Why Confessionals?

[DL82]

What is the point in the little boxes with the grilles? It’s not really anonymous is it? Everybody can see you go in, depending on how close they stand they can also hear what you say, your priest probably knows who it is, and you almost certainly know who the priest is (unless you go to confession outside your own parish).

Why not just sit in a room alone with the priest? I don’t get what the little box does, though I know it scares a lot of people, myself included.

 

[LilyM]

What is the point in the little boxes with the grilles? It’s not really anonymous is it? Everybody can see you go in, depending on how close they stand they can also hear what you say, your priest probably knows who it is, and you almost certainly know who the priest is (unless you go to confession outside your own parish).

Why not just sit in a room alone with the priest? I don’t get what the little box does, though I know it scares a lot of people, myself included.

For one thing the priest probably wouldn’t recognise you, you know. Not unless you go to the same priest all the time, confess frequently, have a very distinctive voice AND are personally well known to him.

Trust me, I used to do telemarketing and I’d call the same person twice in five minutes by accident and not recognise the voice.

As for everyone else - who cares? Everyone confesses, the ones who don’t do so should, so none of us have any call to judge another for going to confession.

By the way, most confessionals now do have an option where you can sit in face to face on the same side of the screen or grille that he’s on if it’s more comfortable for you. If yours doesn’t, and you really don’t like the grille, you could probably make arrangements with the priest to meet him outside the scheduled confession time and sit somewhere more open with him.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I suspect the grille is for the benefit of the priest as much if not more than for the benefit of the penitent. I say this because more than one priest has told me that the priest has a right to the grille, whereas the penitent may opt for a face to face confession only after the priest has first allowed that option. As unseemly as it is to think about, I suspect this allows a priest to be be able to protect himself against accusations of impropriety in the confessional. Unfortunately, I have no cite for this.

Although anyone who may have knowledge of the contents of a sacramental confession is bound by canonical seal, privacy for the penitent is a modern phenomenon. In Europe many confessionals are free-standing booths in which the priest sits, the penitents kneeling outside (ie visible to the public) a speaking through the grille. Similarly, while touring Mission Dolores in San Francisco some years ago, the confessional looked like a cabinet built into the wall. We were told that the custom was for the priest to open the doors perpendicular to the wall and sit on a niche between them – Men would confess face to face before the priest, while ladies would confess from the other side of either door.

I could be mistaken about any or all of this,
tee

 

[Sr_Sally]

It is true that anyone can see you go in. But since confessions are usually outside of mass time, usually the only people are also queuing up for confession so they are hardly in a place to talk! lol

As for them hearing you, yes they probably could. I know I hear my children saying the Act of Contrition, although I don’t hear what they confess–perhaps they aren’t speaking as loudly then? Usually the next person in line stays back by where the pews are rather than standing right outside the door, so I suppose they could hear mumbling, but unless you are speaking very loudly and clearly, they wouldn’t hear your entire confession.

Certainly you can make an appointment for confession and do it face to face. Also no one else has to know you are there, so it is both more private and not in the closed in little booth!

 

[Cari]

Personally, I’d prefer our parish to have a proper confessional booth. As of now, we have a room, with a wooden screen and kneeler one CAN use, though it is set up to encourage confessor and penetent to sit face-to-face on the other side of the screen.

And if you want to talk about lack of anonimity, one entire wall of the confessional room is plexiglass, looking out into the sanctuary, where the choir is ALWAYS practicing during scheduled confession time. So one is on constant display during reconciliation. Heehee…talk about an added does of humility!

Cheers,
C

 

[Evan]

And if you want to talk about lack of anonimity, one entire wall of the confessional room is plexiglass, looking out into the sanctuary, where the choir is ALWAYS practicing during scheduled confession time. So one is on constant display during reconciliation.

Our priest has asked us to install a plexiglass wall like this. He is trying to avoid future claims against priests in confession in our parish. With the recent priest scandal, they have to bend over backwards to avoid be accused of stuff.

They cannot be alone with women, children, or young adults.

 

[AJV]

As unseemly as it is to think about, I suspect this allows a priest to be be able to protect himself against accusations of impropriety in the confessional. Unfortunately, I have no cite for this.

