New design for Confessionals?

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WingsOfEagles

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It’s my undestanding that some priests now don’t like to use the traditional confessional (especially with children) because of the abuse scandals. Some parishioners, however, would very much prefer to be behind a screen. What if the Confessionals were built with a clear class door that allowed you to see the priest at all times from the church and the penitent would enter from the other side and be hidden. Everyone would know nothing had gone on because you would see the priest, but not the penitent.
 
None of the traditional confessionals I’m familiar with would have allowed abuse since the priest was enclosed in a box with no physical access to the penitent beyond his/her voice.

Reconciliation rooms, OTOH…
 
I guess I’ve heard many priests don’t want to be in the old style now because of the scandals. I’ve certainly seen some that would allow some access.
 
I’ve seen the following types of confession spaces in the last couple years, all of which would seem to prevent any sort of abuse from happening.
  • Confessionals retrofitted with a door having large windows
  • Meeting room used for confession, with door either left open or a large window in the door
  • Totally open design (priest is sitting in a room or library with open door and a portable screen)
  • Old style confessional but with a solid wall having only a small window, so no way priest can get to the penitent’s space
  • Old style confessional without door and only having a curtain that stops about 2 feet from the floor so you can see the legs of person confessing
In addition, a lot of people only go to confession at large penance services where usually most of the priests are just sitting in a chair or a pew and you go sit or kneel next to them in full view of dozens of people and confess.

I would think all of these setups would preclude anything scandalous happening in the confessional.
 
They certainly do. I have not yet seen the large window design in my state, but that is basically what I was talking. I do like large penance services myself. The ones I’ve been to have priests on all corners of the church … one in the actual confessional, one in the Sacristy, a couple in back corners. One of my most spiritually beneficial confessions ever was at one of these with an older, retired priest where we sat face to face in chairs (but with privacy from others).
 
WingsOfEagles said:
It’s my undestanding that some priests now don’t like to use the traditional confessional (especially with children) because of the abuse scandals. Some parishioners, however, would very much prefer to be behind a screen. What if the Confessionals were built with a clear class door that allowed you to see the priest at all times from the church and the penitent would enter from the other side and be hidden. Everyone would know nothing had gone on because you would see the priest, but not the penitent.
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There is also no reason the penitent need be hidden from view, despite many past topics in this forum when people have expressed qualms about such set ups (Because – You know – No one else knows that I am a sinner…? 😱 🤷‍♂️)
 
If you go to confession, the odds are you’re going to be standing in a line and some people will see you in line and know why you are there. And often there’s something else going on in the church at the same time, such as Mass is getting ready to start so people are arriving for that, or choir practice is happening, or church staff are working in their offices, etc. I’ve never been in a confession situation where I went into a totally empty church, confessed, and left without anybody seeing me come in or go out. Seems a bit unrealistic to expect to be able to sneak in and out.
 
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However, canonically, penitents always have the right to be anonymous. And even when they might choose not to be, the priest has the right to choose only to hear confessions anonymously.

But yes, no need for the penitent to be invisible to anyone else!
 
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The other thing is, people are going to be in line going up to Communion the next Sunday in full view of a packed church. The reasonable expectation is that they have confessed at some time in the past 12 months in order to be able to receive.
 
Any confessional space is vulnerable to abuse; predators could use the private conversations to proposition or groom vulnerable penitents. Physical design alone risks a false sense of security.

Only properly screening seminarians, supervising church priests, staff, and volunteers, and educating about appropriate boundaries can mitigate (but not eliminate) the risk of abuse.
 
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JulianN said:
However, canonically, penitents always have the right to be anonymous. And even when they might choose not to be, the priest has the right to choose only to hear confessions anonymously.
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What makes you say so?
 
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WingsOfEagles said:
. What if the Confessionals were built with a clear class door that allowed you to see the priest at all times from the church
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The last time I was in the Chapel of Reconciliation in Lourdes the whole of the front of the confessionals were built with clear glass .

You saw both penitent and confessor .

The last time I was at Confession in Medjugorje it was in the open air .

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Titivillus said:
There is also no reason the penitent need be hidden from view, despite many past topics in this forum when people have expressed qualms about such set ups (Because – You know – No one else knows that I am a sinner…? 😱 🤷‍♂️)
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Well, that’s a bit of a simplification. Of course people know one is attending confession and is a sinner, despite the confidentiality inside the confessional, as the penitent can easily be seen waiting in line or entering/exiting the space. But what about the issue of privacy so the penitent can be emotional? Some sins, confessed with the right degree of contrition, will probably break down even some of the hardest of personalities. Don’t you suppose it’s fair enough to give them the privacy to experience that without a bunch of nosy onlookers?
 
Tarsier said:
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Titivillus:
There is also no reason the penitent need be hidden from view, despite many past topics in this forum when people have expressed qualms about such set ups (Because – You know – No one else knows that I am a sinner…? 😱 🤷‍♂️)
Click to expand...
Well, that’s a bit of a simplification. Of course people know one is attending confession and is a sinner, despite the confidentiality inside the confessional, as the penitent can easily be seen waiting in line or entering/exiting the space. But what about the issue of privacy so the penitent can be emotional? Some sins, confessed with the right degree of contrition, will probably break down even some of the hardest of personalities. Don’t you suppose it’s fair enough to give them the privacy to experience that without a bunch of nosy onlookers?
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Exactly. Some people are massive shy introverts too. Just talking to the Priest is scary enough when that’s the case.
 
Titivillus said:
Can you be more specific?
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CIC (Latin Canon Law)
Can. 964 §1. The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.
§2. The conference of bishops is to establish norms regarding the confessional; it is to take care, however, that there are always confessionals with a fixed grate between the penitent and the confessor in an open place so that the faithful who wish to can use them freely.
§3. Confessions are not to be heard outside a confessional without a just cause.
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