We all know that you're Orthodox. Don't you confess your sins to the priest before the icon of Christ at the iconostasis? Certainly that's what we all did when I was attending the Melkite liturgy for years before I returned to my "roots" at the indult Tridentine Mass. It's my understanding that the Orthodox use John 20:23 in their theology of the sacrament just as the Catholics do. So nothing could be less "pagan," no?
Interesting! I did not realize you once attended the Melkite Church. We have several Melkite families in our Maronite parish. I'm the one who comes from Indult Tridentine roots :-). We even have a Greek Orthodox family that occasionally celebrates our liturgy because the wife is from Jordan. One big "catholic" family.
In my OCA Parish there is an Icon of Christ on a podium on the left near the Iconostasis, during confession the priest stands there, and you confess your sins.
In one ROCOR church I went to it was a little different. The priest was sitting behind an icon on the right side and there is an open bible and a cross. You kiss both before confession. The other ROCOR church I've been to it was the same scenerio but off to the left.
I generally find that when defending universal apostolic beleifs, such as confession, that the Catholic church has a more detailed answer for protestants than I can find searching only Orthodox sites, so that's why I asked. :)