An Old-School Confessional Revives the Sacrament of Confession

[UrbScotty]

The Rev. Janusz Kukulka can't say for sure that his parishioners are sinning more, but they sure are lining up at the new confessional booth to tell him about it.

For years, Kukulka, was content with absolving sins in a private room marked by an exit sign to the right of the altar St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

But something happened during Lent this year. For the first time, Kukulka really noticed the two confessionals missing from the rear of his church. They'd been gone for four decades, ripped out during the 1970s to make room for air conditioning units during a renovation inspired by the Second Vatican Council.

They must have been a thing of beauty, Kukulka thought. He imagined their dark oak paneled doors and arched moldings to match the Gothic architecture of the church designed by renowned 19th-century architect Patrick Keely.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/an-old-school-confessional-revives-sacrament-of-confession-in-catholic-church_n_3181418.html

[meow2u3]

1. The face-to-face confession is intimidating to many parishoners and some priests

Confessions among American Catholics have been on the decline for decades, a trend many theologians attribute to changes introduced by the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

In an attempt to make confession less about sin, many churches during Vatican II shuttered their confessional booths and opened "reconciliation rooms" where the faithful could sit face-to-face with a priest and talk about their sins in the context of self-improvement.

"The church was moving in a direction where priests were supposed to be counselors instead of judges," Groome said. "The problem was that many priests didn't have the counseling or spiritual skills, and people didn't like the openness. They wanted the anonymity that comes behind the grill."

Priests aren't the only ones who dislike the openness. AFAIK, most parishoners are more comfortable confessing behind the anonymity of a screen, simply because they can fess up their worst sins without the priest putting a face to the voice. They're inhibited and intimidated by having to look their confessor in the eye and the screen has a disinhibiting effect.

[goldent]

2. I would like to take anonymity to the next level and "text" my sins

Whadda think?

One thing I like about Catholicism is that we are pretty hardcore when it comes to admitting sin...

I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned greatly
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault.

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom,

[Kingofalldems]

3. I like it.

[meow2u3]

4. I don't know if God would appreciate text speak