Question about Confession in the Pew

[CatholicCajun]

A few Sundays ago, before Mass, our Priest stopped by our pew to ask us a question, my friend who sits in the front of us told Father that she missed Mass the previous Sunday and would he hear her confession there in the pew and he did and all she confessed was missing Mass and he absolved (did I spell that right?) her right there, I thought it odd, but is this acceptable? The confessional is just a few feet from where we sit. Just as a footnote, Father is a wonderful priest, but he NEVER hears confessions at the Mass we go to, we have to go on Saturday when we are off to go to confession. Anyway just wanted some opinions. God Bless.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

A few Sundays ago, before Mass, our Priest stopped by our pew to ask us a question, my friend who sits in the front of us told Father that she missed Mass the previous Sunday and would he hear her confession there in the pew and he did and all she confessed was missing Mass and he absolved (did I spell that right?) her right there, I thought it odd, but is this acceptable? The confessional is just a few feet from where we sit. Just as a footnote, Father is a wonderful priest, but he NEVER hears confessions at the Mass we go to, we have to go on Saturday when we are off to go to confession. Anyway just wanted some opinions. God Bless.

The Confession would have been valid. But Canon Law says that the confessional is the proper place for the celebration of the Sacrament. Remember that anyone who hears (such as a translator) or overhears a Confession is bound by the Seal of Confession, under the usual penalties.

 

[AspiringDeacon]

Confession can be done anywhere, as long as the absolution is done and with a Priest, of couse. Privacy is highly preferred of course, but he may have been concerned that there wqs a mortal sin on their soul to remove before Mass.

 

[porthos11]

While the Confessional is the normative place for confessions, I nevertheless gladly accept wherever they are offered.

 

[lak611]

While the Confessional is the normative place for confessions, I nevertheless gladly accept wherever they are offered.

There was a time that I needed confession and went to church after the daily Mass was over. Confession had been scheduled after Mass that day of the week in the past. The times for confession had changed, and it was no longer scheduled that evening, but I did not know about the change. I found Father in the sacristy after Mass and asked about confession. All the other people in the church had left. Father heard my confession in the aisle of the church after he was done in the sacristy. Both he and I just stood in the aisle. I was happy to have my sins absolved and did not care that it was not done in the confessional. There was nobody around to overhear anything though.

 

[baltobetsy]

A number of years ago, I was the cantor for a funeral. I really needed confession before receiving Holy Communion, which I wanted to do at the funeral. As the priest and I stood waiting in the sacristy before Mass, I confessed my most pressing sin and received absolution right then and there. It was great.

Betsy

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

There are many times when I was preparing to serve at the altar that a priest heard my confession in the work sacristy before Mass. Once, he heard it in the alley behind the church. My job made it difficult to get there during the normal confession times.

 

[dbacks5439]

A few weeks back, we had a rosary procession from one church to another. The priest, a member of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, walked about 20 feet behind the procession and people who needed to confessed simply got out of line and went to him, then back into the line. Not sure this affects the thread, I just felt like sharing. Aren’t I nice

 

[CatholicCajun]

Thank you all so much for the information. All my friend did confess was missing Mass and since she always sits in front of us it was a sin that I was aware of, but had she confesses something else it would have been kept in my heart and not repeated. GOd Bless.

 

[Tomster]

Receiving absolution on the battlefield of war is an experience I will never forget.

I give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever.

 

[CatholicCajun]

Thank you for that perspective. God Bless.

 

[Sr_Sally]

A few weeks back, we had a rosary procession from one church to another. The priest, a member of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, walked about 20 feet behind the procession and people who needed to confessed simply got out of line and went to him, then back into the line. Not sure this affects the thread, I just felt like sharing. Aren’t I nice

This kind of confession is/used to be rather common. During large parades or gatherings, priests would station themselves around the crowd or down the streets and people would simple stop, give their confession, and then join the group again. There is a famous photo of a priest stitting on the curb in Rome and people waitingin line to give their confession. Each person knelt in the street and whispered in Father’s ear.

