What if confession lines get really long?

[Sheadad]

I wonder sometimes if we take for granted the fact that we can go to confession fairly easily whenever its offered. Could it happen that a resurgence could take place within the church and lines would make confession seemingly impossible?

For all of you that are in a different rite, I realize that you have long confession lines, but in the Latin Rite, specifically in the U.S., we typically don’t.

Might we look back on these days and remember when there were only 3 to 7 people in line on a Saturday afternoon?

 

[loozcannon]

I would think if the lines are terribly long, and you wind up not getting seen, I would think you could call and make an appointment.

 

[theistgal]

For all of you that are in a different rite, I realize that you have long confession lines, but in the Latin Rite, specifically in the U.S., we typically don’t.

Actually, we never have lines at all. The priest will simply make himself available, sitting on the altar and waiting, for up to an hour before the Liturgy.

This is especially true now, at our parish, during Holy Week. So if you’re looking for a new experience in making your confession in another rite, this is a great time to go!

 

[KCT]

My theory is that if that many people are going to confession on a regular basis, perhaps we’ll have more vocations to handle the load.

More parents who will be committed to their faith and raising their kids to (hopefully!) believe, more young men receiving the grace of the sacrament and (hopefully!) more open to hearing God’s call on their lives.

What a great problem to have.

 

[owensjo]

I wonder sometimes if we take for granted the fact that we can go to confession fairly easily whenever its offered. Could it happen that a resurgence could take place within the church and lines would make confession seemingly impossible?

For all of you that are in a different rite, I realize that you have long confession lines, but in the Latin Rite, specifically in the U.S., we typically don’t.

Might we look back on these days and remember when there were only 3 to 7 people in line on a Saturday afternoon?

Our parish priest actually preached on this subject two weeks ago. The prayer of the church is that confession lines will become too long, and the usual 45 minutes to an hour on Saturday afternoon will have to be extended to whatever is needed. I think a problem like this is one of the best things that could happen in the church.

 

[sojo]

We have no regular confession in our parish. None. You have to phone on the two days there’s a secretary in the office for a few hours and make an appointment, and then you meet with the priest face to face in the living room of the rectory.

Tomorrow is the Reconcilation Mass. Father usually talks two other priests to help out. One works the kitchen, one sits at the front of the church and one in the Vestry. The lines are traditionally long, even though we are exhorted to only confess our big sins and keep it moving. We all do our “penance” before we confess, all together, usually the stations of the cross read really fast. It gets very hot and noisy.

I imagine the Pope Francis effect may result in even longer lines, but its the only way. Getting an appointment with our one and only priest who spends a lot of time traveling between Churches are hard to schedule.

 

[aspirant]

Might we look back on these days and remember when there were only 3 to 7 people in line on a Saturday afternoon?

I always aim to arrive early, because I often see lines longer than these.

 

[JimG]

At my parish the confession lines are anywhere from 10 to 15 people daily, sometimes less. That’s for 30 minutes before afternoon Mass. But if they get too long, sometimes a second priest will come out to hear confessions at the altar rail.

Since this is holy week, the lines are even longer. I went to confession on Monday, got there 45 minutes before Mass, the priest was already in the confessional and a 2nd priest at the altar rail. As more people arrived, a third priest came and sat at the other side of the church at the altar rail. The lines moved pretty fast. For lines like this, it pays to be brief.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Our parish priest actually preached on this subject two weeks ago. The prayer of the church is that confession lines will become too long, and the usual 45 minutes to an hour on Saturday afternoon will have to be extended to whatever is needed. I think a problem like this is one of the best things that could happen in the church.

We have confessions daily and it’s not uncommon for our priest to literally spend hours in the confessional at a time because of all the confessions.

 

[babochka]

Actually, we never have lines at all. The priest will simply make himself available, sitting on the altar and waiting, for up to an hour before the Liturgy.

We sometimes get lines of 2-3 people, but our priest is available for confession before every Liturgy and pretty much any time you ask him, so waiting is rarely a problem in our small parish. Occasionally, confessions have run into time to start the Liturgy, and he’ll just start a few minutes late. Of course, we only have 30 people of confession age, so it would be a surprise to have a long line.

I occasionally go to confession at a Latin Rite parish nearby. They offer confessions on Saturday from 3-4 and from 7-8. They usually have 3 priests hearing confessions and lines 20-30 deep throughout the entire 2 hours. During Holy Week, they have confessions every day for 3 hours. My husband went last night. There was a priest in each of the 3 confessionals and lines all around.

 

[allhers]

I wonder sometimes if we take for granted the fact that we can go to confession fairly easily whenever its offered. Could it happen that a resurgence could take place within the church and lines would make confession seemingly impossible?

For all of you that are in a different rite, I realize that you have long confession lines, but in the Latin Rite, specifically in the U.S., we typically don’t.

Might we look back on these days and remember when there were only 3 to 7 people in line on a Saturday afternoon?

I suppose that depends on your Parish, I am in a very large one and all three Priest hear confessions Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon. Also, by appointment. Plus, I live within 15 minutes of 4 other Catholic Churches and one has confession daily. It’s been that way for over 17 years (as that is how long I’ve lived here.) So, I don’t know how long it has been that way actually.

 

[aspirant]

I occasionally go to confession at a Latin Rite parish nearby. They offer confessions on Saturday from 3-4 and from 7-8. They usually have 3 priests hearing confessions and lines 20-30 deep throughout the entire 2 hours.

This is similar to my area. Many churches do one rather than two hours, but we have a lot of churches and most of them seem to get these kind of lines.