Notice to priests reading this forum

[pro_multis]

If you are hearing confessions in a room where, because of the way the room is set up, you can obviously see the person coming in and going behind the screen, do not look at that person. Just look ahead or close your eyes or something. Or re-arrange the set-up. Or ask your pastor to build a confessional. I shouldn’t have to say this.

 

[tee_eff_em]

[NB: I am not a priest]

Why do you say this?

tee

 

[pro_multis]

[NB: I am not a priest]

Why do you say this?

tee

It happened to me twice this year, and it is becoming more common for recently-built churches to use rooms different from old-fashion confessionals where something like this can occur. It happened to me today in a venue called a Reconciliation Room.

 

[Elizabeth502]

I know exactly what the OP is talking about. At a church near my work, there are the old standard anonymous confessionals, and a new Reconciliation Room. Problem is, most often the priest is only in this glassed Room, and rarely are the traditional confessionals used, so the average pentitent is out of luck when it comes to having routine access to an anonymous confessional.

I object just as much to the fact that the entire church – both the people near the head of the line, and especially the people sitting/kneeling within a large segment of the pews – also has a perfect view of the penitent. I have gone to “open” venues before, where several priests hear confessions in all corners of the church after a group penitential rite, but those are the exception, not the rule. It’s a special experience for those who choose to do that every so often, who obtain a special graced experience doing that, but by no means do highly visible confessions dominate at such parishes.

I thought it was dumb that --I think it was-- Australia, decided to have glassed confessionals “because of pedophilia.” Um, if you’re in a traditional confessional, how exactly would the priest be able to touch you, unless he, contrary to all sacramental practice, unilaterally left his seat, opened his door, and then opened yours?

And for adults, what the heck purpose does it serve to humiliate the penitent even more by having everyone stare at him while he’s confessing? For myself, confession is often very emotional. My emotions about it are generally not something I want shared with complete strangers. If I want to experience it communally, I’ll seek a specific scheduled event like that

 

[curlycool89]

So just to be clear, you’re going in to confess the deepest darkest parts of your soul, the things that you don’t even want to admit to yourself much less another person, and you’re worried because the priest sees who you are?

 

[Elizabeth502]

curly, are you asking me or the OP that question?

 

[mary1173]

In my opinion it is the other person’s problem if they cannot but out of a very personal encounter with God and His mediator- the priest. Open confessions are nothing to be embarassed about. Even if the priest can see you, or if he couldn’t it would not make the difference between being absolved or not. It is the seriousness of the sin and it being confessed that is what is of importance here. Not if every other member of a congregation looks and sees you confessing to the priest. Try to ignore what goes on around you and concentrate on being absolved of your sins. I hope this insight helps.

Mary1173

 

[doughnut]

correct me if im mistaken, but i understood that in the early church, when somebody sins, they need to make an open confession to the entire congregation. the private confession practises came later. going by that rational, having ‘disturbed’ confession was probably much better than standing in front of everyone else and confess.

 

[Elizabeth502]

But Mary, by canon law the faithful still have a right to anonymous confessions, regardless of who thinks they “should” not be embarrassed, self-conscious, etc.

 

[markomalley]

So just to be clear, you’re going in to confess the deepest darkest parts of your soul, the things that you don’t even want to admit to yourself much less another person, and you’re worried because the priest sees who you are?

I don’t know about the OP, but that is EXACTLY the point.

That screen in the confessional helps make total candor to the confessor a whole lot easier for some.

 

[markomalley]

If you are hearing confessions in a room where, because of the way the room is set up, you can obviously see the person coming in and going behind the screen, do not look at that person. Just look ahead or close your eyes or something. Or re-arrange the set-up. Or ask your pastor to build a confessional. I shouldn’t have to say this.

Have you ever considered going to a different parish for that particular sacrament? (Don’t know if that is practical, but if you are concerned with anonymity, that is a real possibility)

 

[Phemie]

But Mary, by canon law the faithful still have a right to anonymous confessions, regardless of who thinks they “should” not be embarrassed, self-conscious, etc.

I brought that up in a diocesan meeting where they were discussing implementing set-ups that would never allow the priest & penitent to be invisible.

The first reaction I got, from a pastor, was total surprise that anyone would want to be anonymous: “How do you give pastoral counsel if you don’t know who you are speaking with?”

The next, from the bishop, was that anonymity was unimportant when put against the safety of penitents.

