When you go to confession do you go behind the screen or face to face?

[JimG]

In the confession “room” behind the screen. As far as I know, that is the only way it is offered in our parish, unless you were to make a private appointment, when you would probably see the priest in his office.

My parish is probably as large as yours, Jim, however, I don’t delude myself that the screen gives me anonymity. Within my community my skin tones and my accent are unique; when the priest leaves the confessional, if I am seated anywhere close by, and if he looks, he will know that I was in the confessional, however, with the number of penitents at confession I doubt he remembers what I have said, just that I was there.

Well, I suppose a priest might recognize parishioners by voice. But there are a lot of parishioners! However, many of them don’t go to confession routinely. (Whatever we can do to help them get to confession is a good thing.)

During weekday confessions, the priest comes out to set up the altar for the afternoon Mass, and then goes into the confessional. He does not look at the people who are waiting, and the confessions tend to go very fast since the time is limited. Even when another priest comes out to help with a growing line by hearing confessions at the altar rail, he does not look at the penitent.

So I’m just thinking that with so many parishioners, so many confessions, it would take a real effort to try to recall individuals.

Our confessionals are modern, well lit, soundproof, and anonymous. Unless one makes an appointment it’s impossible to make a face to face confession. (In theory it could be done if both the priest and the penitent pulled back the cloth cover to the grille–one on each side, but as far as I know, it’s not done.)

And when the priest comes out of the confessional, most of the penitents are gone, the Church has filled up with Mass goers, and he is rushing to the sacristy, having five minutes to get vested!

 

[TimothyH]

My experience is that priests give more in-depth counseling when I go face to face. They tend to be very brief when behind the screen.

-Tim-

 

[Faith1960]

I’ve never gone to confession face-to-face. I always go behind a screen. Once a priest saw me as he was entering the confessional but I still went behind the screen. I used to get really nervous going to confession and prefer being anonymous.

 

[JimG]

Priests do tend to give more in-depth counseling in face to face confession. That takes more time. And that is why, if everyone in any given weekday confession line or Saturday confession line went face to face, many confessions would not be heard. Some, many, would be left out.

 

[Phalanx]

I always go behind the screen.

If I could, I would probably like confessing face2face at times. But as is I have troubles with asking for forgiveness from anyone. And if i look rigth into someones eyes while confessing I would automatically go into “defence” mode and not feel rependant at all. And definately not think of who I am confessing to.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

My early years were in small churches, often as an altar server; so the priest always recognized me. Thus I never became accustomed to anonymity.

Now my hearing is deteriorating; so I need to read lips, which mandates face-to-face.

 

[Rete]

That would be quite a feat. There are about 10,000 people in my parish. I don’t think the priest knows everyone by voice. In any case, there is only the confessional for regular confessions.

Sometimes priests will also hear confessions at the altar rail when the line for confessions is long. That is ‘in the open,’ but it doesn’t bother me. Priest and penitent both speak softly and no one can overhear. Also, it’s not really ‘face to face,’ as the priest shields his eyes and looks down during the confession.

Depends, maybe? I go to frequent confession and I always see the same few people waiting. I doubt very many people go to confession any longer.

 

[JimG]

Depends, maybe? I go to frequent confession and I always see the same few people waiting. I doubt very many people go to confession any longer.

I go at least once a month, and there is always a line. I have to get there early enough to not be too far back in the line; otherwise my confession might not be heard.

One would hope that all Catholics would come to confession at least monthly. But I’m afraid that if they did, the lines would be very long, and those of us who have become accustomed to having a rather “personal” sacramental experience would be in danger of becoming somewhat impatient with all the new penitents. But we do want new penitents!

 

[Rete]

We should want for that to happen. And then each parish could have at least another priest to deal with confessions throughout the week.

But that’s not what I see. The same (small) group of people go to confession regularly. Then you will see maybe 1-3 fresh faces each Saturday. The confession schedule before the first mass is even less diverse. It really is the same people (some of whom I think go weekly).

 

[KCT]

Priests do tend to give more in-depth counseling in face to face confession. That takes more time. And that is why, if everyone in any given weekday confession line or Saturday confession line went face to face, many confessions would not be heard. Some, many, would be left out.

I’ve had the opposite experience, at least with one local priest.

Of course, this priest talks with people so long, he can only hear 3 or 4 confessions in the 45 min before Mass! Thankfully he offers to come back after Mass. When I couldn’t come back, I asked for confession on a weekday when he was saying Mass and he was perfectly happy to do it.

