Reconciliation

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Joannm said:
Confession isn’t a businesslike activity, it is an encounter with Christ and with His Church. It is personal and intimate. Sorry you have not come across many amazing confessors. My confessions usually take over 15 minutes sometimes much longer, and that is without mortal sins…but I do have an very amazing confessor.
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Lady, I’ve had a fine encounter with Christ and His Church-- further, I’ve got a good relationship with many priests and know some danged good confessors. Confession is about keeping your soul ready for Everlasting Salvation. I don’t want to reduce it to a sacred version of a drive-through-car-wash, but Confession is more like routine maintenance than an engine overhaul and transmission rebuild.

When it’s time for direction, counseling or perspective, make an appointment. You’re holding up the line for the booth.
 
Nothing beats face to face. We are humans, and human interaction while praying and confessing to God is beautiful. I know it should not matter, but it truly makes a difference for me. Behind a screen, while valid, does not cut it (for me). Also, I think it takes more guts to tell your sins face to face, so it’s like the beginning of the penance! It’s great that we have options in our Church.
 
FK04US said:
Nothing beats face to face. We are humans, and human interaction while praying and confessing to God is beautiful.
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Not all humans value face to face communication.

But yes, it is nice to have a choice.
 
FK04US said:
That is sad :sad_yes:
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Why? Just because people are not the same doesn’t make one type right and the other wrong.

From such a person’s perspective, those who value face to face communication are disordered, for finding looking at another human more important than the words spoken.
 
LaRoza said:
Why? Just because people are not the same doesn’t make one type right and the other wrong.

From such a person’s perspective, those who value face to face communication are disordered, for finding looking at another human more important than the words spoken.
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I am not arguing right or wrong. I am just saying that I find it sad that some people do not value face to face communication. We are social beings, we live in a common society, it is sad that some people would not value that ability to enjoy other people company. But this comment has nothing to do with preferences for confession, we know either way is allowed.
 
LaRoza said:
From such a person’s perspective, those who value face to face communication are disordered, for finding looking at another human more important than the words spoken.
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LaRoza, I don’t think these people know you’re a robot yet. 😛
 
Definitely face-to-face. It feels more personable to me, I am more humbled, and I feel that I get more out of the confession.

One last thing . . . I bring my Bible to confession. When the Priest sees me with it in hand, he gives me passages or a Psalm to read for penance. I like that 👍
 
WhollyRoamin said:
Lady, I’ve had a fine encounter with Christ and His Church-- further, I’ve got a good relationship with many priests and know some danged good confessors. Confession is about keeping your soul ready for Everlasting Salvation. I don’t want to reduce it to a sacred version of a drive-through-car-wash, but Confession is more like routine maintenance than an engine overhaul and transmission rebuild.

When it’s time for direction, counseling or perspective, make an appointment. You’re holding up the line for the booth.
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I do make an appointment simply because I do not like to rush and, no I do not want to hold up the line. And, to use your analogy, I like a mechanic who takes his time with even the simplist maintenance needs, it assures me that everything will be running fine for a long time and I won’t need that engine overhaul.
 
FK04US said:
I am not arguing right or wrong. I am just saying that I find it sad that some people do not value face to face communication.
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They feel sad you do not value what they value.
We are social beings, we live in a common society, it is sad that some people would not value that ability to enjoy other people company.
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You are a social being, living in a common society. It is not just the lack of value, but the lack of ability.
But this comment has nothing to do with preferences for confession, we know either way is allowed.
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I know, but being blind to other perspectives is a cause of much grief.
 
FK04US said:
But this comment has nothing to do with preferences for confession, we know either way is allowed.
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That is true and may I also interject that one preference is not less then the other or more then. That you like face to face should in no way put a person that would rather go behind the screen in a negative light.
 
Aaaaaaaaand back to the question of the OP. 😃

I prefer to go face to face…in my own parish, anyway. I’m pretty active and they’d know who it was behind the screen anyway. Seems kind of silly in that respect. Also, I have a regular confessor and while he is giving absolution he will place his hands on my head. I find that to be very healing, and it would be impossible behind the screen.
 
I used to go face-to-face, but then I realized I was getting distracted - thinking too much about where I should look, my facial expressions, how to greet the priest, etc. For me, going behind the screen removes those distractions and I can just “be myself” while confessing. I like having a special setting for confession too. I sit face-to-face with people all the time, but I only kneel before a crucifix and screen in a dark room when I’m confessing!

All that said, I’ve had amazing confessions both ways. I don’t think the method you choose is going to impact how much you get out of it in any major way.
 
I definitely prefer the screen - even if my confessions are somewhat boring. Just shyness, I guess.
 
I am 100% screen. Our parish doesn’t have one so I drive into town go to another parish for confession. We don’t have set hours for confession either. You just have to ask the priest before mass. Our “reconciliation room” doubles as a storage closet and sound booth. – I wish I was kidding.

I told our priest I wasn’t confessing to him unless absolutely necessary until there was a screen. He jokingly said he’d turn his back.

I’m like madeup_nickname, I am too easily distracted. Plus, I think the screen prevents it from becoming too much of a chit chat session.
 
definitely face to face my priest knows my voice so he’d know it was me anyway
 
Behind a screen (although my preferred term is “in a confessional”). Although anonymity is certainly not assured, it’s a lot less intimidating.

I don’t actually go to confession that much—just once a year, unless I think I’ve committed a mortal sin.

By the way, at my last confession, there was a chair in the confessional (presumably for the relief of the elderly) and, there being no room to kneel, I sat in it. Should I have moved it or something (as I am not sick or aged myself)?

—Soler.
 
Soler said:
Behind a screen (although my preferred term is “in a confessional”). Although anonymity is certainly not assured, it’s a lot less intimidating.

I don’t actually go to confession that much—just once a year, unless I think I’ve committed a mortal sin.

By the way, at my last confession, there was a chair in the confessional (presumably for the relief of the elderly) and, there being no room to kneel, I sat in it. Should I have moved it or something (as I am not sick or aged myself)?

—Soler.
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There is no requirement to kneel when confessing behind a screen.
 
Going to confession often is very beneficial. I think people should confess more than they receive communion. If a person truly understood (which is hard to do) the value of confession and what communion is, they would go to confession often and receive only when in the most perfect state of grace possible.

I used to go very infrequently, but now, I go quite often. Not quite once a week though.
 
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