May priest touch penitent?

[longing4Jesus]

One of our priests sometimes put his hand on my knee during Confession in a sort of showing-empathy way. It made me uncomfortable and I stopped going to him for reconciliation and I now only go behind a screen. But I don’t like the anonymous feeling and I’m wondering if this touching of penitents is allowed/common? If I went face to face with a different priest would I likely have to worry about that?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

When face to face some priests may feel that placing a hand on a knee or shoulder is an empathetic thing to do, some priests have been known to place their hand on the penitent’s head while praying the words of absolution. However, there is nothing in the ritual that calls for the priest to make contact with the penitent in any way. And, precisely because it makes some people uncomfortable, priests should not be doing that.
I don’t think physical contact between priest and penitent is something that is overly common but it does happen on occasion. You’d probably be fine confessing to another priest.