What I’ve come to understand is that, nowadays, the insurance company even dictates how one will confess – it’s all about cover your a** to reduce any liability.

 

[Phemie]

If you are hearing confessions in a room where, because of the way the room is set up, you can obviously see the person coming in and going behind the screen, do not look at that person. Just look ahead or close your eyes or something. Or re-arrange the set-up. Or ask your pastor to build a confessional. I shouldn’t have to say this.

It’s so easy to arrange: When one enters the Reconciliation Room in our church one is immediately faced with a prie-dieu and a curtain. The priest is seated behind the curtain and if one wants to confess face-to-face a few steps to the left and forward lead to the chair put there for that purpose.

Our confessionals were transformed into a washroom and utility room about 10 years ago.

 

[Seatuck]

So just to be clear, you’re going in to confess the deepest darkest parts of your soul, the things that you don’t even want to admit to yourself much less another person, and you’re worried because the priest sees who you are?

We have the right of anonymity in confession. It is our right wherever possible.

The question of anonymity has been raised with regard to the new Rite of Penance. While the practice of face-to-face confession has become common in many places, the Church, for years, has believed in the right of the individual penitent to remain anonymous. “Confessionals with a fixed grille between penitent and confessor are always located in an open area so that the faithful who wish to make use of them may do so freely” (Canon 964.2). In order to clarify this, Pope Paul VI stated at a general audience on April 3, 1974, only four months after the new Rite of Penance was promulgated: “The confessional, as a protective screen between the minister and the penitent, to guarantee the absolute secrecy of the conversation imposed on them and reserved for them, must, it is clear, remain.”

osv.com/OSV4MeNav/Sacraments/MakeaGoodConfession/EncyclopediaofCatholicDoctrineConfession/tabid/205/Default.aspx

 

[Seatuck]

In my opinion it is the other person’s problem if they cannot but out of a very personal encounter with God and His mediator- the priest. Open confessions are nothing to be embarassed about. Even if the priest can see you, or if he couldn’t it would not make the difference between being absolved or not. It is the seriousness of the sin and it being confessed that is what is of importance here. Not if every other member of a congregation looks and sees you confessing to the priest. Try to ignore what goes on around you and concentrate on being absolved of your sins. I hope this insight helps.

Mary1173

It doesn’t really help in light of church teaching. See above. And to tell you the truth despite your “Big Grin” it comes off as insensitive and condescending. Which I’m sure you didn’t mean.
Phemie, that is outrageous and goes against the teaching of the church for hundreds and hundreds of years. God Protect us.

 

[japhy]

If you are hearing confessions in a room where, because of the way the room is set up, you can obviously see the person coming in and going behind the screen, do not look at that person. Just look ahead or close your eyes or something. Or re-arrange the set-up. Or ask your pastor to build a confessional. I shouldn’t have to say this.

And yet you did, so it would have been better to say it in the most charitable way you could.

 

[tee_eff_em]

It happened to me twice this year, and it is becoming more common for recently-built churches to use rooms different from old-fashion confessionals where something like this can occur. It happened to me today in a venue called a Reconciliation Room.

Yes, I inferred as much.

I meant: Why do you think this should not happen?

tee

 

[tee_eff_em]

But Mary, by canon law the faithful still have a right to anonymous confessions, regardless of who thinks they “should” not be embarrassed, self-conscious, etc.

Which canon(s)? Can you be specific?

Hint: Canon 964 says *nothing *about anonymity

tee

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

correct me if im mistaken, but i understood that in the early church, when somebody sins, they need to make an open confession to the entire congregation. the private confession practises came later. going by that rational, having ‘disturbed’ confession was probably much better than standing in front of everyone else and confess.

Canon Law requires a screen be available for use by anyone who wants to use it. This implies the ability to make an anonymous confession and that the room and screen is arranged so that the person can come and go without being seen, or the use of the screen make no sense.

I have seen reconciliation rooms where the kneeler/screen is folded up over in the corner and if you want to use it you have to ask and then it will be draged over and opener up just for you! Make sense? NO! But it does meet the rule of Canon Law, it is available. NO, not really!

 

[pro_multis]

Have you ever considered going to a different parish for that particular sacrament? (Don’t know if that is practical, but if you are concerned with anonymity, that is a real possibility)

Good point. Neither of these were at my church. I usually attend confession before/during mass on Sundays at my church where there is a formal confessional. These two times I was at other churches in the area.