Regular Confessor

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Cruikshank_s

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I’m wondering, traditionally speaking would your regular confessor see you face to face? I ask because traditionally, confessionals were booths with confessor and penitent completely separated and hidden by the screen yes? How did it work then? I know, I know “you just say your name stupid” but isn’t the entire point of the screen and booth anominity? Does it then defeat the purpose to have a regular confessor who knows who you are?

In any case I want to ask my regular confessor to be my “regular confessor”. And I’ve always been uncomfortable face to face. Plus I want to strictly conform to tradition. And it seems to me that tradition would prefer anonymous confessions since HMC built her confessionals to fit that. Traditionally how did/does it work?
 
Cruikshank_s said:
I’m wondering, traditionally speaking would your regular confessor see you face to face? I ask because traditionally, confessionals were booths with confessor and penitent completely separated and hidden by the screen yes? How did it work then? I know, I know “you just say your name stupid” but isn’t the entire point of the screen and booth anominity? Does it then defeat the purpose to have a regular confessor who knows who you are?

In any case I want to ask my regular confessor to be my “regular confessor”. And I’ve always been uncomfortable face to face. Plus I want to strictly conform to tradition. And it seems to me that tradition would prefer anonymous confessions since HMC built her confessionals to fit that. Traditionally how did/does it work?
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My spiritual director is also my regular confessor on my request. I think it would be rather silly if I asked him to go behind the screen. I actually just took the opportunity to request Confession at our last meeting. He got his stole and sat back down. I felt like I was talking to a Confessor just like I would in the booth. I think one of the most important things is, once they put the stole on, they are acting “in persona Christi”. So, no matter what, I believe that Christ is stepping in when my director puts on that stole.

Holy Mother Church revamped their traditions with Vatican II. Some stuff changed, including the Confessional, which gave people the opportunity to speak face to face with the Confessor. It didn’t change the meaning of Confession. And you certainly don’t have to use it if you are uncomfortable with it. I sometimes use the screen when I feel like my sin is too heavy. I feel guilty, but I don’t want to miss Confession just because I don’t want to speak face to face.

Here is an article on Confessionals:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessional

I know it’s Wikipedia, but it does have some pertinent information.

I hope this helps. God bless!
 
The Confessional is set up at our Chapel so that all are behind the screen, on our knees in front of Jesus suffering on His Cross, where our sins put Him. It’s a powerful image…and almost had me reduced to tears the first time I made Confession at the Chapel.
 
Our priests are super busy since we have 2,600 families in our parish. If we want to have a face to face confession we need to make a special appointment.

There is no way I would bother one of our priest to do a spur of the moment confession for me unless I was in a tramatic state.

I once made an appointment to have a private conversation with one of our priest and I told him my terrible life story with my parents. I could tell how much it hurt him to know what I had been through with my parents. I walked away thinking how awful it must be for him to have to hear confessions. I felt so sorry for him. I realized how hard it must be for our priests.
 
Havng the option is nice. I think what is best for the individual, is to be in whatever setting you feel most comfortable.That being said,however most of the time I would prefer to use the old traditonal kneeler behind the screen. To me it just feels right. I don’t think either way would be a breach of straying from tradition. There are occasions I would rather be face-to-face and others when I prefer behind the screen.

Very often times you may feel more comfortable with one confessor than another. If I am in a church where there are only a few people receiving the sacrament and the priest knows me, I feel silly being behind the screen. If the priest does know you, and can see who you are he may be better able to offer spiritual counsel.

In either case, the idea is to encourage you to confess, not discourage you or make it something you dread. The thing to remember it is a sacrament, a blessing and something we should see in a positive light. We shouldn’t put it in the same light as going to a dentist for a root canal. Unfortunately, often times we can can let ourselves slip into that mindset.
 
LaLucia said:
Our priests are super busy since we have 2,600 families in our parish. If we want to have a face to face confession we need to make a special appointment.

There is no way I would bother one of our priest to do a spur of the moment confession for me unless I was in a tramatic state.

I once made an appointment to have a private conversation with one of our priest and I told him my terrible life story with my parents. I could tell how much it hurt him to know what I had been through with my parents. I walked away thinking how awful it must be for him to have to hear confessions. I felt so sorry for him. I realized how hard it must be for our priests.
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On the other hand, think of the great joy and relief he must feel when imparting our Lord’s Grace and Forgiveness unto despicable sinners such as us, who are seeking to become who He made us to be.
 
Cruikshank_s said:
I’m wondering, traditionally speaking would your regular confessor see you face to face? I ask because traditionally, confessionals were booths with confessor and penitent completely separated and hidden by the screen yes? How did it work then? I know, I know “you just say your name stupid” but isn’t the entire point of the screen and booth anominity? Does it then defeat the purpose to have a regular confessor who knows who you are?

In any case I want to ask my regular confessor to be my “regular confessor”. And I’ve always been uncomfortable face to face. Plus I want to strictly conform to tradition. And it seems to me that tradition would prefer anonymous confessions since HMC built her confessionals to fit that. Traditionally how did/does it work?
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Even pre-VII it wasn’t strictly in the confessional, so I wouldn’t give it much thought- think of hospitals, battlefields, etc. No screens there.
 
You don’t need to ask a priest to be your “regular confessor”- just go to confession in the same place each time at the time they are scheduled. If you want spiritual direction (which, if it’s from a priest, typically involves confession), then you’ll need to ask a priest if he can do it and the two of you will set up a regular time to meet (usually once a month- I wouldn’t ask for more than that outside of going to confession during the scheduled times).

If you go enough times to the same priest, he’s going to recognize your voice- he may only remember you in confession if he doesn’t know you that well outside of confession, but he’ll remember you. Be sure to find a confessor who gives you advice, encourages you, admonishes you when you need it, and gives you helpful penances.
 
JuanCarlos said:
Even pre-VII it wasn’t strictly in the confessional, so I wouldn’t give it much thought- think of hospitals, battlefields, etc. No screens there.
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You don’t even have to think of *hospitals, battlefields, etc *-- Just think of our eastern rite brethren.

:byzsoc:
tee
 
Yes, it is not uncommon in the Eastern Rites to confess face-to-face; in some Eastern Catholic Churches it is the norm. It is also not uncommon to approach a priest and simply ask him to hear your confession, though many in these communities know their priest well. It is a refreshing vote of confidence, too, to be able to know and trust a priest enough to share with him your Confession. The priest’s role includes his role as Confessor just as a surgeon’s role includes his role of doing surgery- it may not be so strange, and it may not be so uncomfortable to confess face-to-face as it first appears.
 
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