Which Confession/Reconciliation type is best in your opinion?

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I prefer a communal Penitential Service combined with private confession behind a screen. I wish we could have one once a month rather than once during Lent and once during Advent.

I like the Scriptures readings, the examination of conscience, particularly the one that takes each of the 10 commandments in turn, and a homily by the priest calling us to continued conversion.

Considering that our parish doesn’t offer any regular confession time, I think this would be a massive improvement.
 
I am most comfortable with private and screen, but I have gone all other ways listed as well.
 
I’ve done all 3 options at different points in the past, I do not have a particular preference.
 
I voted “other”, because for me the best type of confession is a private, face to face, but in the context of “spiritual direction”.

I see my SD about once a month. Our sessions always include confession.

If I need to seek confession at other times, I still prefer the face-to-face option.
 
I prefer anonymous. I do not in any way mind penance services in principle. However, I feel the way they are currently done encourages confession only at that time, and most parishes only do penance services in Advent and Lent. If every parish had one at least once a week and made it abundantly, crystal clear that confession should be done whenever one has a mortal sin and not just when a penance service comes around, I think it would be much better. I’ve heard many comments like, “It’s the time of year that Father hears confessions,” regarding when penance services are announced (Advent and Lent) at my parish and I’m just like whaaaaa, because we have confession every week. I think there’s too much confusion.

However, I realize that for whatever reason, it might be imprudent or impossible for a parish to have a penance service every week, which is why in practice, I disfavor them entirely. I will go to them, yes, but I feel they leave too much confusion in practice.
 
I want the traditional small dark booth that’s completely enclosed, entered by a small door, with a priest on the other side of a screen that can be closed. Part of the purpose of penance is spiritual fatherhood (that is, spiritual direction), and simple absolution doesn’t do anything to improve the future interior life beyond absolution - instead of working to not re-commit the same sins. I’ve never been in a church that was overly busy at the appointed time for confessions, usually on the Sabbath, let alone on any other day of the week - a sad commentary on America, as it is more sinful than ever, but less aware of its sins.

And, it’s sin. It’s lowly, degrading, embarrassing, and thoroughly evil. I don’t want to look a man in the eye to tell him my sin. It’s immodest. It’s disrespectful. It shows lack of contrition. Looking a priest of God Most High in the eye and confessing mortal sin is like looking a husband in the eye and telling him you raped his wife. (Or spiritual bride with husband, in this case.) I wouldn’t hold it against him if he had a different regard for me thereafter. I probably would hold it against him if he didn’t. I believe such confession has a different power dynamic which is also suboptimal.

If at all possible, I do not confess at a church without an anonymous confession booth in it. The type of confessional and the daily offering of the Tridentine Mass were the main factors in determining the church I would attend.

The private, anonymous booth confessional worked for St Thomas Aquinas - it works for me.
 
Oneofthewomen said:
I voted “other”, because for me the best type of confession is a private, face to face, but in the context of “spiritual direction”.

I see my SD about once a month. Our sessions always include confession.

If I need to seek confession at other times, I still prefer the face-to-face option.
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I’m similar, though I see my SD less frequently. He’s a very lovely man and I’d rather go to the Presbytery and chat and then have confession face-to-face than to go into a box behind a screen. Though I have a phobia of churches, so that might explain that 😃
 
I prefer private, but am getting more used to confession facing an icon without a screen between me and the priest.
 
I don’t have a spiritual director right now, but when I do, or when I am on a directed retreat I prefer face to face.

For regular confession though I prefer to be anonymous, on my knees and behind a screen.
 
Face to face. I don’t like the old dark confessional with a screen separating completely.

I don’t mind the small room with a screen where you can look around the screen as we now have.
 
I prefer face-to-face because it seems more honest and more conducive to discussion that will help overcome my habits of sin. In the dark confessional everything feels like formula. Besides in many of the parishes to which I have belonged, I knew thet he knew who I was, but we had to play this game of pretend, pretending the sacrament was anonymous.

