Posted on 07/31/2006 10:31:54 AM PDT by NYer
The dread, damp palms and anxiety may still be there, but Catholic confession has moved out of the dark, creaky booth where a priest listened to penitents and then meted out penalties to every last sinner to show up.
The confessional box has largely given way to a lighted room where priest and penitent can gaze into each other’s eyes and have a private conversation about lapses in holy living. That’s especially true in Arizona, where Catholic churches tend to be newer.
Or sinners can still anonymously recount their wrongs kneeling behind a screen on a table in a well-lighted room, uttering the traditional words, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned” and noting the date of the last confession. Largely gone is the dark confessional booth, tagged the “sin box,” with a kneeler and demarcating shuttered divider between the two parties.
Also gone are the long lines of penitents who humbly spill out their venial and mortal offenses to God through a priest who is forbidden from repeating them to anyone. 
Personally I prefer the older confessionals to "reconciliation rooms" and especially the type displayed in the picture. I have never seen one setup like that, but it seems rather problematic to me. For one I guess you would have to approach this confessional cubicle from a specific angle to retain the canonical right of the individual penitent to remain anonymous. The other problem I would see is that a traditional confessional or a dedicated room would at least act as a baffle to help to prevent people from overhearing your confession. An open confessional would require awaiting penetents to stand much further away to avoid this problem.
Now of course compared to what happens during this amazing sacrament the furniture involved in facilitating it is of no consequence. Though I think we need a visual indicator that the sacrament of confession isn't something mundane, but something quite exceptional. What could be more exceptional than forgiveness of sins when we truly repent?
I have also always wondered how someone who is forced to make an appointment for confession retains there canonical rights to anonymity? Would you have to give a false name and then say you will meet the priest in the confessional at a certain time? Would you have to confess to giving a false name?
On the light side the confessional pictured looks like it would make for a really challenging game of ping pong.
top picture reminds me think of this:
drunk staggers into the church, goes into the confessional box, sits down but says nothing. The priest coughs a few times to get his attention but the drunk just sits there.
Finally, the Priest pounds three times on the wall. The drunk mumbles, “No use knockin' - there's no paper on this side either.”
Lol ...
LOL!
I understand the writer's concern about a penitent's having no opportunity to be anonymous - although if you're active in your parish, the priest may well recognize your voice, even if he can't see you.
On the other hand, it doesn't bother me to tell my sins to Father face-to-face. It's not like he was assuming I was perfect before that! Even if I got up in front of the congregation and announced, "I yelled at my kids last week, nagged my husband about his overspending, and last Thursday, I had too much wine and gave myself a headache," the most likely response would be, "What, you think you're the Lone Ranger or something?"
If they would just go to the source and confess to God himself you can eliminate all of this nonsence.
Well, it only took 20 minutes.
I have been to Confession there several times. The first time was quite startling. However, this Priest is very kind and humble and as he gives absolution he places his hands on the Penitent's head.
Confessing that way is very powerful, humbling, and, for me, only increased the realisation I was Confessing to Jesus Himself through the Priesthood He established
Dilbertian[tm] confessional would require a pointy-haired priest in it, or maybe Alice administering penance by bonking the sinners' heads against the table.
Uh-oh. You've done it now. Your post will cause this thread to top 500 posts.
Not in my parish they aren't. It's a 20 to 45 minute wait for Confession on Saturdays.
Maybe we just sin a lot...
Yet, I have found the face-to-face confession experience to be truly tremendous, and soul-cleansing, far-beyond anything I experienced in the mor convention booths I grew up using.
Huh?
Maybe if we go face-to-face some of the sins we are too embarassed about will be extinguished. I mean, it is, relatively, easy to ignore God because He is not physically standing before us, but it is rather difficult to hide our shame when we Confess to the Priest face-to-face
How did I confuse you?
It's a slow news day.
I take it from your comment that you never left the confessional with a black eye, then? I have come dangerously close! Guess the old reflexes still are in working order and I ducked when I should! Irish priests can get pretty riled up...
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