in a Melkite parish, and I’ve confessed numerous times according to the Melkite use.

Typically, the penitent stands in front of the icon of Jesus Christ on the iconostasis. The priest may then pray several prayers of preparation customary to the Eastern Churches. The penitent confesses, beginning with “I confess to Almighty God, One in the Holy Trinity, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to all the Saints, and to you, Father, all my sins,” mentions his sins, and prays the Publican’s Prayer, then the priest offers any counsel. At the end of the counsel, the penitent kneels and the priest places his epitrachelion (stole) over the penitent’s head and prays the prayer of absolution. When this is done, the penitent stands and the rite is over.
In the Byzantine Churches, there may be some legitimate variety in the small parts of the liturgy.

Since I find the prayers particularly beautiful, here’s a sample of a few of the prayers, from a few traditions:
A prayer of the priest after the absolution:

May God, who pardoned David through Nathan the prophet, when he confessed his sins, and Peter weeping bitterly for his denial, and the sinful woman weeping at his feet, and the publican and the prodigal son, may that same God forgive you everything through me, a sinner, both in this world and in the world to come, and set you uncondemned before his terrible judgment seat. Having no further care for the sins you have confessed, go in peace.

An invitation to Confession from the priest, taken from a Russian Book of Needs:

Behold, child, Christ invisibly standeth here to hear thy confession. Be not ashamed, neither be afraid, and hid nothing from me; but fear not to tell me all that thou hast done, so that thou mayest receive forgiveness from our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, his image is before us, and I am only the witness, that I may bear witness before him of all thou tellest me. If thou hidest anything from me thou hast double sin. Bethink thee then; for since thou art come unto the place of the physician, go not thou away unhealed

 

[MorEphrem]

I too was interested in the Maronite form, although I doubt it’s that simple. Any more information?

Until dioceses starting promulgating their own prayers in more recent times, the absolution from the prior rituals was the Tridentine rite translated into Syriac. Even the “confession” formula the deacon says on behalf of a dying person unable to speak was the confiteor translated into Syriac. I also consulted a liturgical expert in Lebanon who was the novice master of the baladiye monks whose dissertation was on the ritual of confession in the Maronite Church - he claimed no auricular confession text existed before a translation of the Tridentine form. In the traditional Maronite liturgy, there are a great number of general absolutions (the exact number is disputed, but Msgr. Seely Beggiani puts the number at 9), and it is common place in oriental liturgies to offer an individual absolution prior to the reception of communion. This leads me to believe auricular confession was never practiced in the Maronite Church until it was a Latinization.

In light of the above, it makes a lot of sense that confession is absolutely identical to the Roman practice, regardless of time period.