Have you confessed face-to-face?

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Have you ever confessed face-to-face? If so, why? Do you prefer one over the other, and why?

Along with this – why do Catholics have the choice of one over the other?
 
I had to confess face-to-face once in CCD. Our whole class went to confession and the only way to do it was face-to-face.

They allow both because there’s nothing theological that says confession is any different either way. Some people are more comfortable remaining anonymous and some fell more comfortable talking face to face.

I like the traditional way, not that it’s really anonymous. I’m usually first in line waiting when the priest arrives, so he knows it’s me 😛 . I just feel more comfortable in the dark booth on the other side of the screen.
 
I bet this will surprise you. Lutherans actually practice private confession. As I have never seen a Lutheran Church with the seperated room, face to face is the only way.

lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/wa_confession-absolution.pdf

Our Lutheran Confessions say,“It is taught among us that private absolution should be retained in the churches and not be allowed to fall into disuse”(AC XI).The founding father of the Missouri Synod,C.F.W.Walther,said that a pastor,in an evangelical way,through careful instruction and encouragement, and through praising private confession and absolution,should work toward the goal where private confession and absolution is used in addition to general confession and absolution.

Private confession and absolution is a very important tool in the practice of pastoral care. Pastors use confession and absolution in a variety of situations—for example,in the midst of marital and family difficulties, and in other such pastoral counseling situations. Private confession and absolution is used by pastors to bring forgiveness and healing into the lives of those who come to them with troubled and anxious hearts.

Our church’s hymnal,*Lutheran Worship, *contains a suggested order for private confession and absolution (pgs. 110–111).This order may be used in the context of a visit with your pastor.The order of private confession and absolution suggests that specific sins be confessed,but certainly does not require it.Another important point is that pastors are sworn at their ordinations never to reveal the sins confessed to them.As one Lutheran pastor put it,“The pastor’s ear is a tomb.What goes in,never comes out.”
 
I always confess face to face…I have the option of the other way, but I am there to face my sin and repent…Personally, I find it makes me even more humble and introspective and honest with myself so that I can be more exposed to my God and receive His graces. I know the other way is just as fine…it’s just how I do it.
 
I always confess face to face…I have the option of the other way, but I am there to face my sin and repent…Personally, I find it makes me even more humble and introspective and honest with myself so that I can be more exposed to my God and receive His graces. I know the other way is just as fine…it’s just how I do it.
 
Sure, I do it all the time.:yup:

You go to the priest in front of the Ikon of Christ the Teacher, confess your sins, receive absolution and you’re done. It’s simple…:yup:

What’s the big deal??:hmmm:
 
A few months back, I had the first face to face confession since I was in Catholic school.

No other option, I was at a retreat. So I figured, no big deal. I can do this, my last confession was a week prior so it should be a quick one.
It turned out to be the toughest, most wonderful confession I ever had. About 45 min and the priest was GOOD!! Really insightful and full of awesome advice.
It was a blessing and has helped me focus.
 
I definitely prefer to be behind the screen… its just easier for me to concentrate when I know I am anonymous. The only times I have confessed face to face is when I had no option…that does happen now and then.

I really dont think one way is better than the other but I will say that verbal confession requires a certain amount of humility and the few times when I did confess face to face I felt an abundance of humility!
 
Yes.
I have about 3 different confessors that I seek out. One is my face-to-face confessor. He is great and I specifically go to him for good counsel. Christ SHINES through him. Unfortunatly, he is about 150 miles away from me, but it is like seeing a psychiatrist and is worth the gas money.

My parish priest is good but does confession like fast food. I go to him often.

I go to another priest about 40 miles away for the very humiliating situations :o - behind the screen.
 
Yes and I find face to face confession much better and more humbling than going to confession behind a screen. It’s like a mini-therapy session.

When I was in school we had a mean old Irish priest in our parish that used to yell really loud at people in the confessional. No kidding, grown men would come out of the confessional with red faces because the priest would scold and yell at them so loud. That left such an impression on me and I still get really nervous when I go in a confessional booth behind a screen. Face to face is better for me - and more humbling.