He’s newly ordained, and I expect his boss will soon be telling him to shorten things up as people are getting in line well before Mass and not having their confessions heard.

 

[JimG]

I’ve had the opposite experience, at least with one local priest.

Of course, this priest talks with people so long, he can only hear 3 or 4 confessions in the 45 min before Mass! Thankfully he offers to come back after Mass. When I couldn’t come back, I asked for confession on a weekday when he was saying Mass and he was perfectly happy to do it.

He’s newly ordained, and I expect his boss will soon be telling him to shorten things up as people are getting in line well before Mass and not having their confessions heard.

Well yes, that was my point. Slow confession lines slow things down and keep people from the sacrament. Before our weekday evening Masses, the priest may hear as many as 20 to 30 confessions in 30 to 45 minutes. If he was only hearing 2 or 3 in 45 minutes a lot of people would be left out.

 

[bobballen_18]

I voted behind the screen, and that’s because both of the parishes at which I receive the sacrament, that’s the only option. However, when one of them used to have face to face as an option, I only went behind the screen. I have never been comfortable going face to face with the screen. Probably simply because I don’t want the priest to know who I am. Although over time I think they realize who is who…haha. It is so much easier for me, though, to get through it when I’m behind a screen.

Although one time, our parish priest must not have liked the screen. He was from Burma…I was going to confession one time and in the middle of it he just moved the curtain to the side and peeked in to see who it was! It was really funny, although a bit embarrassing - it’s like, “oh hey there, Father!”

 

[YADA]

I have gone to confession/reconciliation both ways …

Behind the screen in a very traditional parish that still uses the traditional confessional …

Both behind a screen/curtain and face to face where there is the option … not sure why - just to have the experience …

The important issue is to go to reconciliation …

In my experience - it seems more stressful [harder] to go ‘Face to Face’ … whether I know the priest or not …

Others may feel differently …

 

[clem456]

We used to have an elderly priest who would do confession in our parish.
One morning he was doing it for the school children. My daughter went in to give her confession and while she was saying her sins she noticed he was slumped over with his eyes closed . With great trepidation she reached out and jabbed him with her finger to see if he was still alive. He jerked awake, caught his stride and gave her absolution.

 

[JimG]

We used to have an elderly priest who would do confession in our parish.
One morning he was doing it for the school children. My daughter went in to give her confession and while she was saying her sins she noticed he was slumped over with his eyes closed . With great trepidation she reached out and jabbed him with her finger to see if he was still alive. He jerked awake, caught his stride and gave her absolution.

Ha! I’ll bet he’s slept through a few other confessions, while penitents were worrying about shocking him with their sins!

 

[Lynette77]

In my church, if I need to go to confession I normally go after Mass. The priest sits with me in the front pew, hears my confession, advises as necessary, gives absolution. Then i remain in the seat to say my penance.

When we sit side by side, it is a personal reminder to me of the fact that the Lord remains constantly with me and is available to listen to me at all times.

 

[Lenas_mama]

I still prefer to be behind a screen

 

[Bakuryokuso]

Depends, maybe? I go to frequent confession and I always see the same few people waiting. I doubt very many people go to confession any longer.

It probably depends on the individual church. I attend an Extraordinary Form parish on Sundays, and there will usually be 5-6 people in each confessional line at any given moment, so easily two dozen or more people would be going to confession on a Sunday.

The Basilica I attend for weekday Mass has confession 15 minutes before Mass begins and there’s often a few people who go.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I go behind the screen, even though my confessor certainly knows it is I. He sees me as he first enters to hear confessions! Still, I take some comfort in the idea of anonymity. On those occasions when a priest has insisted on a face-to-face confession (one time it was a visiting priest and he did not have the keys. I confessed right out in the church in front of God and everyone), I will do so without any qualms. I prefer the screen, though.

This was my experience yesterday.I generally prefer behind the screen,as I don’t feel as distracted and nervous.Yesterday,I went to the Cathedral here in Denver,was counting on the screen as I had a rather embarrassing sin to confess.
Well guess what,not only was confession face to face,it was outside the Cathedral on the steps A first for me for sure ,needless to say it helped me overcome my timidity ,and was very humbling.

 

[smichhertz]

For a long time, I was a strict “behind the screen”. Now I go pretty much exclusively face to face (except where it’s not an option).

I just make better progress when the priest sees me face to face and on a somewhat regular schedule. Takes a bit more courage, but the end result has been worth it.