Penance services always seem rushed. The last one I attended, several people didn’t get a chance for private confession because of time constraints.
 
I’m a fan of face-to-face. The personal connection allows the priest to comment more, giving me an opportunity to receive spiritual guidance.
 
Hello Everyone,

I think the important thing is to go as often as possible.

I’m sending you a link below to an audio I found the other day. I’m sending it to as many people as possible. If you like it please share it with all your friends. Just go to Google and type in the text below.

** Holy Eucharist – The True Body and Blood of Jesus**

2 Cor 13:13
Eddy Barry
 
I prefer behind the screen. My Parish has the Traditional booth where the Priest is in the middle and 2 penitents can be on either side. If I did’nt go behind the screen i would probably be terrified. I’m not sure why but thats how I am. Every time I go to Confession I always get really scared before its my turn, but once I’ve confessed and the Priest gives Absolution then I’m fine. I don’t know If anybody else has that problem.
 
Face-to-Face. Once I accidentally went to the other box and spent the whole time trying to focus through the slats!
 
At Christmas my husband and I attended Mass in a parish that undergoing massive remodeling and reconstruction. The church itself was unroofed, so Mass was said in the church hall, which also was being remodeled and was without heat and electricity.

The priest heard confessions before Mass in the only private space available in the construction zone - behind one of the construction dumptsters in the parking lot. This was in the middle of the work day, so both of us has to raise our voices to be understood and try to ignore the construction workers and vehicles moving all around us.

Compared to that experience, I’ll take any Confession I can get so long I’m out of the elements. 😛

Luna
 
I used to hate face-to-face, but it’s my preferred method now. I’m a lot more at ease, even if the priest isn’t. I confessed to an old family friend a while back and he seemed uncomfortable at one point, so I only go back to him if it’s a fairly light Confession.

I prefer seeing the priest’s face, especially if I’m asking questions or seeking guidance. I was going through a very stressful time late last year and as a result I was losing my temper quite a bit. The biggest symptom of this was that I was swearing like a sailor, and quite frequently. Although I wasn’t taking God’s name in vain, it was weighing quite heavily on my conscience and something for which I wanted absolution (it was a pretty frequent, almost constant issue and I was really straining to get it under control). The priest rolled his eyes at me and pretty much dismissed what I’d said. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going back to a priest who didn’t take my sins at least as seriously as I did (I’m not scrupulous, but the extent of my swearing was certainly sinful, even if just venial and, with 4 kids in the house, quite a problem). If I’d been behind the screen, I wouldn’t have seen this priest’s reaction.

I also find the face-to-face interaction to be a bit more relaxed and personal. One of my last times at Confession, I got the priest laughing. He had a big, booming laugh, and you could hear it through the whole church, and likely outside as well. I suspect that wouldn’t have happened anonymously, which would have robbed me of an amusing story to tell, as well as getting to see the looks on the faces of the other parishioners when I came out of the confessional.
 
Face to face because it is embarrassing, humiliating, forces me to be to look at the priest in the eyes and that makes me really aware of my sins.

Face to face because I feel overwhelmed with peace when looking in the eyes of the priest while he grants me absolution.
 
Phemie said:
I prefer a communal Penitential Service combined with private confession behind a screen. I wish we could have one once a month rather than once during Lent and once during Advent.

I like the Scriptures readings, the examination of conscience, particularly the one that takes each of the 10 commandments in turn, and a homily by the priest calling us to continued conversion.

Considering that our parish doesn’t offer any regular confession time, I think this would be a massive improvement.
Click to expand...
I like that we don’t have a regular confession time because it allows me to be private in confession in that can book a time with the priest when the church is empty. I have tried other times but don’t work for me. I not that I don’t like my sins etc, just that I am quite private…
I like both equally. The general service confession is good for most times but if it throws something up or a reading or the Gospel throws something up then I can talk about it in confession.
 
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