Going to confession despite a lockdown

[Oregonblueberry]

My city is currently on mandatory lockdown and masses have been canceled, however, my local parish is still holding confessions under directive from the bishop (I think this is technically legal because it is not a mass gathering). I was planning to go but part of me is hesitant that it is against public health directives. I have masks that I can wear including an old N95 mask (that I have had since well before the crisis) and homemade cotton masks, so wearing those together could hopefully prevent me from spreading any germs. I have not been sick at any point, but I realize this doesn’t mean I’m not carrying the virus.

It looks like my parish is taking precautions such as holding confessions in a ventilated space and not allowing people inside the parish until it is their turn to confess. I want to believe that these precautions are enough because I really do want to go to confession as soon as possible, I have a lot that is weighing on my soul, but I also want to be socially responsible and make sure that nobody gets sick because of my actions. What would you do?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

We are also under a stay-at-home order for nearly a month, but the Bishop has allowed the churches to be open and to hold confessions. The priests were told to make an arrangement that would appropriately reduce risk of virus transmission, such as holding the confession in an open area.

As I am not immunocompromised or in the high risk group myself (I’m under 60), am not having symptoms, have not recently returned from travel, and I do not have any elderly or at-risk people at home that I would worry about infecting, I simply went to confession. The priests were having it in the main church and using large sturdy wooden and plastic barriers that were unlikely to let anything through, also they were sitting a couple feet away from the barrier.

I simply used my hand sanitizer, went to confession, it took 5 minutes, and I used my hand sanitizer again when I left. I did not wear a mask. I also haven’t been doing that to do other things in the community though I do stay 6 feet away from people and if I have to pass closer like in a crowded aisle or something I turn my head away. I was also concerned that wearing a mask might make it hard for hte priest to hear me, and since he was like I said sitting 2 feet away from the barrier on the other side I would have had to speak pretty loudly through a mask, which would have been a problem as there were probably about 7 or 8 other people in the church silently praying and they might have heard me.

So, my answer is, I would go to confession and wash my hands before and after and try to get in and out quickly. Same as I do for the grocery store, the take out food store, Wal Mart when they finally fill my pickup order, etc. YMMV.

If you are really fearful or uncomfortable doing this then the Lord would probably understand if you made an act of perfect contrition and waited to go until the stay at home order was lifted. It’s not like you’re going to be receiving Holy Communion before that anyway.

 

[ConcernedConvert]

You living out your faith and seeking reconciliation will always be more important than governmental regulations.