Here is a more recent description:

The mayor of Rome claims that the city was free of crime while the pope’s body lay in state. This is not hard to believe, particularly if one were near the Vatican. That long loving line of humanity pouring into St. Peter’s Basilica for four days was more interested in prayer than conflict. I saw them myself singing hymns, reciting rosaries, and occasionally departing the line for a quick confession in one of the doorways along the Via Conciliazione. The Legionaries of Christ had priests stationed ever so many feet to offer the sacrament to any and all takers. Business was reportedly quite brisk throughout the pope’s wake.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

I believe a confession can occur anywhere, even though the preferred (and probably most licit place) is in “the box.”

I think this is one of those instances where, it’s a choice of the greater good.

 

[benedictgal]

Confession can be done anywhere, as long as the absolution is done and with a Priest, of couse. Privacy is highly preferred of course, but he may have been concerned that there wqs a mortal sin on their soul to remove before Mass.

While I’ve gone to confession in a couple of strange areas (like our parish cafeteria, which was empty, of course) and my patron, St. John Bosco, used to hear confessions behind a tree, the key element is privacy. I’ve even gone to confession in the sacristy closet just prior to Mass. Privacy is, I beleve, more than highly preferred. It is integral because of the secrecy of the confession. Remember, priests have died to protect the integrity of the confession (the martyrs of the Mexican Revolution come to mind).

Now, during Communal Reconciliation services, we’ve had confessors and penitents use the sacristy, the sanctuary, the baptistry, and the back chapel (which we only use for Holy Thursdays) in addition to the two confessionals. Yes, we do have good attendance during Advent and Lent, and, right before Holy Week. All the same, confessors are very careful about maintaining privacy. What I thought was most moving was to see the confessors going to each other for confession (after the crowds wound down). I would like to see our current bishop take part in something like this because, as I see it, if the Holy Father can hear confessions once a year, why not our local ordinaries?

So, what the priest should have done was excuse himself and the penitent and move down the pew to a more quiet place. That happened to me over the summer and the visiting priest waited until the stragglers left after Mass and heard my confession.

I do have a funny anecdote. About 20 years ago, my mother (who has since died) needed to go to confessoin prior to Mass as she was going to help the disabled confirmandi. She went into the sacristy and found our Bishop. The Bishop asked if he could help her, to which my mother replied, “Well, I was looking for a priest to go to confession.” The Bishop laughed and asked her, “Would I do?” Needless to say, he heard her confession in the sacristy. When she came out to the church, she looked very relieved. With some embarassment, my mom relayed her pre-confessional conversation with the bishop, but not what was said in confession.

 

[SMHW]

For those communal services that are so popular during Advent and Lent, most parishes I know of don’t have enough confessionals and/or reconciliation rooms to accommodate all the visiting priests from the neighboring parishes who come to hear the individual confessions.

In most parishes I know about the ‘excess’ priests are stationed in various corners or alcoves the main body of the church and those waiting in line just keep a reasonable distance away.

 

[Bishopite]

The Confession would have been valid. But Canon Law says that the confessional is the proper place for the celebration of the Sacrament. Remember that anyone who hears (such as a translator) or overhears a Confession is bound by the Seal of Confession, under the usual penalties.

At my parish, our two private confessionals aren’t enough so other priests set up chairs near the altar and sometimes a priest also has to hear them in the pew. I always try to keep my distance, and in one of our confessionals it has a double door with the priest in the middle. I always plug one ear if I hear any speaking so as not to hear what the other person is saying and frankly I don’t want to know what they are confessing anyway; Lord knows I have my own sins which are many.

 

[baltobetsy]

I go to a Cathedral parish, and we have five (used to be six until one was taken to be the ushers’ closet after their closet was turned into a rest room) confessionals, all of which are used for the large penance services. Usually, the auxiliary bishop who is in residence at the Cathedral hears confessions. People say he’s very kind. We also have the cathedral rector, the associate pastor, the archdiocesan vocations director and the chancellor in the other confessionals. This year I’m hoping our new Archbishop will take a turn. He seems really wonderful.

At the last big penance service, I saw the rector sitting in the pew with an older lady and hearing her confession. She must have been unable to kneel in the booth. It was nice - they looked like old friends.

Betsy