The Time has Come to Ban Reconciliation Rooms

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My former parish had remodeled confessionals which were essentially like the old style confessiion booths–three distinct rooms, a penitent on each side, priest in the middle, with a slide to open or close for each penitent. Penitent and priest were separated by a grille with an opaque curtain on both sides. For face to face, both the priest and penitent would need to slide their curtain aside. But in practice that option was never used.

The difference was that the confessional rooms were NOT dark, hot, and claustrophobic. They are spacious, well lit, with wide doors and both a kneeler and a chair where one could either kneel or sit in front of the grille. Priest and penitent could hear but not see each other. NO glass windows or doors, thank the Lord.

I would only note that the anonymous and private confessions go a lot faster. There was always a line, but it moved quickly.
 
But no. I have straight up seen some confessional where it is only the priest in the box and it was administered through a radio headphone system. The Church on Harvard st here in LA is like that but I don’t remember what it is called or the name of the parish. I thought it strange. I have never gone to confession in that method though but I like to tour the different parishes and cathedrals. Interesting stuff.

Also I have been to confession where I was just behind a short curtain and partition with the priest on the other side. Older church in Boston. Girl I was dating eavesdropped and then ridiculed me. She was not Catholic but we used to go to mass together.
 
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I think confessionals should have a window that looks out to a lovely garden, or an expensive view. That would be so inspirational. Confessionals are in need of some natural light. I don’t like the small, dark rooms. It’s sort of claustrophobic, even though I’m not claustrophobic, and it isn’t conducive to spending anymore than 60 seconds in there. Surely Fr. would love for people to spend more time in the confessional enjoying the experience, thinking about things, rambling, going off on tangents, recalling details, and just drawing out the experience.
 
DeniseNY said:
Eastern Rites have face to face without using reconcilliation rooms, so it is possible.
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Most parishes have face to face during Lent and Advent Community Penance Services, with what I’ve seen to be 7 to 14 priests in the church together hearing confessions. No one seems to mind that, and it’s usually quite crowded.
 
Zaccheus said:
Not in any church I’ve seen.
My experience has been that if you need a wheel chair you need a reconciliation room. Nor have I seen any confession booths with chairs.
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To be clear… what I mean by modern confessionals are 21st century that do not include the room
 
Yeap, this is exactly what I’ve seen, except that the priest has his own door too.
 
That’s correct. 😐

I’m advocating for two tin cans and a string. Much better.
 
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JimG said:
My former parish had remodeled confessionals which were essentially like the old style confessiion booths–three distinct rooms, a penitent on each side, priest in the middle, with a slide to open or close for each penitent. Penitent and priest were separated by a grille with an opaque curtain on both sides. For face to face, both the priest and penitent would need to slide their curtain aside. But in practice that option was never used.

The difference was that the confessional rooms were NOT dark, hot, and claustrophobic. They are spacious, well lit, with wide doors and both a kneeler and a chair where one could either kneel or sit in front of the grille. Priest and penitent could hear but not see each other. NO glass windows or doors, thank the Lord.

I would only note that the anonymous and private confessions go a lot faster. There was always a line, but it moved quickly.
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Yes, this is the way they have it at the recently remodeled confessionals at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia. I know they are all big enough (with lights) ventilation, kneeler and chair, and enough room for walker. Then, at least one of them is wheel chair accessible.
 
That’s what it looked like when I received First confession back in 1983/1984, however, the screen wall was much narrower.
 
That is what ours is like. I go sit on the chair face to face, or like others have described, sitting on two chairs face to face, or even sitting next to each other in a pew.
 
TheLittleLady said:
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phil19034:
Plus, all doors were see-though glass
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Nope. No way am I confessing (unless it is deathbed) with a bunch of lookie loos gaping at me through a glass confessional.
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So I guess this one in the UK would not work for you 🤓

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Nope. Did you read the article? This was used for non-Catholic/religious “confession.”
 
Irishmom2 said:
Nope. Did you read the article? This was used for non-Catholic/religious “confession.”
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Yes, I did. But it’s still not a bad idea. I posted a pic above of Pope Francis using an open portable confessional.
 
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