The origins of private confession

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LittleFlower

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Good morning, 🌷

I came across this old thread this morning:
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Historical evidence for private Confession Liturgy and Sacraments
I’m a history student. Historians often say that confession in the Church was first public confession and private confession was a later development. I originally didn’t bother looking into the matter, it didn’t effect my faith. I thought, “what does it matter if the way confession is carried out has changed, confession was still instituted by Christ and was His will.” then I read on the Catholic Encyclopedia this quote from the council of Trent: “As regards the method of confessing secretly …
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Could someone elaborate on how private confessions come about or became the norm or how public confessions became less common?

Wasn’t the narthex where penitents would sit during church services?

Many thanks!
 
i don’t understand the problem with face to face confession

don’t be ashamed; just confess to the priest;

the screen; there is a priest who is willing to grant you forgiveness if you will just ask for it…

public /general confession; that is not catholic…
 
No one said anything about being ashamed about face to face confession.

That wasn’t the question. 🙂
 
When the person requiring it was near death, confession was always private.
 
i guess your question is “how did private confession” come about

well, how did tuesday follow monday;

it just is
 
I’d appreciate some sources or books or further reading.

Hence why I posted the original thread as it ended abruptly.

I’m pretty sure at some stage people confessed publicly their sins, did their penance publicly and sat prior or during penance in the narthex.

It would be great if someone could help me back this up or correct me. 🙂
 
I have confessed face to face and have confessed using a screen. I kind of prefer going face to face with the priest. It seems more personal. But I can understand my brothers and sisters who prefer the anonymity of confessing behind a screen.
The main thing is the go to confession on a regular basis.
 
According to the Catechism (#1447) “during the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the “private” practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest”.

I’m not sure though if this is referring to confession or only “penance”.
 
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LittleFlower said:
Could someone elaborate on how private confessions come about or became the norm or how public confessions became less common?
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As I recall, it began with monks in Ireland in the sixth century, who introduced private confession in lieu of the public confession (and penance!) that had been the practice since the earliest days of the Church. I would think that any good history of the Church would discuss it. I know that Ferguson’s “Church History” discusses it (although briefly), as does Bokenkotter’s “A Concise History of the Church”. There’s another book that’s on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t recall it at the moment…
 
Thanks all for trying!

I will bump the thread in a few days again, and post any supporting information I can find when I do. 🙂
 
Confession of private sins has always been private. Pope Leo the Great referred to this as an “Apostolic rule”

“Pope Leo the Great (440-61), who is often credited with the institution of confession, refers to it as an “Apostolic rule”. Writing to the bishops of Campania he forbids as an abuse “contrary to the Apostolic rule” (contra apostolicam regulam) the reading out in public of a written statement of their sins drawn up by the faithful, because, he declares, “it suffices that the guilt of conscience be manifested to priests alone in secret confession” (Ep. clxviii in P.L., LIV, 1210).”

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm
 
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