BTW that same priest would point at individuals in Mass and scream and yell at them for something that he felt they did. He was terrible.

Shannin
 
I usually go face to face. If a priest who already knows me sees who I am when I am confessing, he can give me more specific advice. This is especially true for a priest who I confess to more often, because he can see if I had a really bad week and know which sins of mine are habitual and which only happen occasionally.
 
…you know, it’s not like the guy doesn’t know who your are anyway… 👍
 
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jrabs:
A few months back, I had the first face to face confession since I was in Catholic school.

No other option, I was at a retreat. So I figured, no big deal. I can do this, my last confession was a week prior so it should be a quick one.
It turned out to be the toughest, most wonderful confession I ever had. About 45 min and the priest was GOOD!! Really insightful and full of awesome advice.
It was a blessing and has helped me focus.
Click to expand...
I’ve never had a good confession like this. But there has been many times where I wish I had. Most the time I jist feel like the priest is trying to move me along. Most of my confessions have less than 2 minutes.
 
I have done face-to-face two times, both about 20 years ago. The rest have been behind the screen.

PF
 
I prefer the privacy of the confessional. And if one visits enough, the priest probably has your voice memorized, but I am comforted by the level of anonymity offered by it.
 
Well, on that note, what would you all recommend for a first confession of an adult? I’ll have MUCH to confess, and have considered doing it face-to-face, but the time is far away still 🙂
 
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Sorbetto:
Well, on that note, what would you all recommend for a first confession of an adult? I’ll have MUCH to confess, and have considered doing it face-to-face, but the time is far away still 🙂
Click to expand...
Been there! Done that!

When I converted 5 years ago - my parish priest brought in a priest who didn’t know me to take my confession and it was behind the screen. Took about 15 minutes maybe, felt like 30.
Good luck. Grace will be there for you. 🙂
 
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Sorbetto:
Well, on that note, what would you all recommend for a first confession of an adult? I’ll have MUCH to confess, and have considered doing it face-to-face, but the time is far away still 🙂
Click to expand...
When I went for my first confession in February, I had thirty-five years worth of** many** serious sins to confess. For me there was never any doubt that I would make the confession face-to-face with my pastor.

During my RCIA period, I had several lengthy counseling appointments with him, spoke with him often and got to know him quite well. I trusted him implicitly, respected him deeply and frankly, I wanted him to know the truth about what kind of person I had been and who I was now. I would have felt like I was trying to pretend to be someone I wasn’t if I was too ashamed to confess face-to-face to him.

It wasn’t easy but it was sure worth it!! I can’t even begin to describe how it felt when he laid his hands on my head and said the words of absolution (something that is impossible behind a screen, btw…)

So my suggestion would be to go for it, assuming you know a priest you trust and respect. If not, perhaps you could work on developing such a relationship before the time comes. Whatever you decide, in the words of our late, great Pope “Do not be afraid!”. It is a truly awesome sacrament and something you should look forward to, not fear.
In His love,
Rhonda
 
I’ve done both ways. Growing up we did face to face confessions. I didn’t like it becuase one of the priests was very long winded and you couldn’t look bored 😉 . Seriously, As an adult, when I came back to the church, my first confession coming back was face to face. He was a very good priest. Since then I have found a confessor at a shrine not far from here that I like to go to. It is not face to face, but he does see you before you go in. It helps me to concentrate. He always gives very good advice and very relevant penances.
 
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Sorbetto:
Well, on that note, what would you all recommend for a first confession of an adult? I’ll have MUCH to confess, and have considered doing it face-to-face, but the time is far away still 🙂
Click to expand...
HI!

I still go behind the screen most of the time. I have gone face to face serveral times at missions, etc and found it to be a very moving
experience.

My daughter who is 12 goes face to face, that is how she was trained at her Catholic school. She just looks at me when we go to confession together and says, “What’s the big deal?” “He is a priest and won’t bite!” Out of the mouth’s of babes!!

What ever you decide, God will be with you and I’m sure it will
be a grace filled time for you.

Good luck!
Debbie:love:
 
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