Have you confessed face-to-face?

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That is the only way I have every done it…I am to hard of hearing to do it any other way…lol…Pam
 
all the time, it seems more realistic this way as you learn to face your sins & learn how to improve

w/ a screen who remains anonymous you or the priest??:hmmm:
 
I prefer behind the screen, but what really matters is that the priest show up when Confessions are scheduled.

Our Parish only has Confessions scheduled for 5-5:30 PM on Saturday prior to the Vigil Mass. The priest doesn’t show until just minutes before. Then says make an appointment, or stay after Mass.

First, I do not want a noisy Parish Secretary and anyone else seeing that I have scheduled a Confession. I would not object to face to face, but I do not need additional people in on it, or having advance knowledge.

Second, a scheduled time in the bulletin is an appointment already. I had to alter my work schedule to make it prior to the appointed time. I had to return to finish my work, and could not stay for Mass * or return later.

Perhaps, our priest does not think Confession is important.*
 
I’ve done both. I prefer the screen though. With face to face, part of me can’t help but focus on the social aspect. I wonder, should I look him in the eye?, smile?, do I look sad enough?, why is he moving?, yawning?, etc, all these thoughts that just don’t go through my head with a screen. Plus I’m a little immature and get nervous so sometimes in the confessional if I’m face to face I’ll burst out laughing at inappropriate times, then I feel like a complete jerk. But, sometimes I’ll choose face to face if I wants some advice or want to do spiritual direction after confession.
 
Paul Francis:
First, I do not want a noisy Parish Secretary and anyone else seeing that I have scheduled a Confession. I would not object to face to face, but I do not need additional people in on it, or having advance knowledge.QUOTE] The parish secretary doesn’t know the specifics of confessional appointments. In some parishes, it’s JUST an appointment. In other parishes, Father makes his own appointments. The parish secretary does NOT want to know!:eek:
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Unless it is really crowded or I am in a hurry in another locale, I confess face-to-face. I think I’ve only confessed a couple times “in the box” since adulthood. I want absolution, but I also want to face Jesus thorugh the priest for whatever I did- and the priest can’t read my body language or “pick up” on things behind the screen.

I usually go to confession on the one weekday morning we have it EARLY in the morning. If I have something that requires a “specialist” I go to the Loop to St. Peter’s. There are Franciscan priests in the heart of Chicago who celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation 11.5 hours a day! So, Jesus is waiting for people to come back to Him in Chicago in a big way. :amen:
 
For years now it is the only way I have received the Sacrament. My parish priest knows me and I can relate much better with him by sitting across from him and telling him of my spiritual walk. It also allows me to humble myself before Christ and not hide myself in a dark and closed box. I really can’t see myself receiving this Sacrament any other way. Peace
 
Some people do not confess, because they are afraid of priest. They think that he will shout at them, or will not give absolution. But the majority of no-confessing people are embarrased, they feel ashamed when they must tell to the next person about their sins. One monk explained it like that:
"You are afraid of confession, you feel ashamed of the another person, but you do not have such a feeling when you are doing bad things, when you sin, although millions people are looking at you from heaven 👍 "
It’s good to confess by well-known priest - because he knows you and can help you in improving yourself. But if you do not want to confess by priest from your parish, why don’t you go to another priest? Here in my Archidecesion there are 287 parishes and 537 churches - in Wroclaw there is no problem to confess by another priest…
 
I prefer the traditional screen, but have often gone face-to-face. However, I won’t now go f/f with my parish priest, simply because it tends to turn into a chat session on things I help run (youth group, Exposition, whatever).

Sue
 
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Ignatius:
Do you know anything about the EO? Is the protocol the same for the EO? I understand that it is fairly rare for them?
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Do you mean about confession in the Eastern Orthodox church?

This depends on which “tradition” you belong to. There are some “traditions” that require confession before EACH reception of Holy Eucharist.

Others require it less frequently.

