The Time has Come to Ban Reconciliation Rooms

[phil19034]

A bit of an overreaction I think.

Why an overreaction? We already have rules that state a child may not be in a closed door room with a priest. So why should a child be allowed to be alone in a reconciliation room with a priest?

By having a wall with separate doors, it protects not just the confessee, but also protects the priest for false accusations.

Again, this does NOT mean you can’t have face to face, because the screen can open. And again, the modern confessionals have BOTH kneelers and seats.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

No one said…

I quoted what I was responding to.

 

[phil19034]

Key word is “Modern”. The ones I’ve been in are still the old “small closet size” and they are suffocating.
[/quote]

yeah… why would a parish which doesn’t have a confessional install the old small closet size ones that are suffocating?

One church by office has a closet like confessionals with kneelers that are the worst… for some reason, the kneelers are angled into the corner and isn’t big enough for me an my belly.

It’s horribly designed, and was cheaply made by volunteers back in the 1990s.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

I’d say install a CCTV facing the priest’s direction.

 

[goout]

This will not begin to prevent a predator from preying on someone.
I do happen to think that eliminating face to face will bring more people back to confession tho…that part of it would be very good.

 

[phil19034]

phil19034:

No one said…

I quoted what I was responding to.

yeah, but in (name removed by moderator) didn’t specifically say you could not do face to face. (name removed by moderator) simply said it was untraditional. But you are feel to use face to face all you want. But it shouldn’t be in a secluded room where the priest can touch your knee, etc.

The last time a priest put his hand on my knee when were were in close proximity was a very a nerving situation from me.

 

[Irishmom2]

So I guess there was no abuse before face to face reconciliation rooms came about…

 

[WileyC1949]

The argument is centered around that abuse takes place in reconciliation rooms. Are there any facts to support that or is it supposition?

I firmly believe that the option should be there. Face-to-face encourages dialogue and reasoning. The confession box is more like “i have to get something off my chest”.

 

[phil19034]

So I guess there was no abuse before face to face reconciliation rooms came about…

Again, when reconciliation rooms were installed in parishes, the USCCB didn’t have a rule against priests being in the same room, one-on-one with a child, with the door closed.

Today, there is a rule against that. Reconciliation rooms break that rule - unless the minor leaves the door open.

 

[BartholomewB]

I do happen to think that eliminating face to face will bring more people back to confession tho…that part of it would be very good.

Different people have different preferences. I converted in the mid-nineties, over twenty years ago now. I have only ever confessed face to face, since in all three parishes where I have lived in that period, that was the only arrangement. Not a “reconciliation room,” just the priest’s office, where you sit facing him across his desk.

If I had the choice to use a confessional box or continue face-to-face, I’d continue face-to-face. I can’t think of any possible benefit to be derived from the (supposed) anonymity of a confessonal box.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

You could always adjust distance and angle: you don’t have to put it right in his face.

 

[phil19034]

The argument is centered around that abuse takes place in reconciliation rooms. Are there any facts to support that or is it supposition?

Oh my goodness… the argument is NOT centered around all abuse takes place in reconciliation rooms.

What it is centered around is that fact that removing reconciliations rooms removes that risk. It’s about mitigating risk.

And has I have posted a few times now, the USCCB has rules that say a priest may not be alone in a room with a minor - with the door closed. It’s standard youth protection policies.

The reconciliation room breaks those policies.

It doesn’t mean you can’t have face to face confession, but face to face confession should be more like talking to a bank teller, where you and the teller are separated by a partial wall and often a glass window with a hole for sound.

God Bless

 

[phil19034]

I don’t want see through glass. No way.

I hardly think people are in danger. Priests aren’t bears. They aren’t going to gore you if there isn’t a physical barrier separating you.

but it’s also about protecting the priest from false accusations too.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

You can put it on the ceiling.

 

[Irishmom2]

Irishmom2:

So I guess there was no abuse before face to face reconciliation rooms came about…

Again, when reconciliation rooms were installed in parishes, the USCCB didn’t have a rule against priests being in the same room, one-on-one with a child, with the door closed.

Today, there is a rule against that. Reconciliation rooms break that rule - unless the minor leaves the door open.

Oh, for Pete’s sake people. Can we please think logically? We don’t need to ban reconciliation rooms. Have age limits, and have parents ensure that their children use a confessional. We don’t need to ban every thing in the world for everyone.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

You could block the penitent’s side. It’s not that hard.

 

[KyPerson]

We have a disabled man in the parish who uses a wheelchair. When he needs to go to confession, he calls one of the priests and has him over for dinner. The priest hears his confession and everything is fine.
One of our priests prefers not to hear face to face, one does. Both of them are quite accomodating though.
The real crux of the matter is to go to confession.

 

[phil19034]

That’s fine, but the issue isn’t about face to face and screen confession. The issue this article is addressing is the use of the same door. Your confessional sounds just like the one at my parish.

But the problem is (esp with mine) is that in theory, a predatory priest could still come around and touch the child.

Personally, I was in one of these confessionals once (at a different parish) and I was confessing to the priest from behind the screen. I didn’t recognize the priest’s voice and there was no name tag on the door (which I think there always should be - most parishes by me use name tags on the door). I started talking about something an old spirtital director told me and I mentioned his name (nothing bad). Turns out, that was the priest… he then says to me, “Phil is that you, why don’t you come around so we can talk face to face.”

Now why did I say that sorry? This priest is a good guy, and I’m an adult. But if I was a child, and if he was a predatory priest, the priest could say such things to make the child feel uncomfortable.

Screen or no screen, you are literally in the same room with the priest. A predatory priest can get to you easily, and someone who wants to make up stuff and sue the Church can make something up against the priest.

Think about it… this is CONFESSION and there is a seal. If a person walked into one of these confessional rooms (even with the screen) they could make up whatever they wanted about the priest and the priest could NOT defend himself because of the seal of confession.

So this is not just about the laity and protecting kids… it’s also about protecting our priests.

God Bless

 

[goout]

goout:

I do happen to think that eliminating face to face will bring more people back to confession tho…that part of it would be very good.

Different people have different preferences. I converted in the mid-nineties, over twenty years ago now. I have only ever confessed face to face, since in all three parishes where I have lived in that period, that was the only arrangement. Not a “reconciliation room,” just the priest’s office, where you sit facing him across his desk.

If I had the choice to use a confessional box or continue face-to-face, I’d continue face-to-face. I can’t think of any possible benefit to be derived from the (supposed) anonymity of a confessonal box.

I have used face to face also for 40 years and I would likely continue that way. The pastor knows my voice anyways…
But I believe there are many people who would flock to the confessional if they could confess through the screen without personal embarassment.

 

[Zaccheus]

Confession booths are good. But not everybody can use them. There should be other choices at hand for those with other needs.