When can a priest hear a confession?

[fireproofpoodle]

Can a priest hear confession at any place, at any time, or does it have to be within the confessional only?

 

[margya]

He can hear confession anytime and anyplace.

 

[Revs96]

A priest can hear confession anywhere where he can get privacy with the penitent. It doesn’t need to be in the confessional and he doesn’t need to wear vestments (but if he does it must be a purple stole).

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Nope, not only in a confessional. We went to the Mass in Dc when the Holy Father was here and they had confessions set up with just rows and rows of pairs of chairs facing each other. When the time came to close that down so the priests could get ready for Mass, I saw a few priests and penitents simply standing in any odd nook or corner where they could speak confidentially.

I love the old pictures of priests sitting on the curbs along St Peter’s Square with people queued up to have their confessions heard.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Can a priest hear confession at any place, at any time, or does it have to be within the confessional only?

It would seem that Canon Law requires that it be in the churchin the confessional or reconciliation room. Unless there is a serious reason to celebrate the Sacrament in another place, like in a Hosptial or Nursing home.

Can. 964~1 The proper place for hearing sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.

~2 As far as the confessional is concerned, norms are to be issued by the Episcopal
Conference, with the proviso however that confessionals, which the faithful who so wish
may freely use, are located in an open place, and fitted with a fixed grille between the
penitent and the confessor.

~3 Except for a just reason, confessions are not to be heard elsewhere than in a
confessional.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

It would seem that Canon Law requires that it be in the churchin the confessional or reconciliation room. Unless there is a serious reason to celebrate the Sacrament in another place, like in a Hosptial or Nursing home.

Can. 964~1 The proper place for hearing sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.

~2 As far as the confessional is concerned, norms are to be issued by the Episcopal
Conference, with the proviso however that confessionals, which the faithful who so wish
may freely use, are located in an open place, and fitted with a fixed grille between the
penitent and the confessor.

~3 Except for a just reason, confessions are not to be heard elsewhere than in a
confessional.

Yes, a confessional should be used when practical. It places the Sacrament within a sacred space, it helps keep a proper spiritual relation between confessor and penitent, and it protects both from the appearance of scandal in situations where it would not seem right for a priest to be alone with someone.

The words “a just reason” can be interprested fairly generously, though. There are a variety of times when another place may be appropriate: when you are meeting with your spiritual director in his office and you ask him to hear your confession; when you are passing your pastor’s office and know you need to go to confession, but it would be impractical to go to the church (my pastor keeps his purple stole in plain view on his desk at all times, giving the silent message that he is always available to hear confessions); when you need to confess, have the opportunity, but are not near a church, etc.

 

[cameron_lansing]

Good insight to the point at hand.

Brief and passing thought on the terminology of law. This canon requires only a just cause or reason and not a serious cause or reason.

The law in the various canons of the code distinguishes among just cause, grave or serious cause, and gravest or most serious cause.

They have different weights and correspond to the weight of the duty, obligation or norm being considered for exception, or to the action being considered.

Just cause has a fairly low threshold. At the least, it is a cause that is reasonable and is not illegal, unjust or arbitary.

Here the law implicitly gives the confessor to evaluate the existence of the just cause.