As for the process, the “traditions” that I am familiar with simply have the person meet the priest in front of the Ikonostas or at the Golgatha (large crucifixion scene to the side of the ikonostas) and they make their confession there.

They don’t do the “little box” thing…:nope:

In many “traditions”, this will often take place during the Divine Liturgy.

In the Russian Orthodox church, a very ancient tradition is for VERY, VERY good friends to go to confession together, on occassion…

Hope this helps…🙂
 
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Patchunky:
In the Russian Orthodox church, a very ancient tradition is for VERY, VERY good friends to go to confession together, on occassion…
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In the presence of the Priest, right?

A friend who joind the OCA mentioned that the Priest used a kind of hood – don’t remember if it covered both of them or just himself. Does that ring a bell?
 
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mercygate:
In the presence of the Priest, right?

A friend who joind the OCA mentioned that the Priest used a kind of hood – don’t remember if it covered both of them or just himself. Does that ring a bell?
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When the priest gives absolution, he places his stole over the head of the person and places his hands on top of the stole and gives the absolution.
 
I’ve only confessed face to face, I converted and was received into the church this spring…and at a military chapel you share the chapel with all the other faiths so they don’t really have confessionals…

Jamie
 
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Patchunky:
When the priest gives absolution, he places his stole over the head of the person and places his hands on top of the stole and gives the absolution.
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That is absolutely beautiful! Gives me chills just to think about it.
 
I believe that most Church’s now have confessionals that are face-to-face…
 
carol marie:
My old Lutheran Pastor (Misouri Synod) would hear confessions upon request. He said it wasn’t an everyday sort of thing but occasionally he’d have someone request. He agreed it was Biblical.

According to him, 1/2 of our members were former Catholics. Many also still made the sign of the cross.
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The pastor of the Lutheran chuch we used to belong to (before my husband decided to “revert”) always said that Lutherans call it “talking with Pastor”…

And…it isn’t unusual for Lutheran churches to have lots of former Catholics…Pastor Ed always said these people still refered to themselves as “Catholic” if asked what faith they were. I can understnd that…When I was discerning whether or not to join my husband when he left the Catholic Church for an evangelical one, I realized that I simply COULD NOT call myself Protestant. I grew up a Methodist, but now I am totally Catholic, and cannot be anyting els…I’ve tried!
 
I have done it, but I’d rather not do it, face to face.

I think it’s awkward. You feel like your seeing a councilor or something like that.

I dont know, maybe its just me.
 
No. As a child, my first confession was behind a screen, and that is all I am comfortable with. I’m also a little shy–although I do agree that face-to-face probably gives more humility. All the priests that I have ever gone to (that I can think of) have been really, really kind, and often give me a lot of kind advice in just a few words. Also, at my parish there is an old priest who is known for his good advice in the confessional, and I know he has heard many!!! Anyhow, from the pulpit he has often offered a prize to anyone who could name a sin he hasn’t ever heard! 😛 Nobody has ever won the prize so far! 😃
 
I have done face-to-face before, but do not do so anymore. My priest knows my voice (he frequently uses my name in behind the screen confession-- I am sure it’s not anonymous with him.)

While face-to-face always made me feel more exposed and vunerable, I really have no preference as long as the priest knows who I am.

Just a bit of trivia: there used to be a Church law forbidding priests to hear women’s confessions without a wall sepeating the two.
 
I am Eastern Rite and it is our tradition to confess face-to-face. But I live in an area with no Eastern Rite parishes, so I usually go to confession at a Roman Rite parish. Most of them offer face-to-face confession now, so I use that opportunity if I can. I feel the priest can give you better spiritual direction and counseling if he knows who you are.

That said, my favorite father-confessor does not have a face-to-face option in his confessional. It’s the booth style. So I have no choice but to go behind the screen if I go to confession at his parish. I’m thinking about asking him if I can get an appointment to have confession face-to-face in his office.
 
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