I think for women at least, it could be inferred from the 1917 Code? which mandated confessionals for women (except in sickness or danger of death) but not for men, insisted on the confessionals being in an “open and conspicuous place” and other such things. .

Sacramentalis confessionis proprius locus est ecclesia vel oratorium publicum aut semipublicum.

Can 909 §1. Sedes confessionalis ad audiendas mulierum confessiones semper collocetur in loco patenti et conspicuo, et generatim in ecclesia vel oratorio publico aut semi-publico mulieribus destinato.
§2. Sedes confessionalis crate fixa ac tenuiter perforata inter poenitentem et confessarium sit instructa.

Can 910 §1. Feminarum confessiones extra sedem confessionalem ne audiantur, nisi ex causa infirmitatis aliave verae necessitatis et adhibitis cautelis quas Ordinarius loci opportunas iudicaverit.
§2. Confessiones virorum etiam in aedibus privatis excipere licet.

 

[Chatter163]

I have heard that the glass doors are for protection in light of recent scandals, but I honestly have not heard of any scandal involving the confessional, nor do I think that glass would prevent accusations, in any event.

 

[jmcrae]

What is the point in the little boxes with the grilles? It’s not really anonymous is it? Everybody can see you go in, depending on how close they stand they can also hear what you say, your priest probably knows who it is, and you almost certainly know who the priest is (unless you go to confession outside your own parish).

Why not just sit in a room alone with the priest? I don’t get what the little box does, though I know it scares a lot of people, myself included.

It protects the priest, and it’s cheaper than plexiglass.

I happen to like them - it’s so quiet in there just before the priest comes, it’s beautiful - you can almost hear God talking to you.

 

[Teakafrog]

I wish more churches had them anymore–they’ve gone the way of the altar rail. Now you’re lucky to get a private room to be in at all, instead of just sitting in a corner of the sanctuary on folding chairs with the priest. And as for hearing others, people should, don’t always, but should have enough tact to start the line far enough away from the confessional so that that won’t happen. If I am next in line, I always stay far back from the door.

 

[Cari]

Our priest has asked us to install a plexiglass wall like this. He is trying to avoid future claims against priests in confession in our parish. With the recent priest scandal, they have to bend over backwards to avoid be accused of stuff.

They cannot be alone with women, children, or young adults.

GET OUT! How sad, but thanks for pointing this out, since it completely gives me a sense of compassion about it. Our parish was built in 1998, which was before the scandal “broke”, but looking at it in that light helps me with my annoyance.
Thanks!

 

[PaulaB52]

The confessionals at our church have both the screen & chair, you can choose which door to go in (Sort of like Let’s Make A Deal, what’s behind door number 2?)

I go into the door with the grill because that’s what I prefer. It’s what I grew up with in the 70’s & early 80’s. My son always picks the chair, though last time he went to the grill and said he liked it better. The thing I like the most about this church’s confessionals is the room you go in with the grill is pitch black dark. The priest has a light in his room, so there’s a bit of a backglow, but your room is dark. It’s more intimate and private.

 

[jc-servant]

I guess this is a confessional in a very old church that is a little box? My parish church is newer, but the confessionals are little rooms (bigger than the really old ones I’ve seen) in the back of our large chapel. You cannot hear anything in a conversational tone through the solid door to the room. Once you get inside, the kneeler and the screen are on your left or right (depending on which confessional) and a chair is around the screen facing the priest if you prefer. The light is a lamp on the priest’s side of the screen so the kneeler is in dim light.

I like it that we have a small “room” rather than a tiny booth stuck in the back of the chapel because of privacy for everyone as they are speaking and because it is less likely to cause a panic attack for someone who fears small dark spaces.

During parish reconciliation we have priests spread out in the open hearing confessions inside our main church which freaks some people out. They would rather wait an extra hour to use a room or confessional. Even in the rooms a chair is placed back to back with the priest and one facing him, so people have an option.

 

[lizaanne]

While I’m ok with face to face confession, I prefer to be kneeling when I confess, so the screen is the way to go for me. I would feel silly kneeling before the priest without a screen between us, if we were the only two in the room.

~Liza