Confession ...

[~Anastasia~]

In my parish one has a choice; confess face to face (which is the norm) or from behind a screen. Is such a choice available to Orthodox Christians?

Would the screen actually make it anonymous?

Of course my "experience" is restricted to Hollywood, which is nearly useless. But I would have thought the priest can still know who they are talking to? (And Hollywood generally shows a see-through grate.)

I have been thinking what it must be like to see confession as a requirement, and to have someone know what you tell them. My life now is fairly tame, though there are attitudes of my heart that I am very grieved by, and I do slip in action as well.

I couldn't have faced the thought of confessing in my worldly life before Christ though. That thought is horrible.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Would the screen actually make it anonymous?

Of course my "experience" is restricted to Hollywood, which is nearly useless. But I would have thought the priest can still know who they are talking to? (And Hollywood generally shows a see-through grate.)

I have been thinking what it must be like to see confession as a requirement, and to have someone know what you tell them. My life now is fairly tame, though there are attitudes of my heart that I am very grieved by, and I do slip in action as well.

I couldn't have faced the thought of confessing in my worldly life before Christ though. That thought is horrible.

I do not think the screen is intended to make it anonymous but it makes the words rather than the body-language the focus.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I do not think the screen is intended to make it anonymous but it makes the words rather than the body-language the focus.

Thank you. That makes sense.

I wonder if completely anonymous confession would even have the same effect on the one confessing.

 

[prodromos]

Are you saying that you describe physical symptoms to a priest by way of confession and receive spiritual advice that results in physical improvement?

Not physical symptoms as such, more like behavioral responses that are symptomatic of particular passions that I might struggle with.
I would elaborate more, but I'm posting from my phone at the moment and it is hard to keep focused with this tiny keyboard and screen.

 

[prodromos]

In my parish one has a choice; confess face to face (which is the norm) or from behind a screen. Is such a choice available to Orthodox Christians?

Not to my knowledge.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I remember a discussion here in GT about sickness and its sources in which it was denied that God gives sicknesses to people. Consider this passage

Then Nathan returned to his house. The LORD struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and it became desperately ill.
2 Samuel 12:15
​

I confess to not recalling the passage at the time but I recalled it today.

 

[Mama Kidogo]

I do not think the screen is intended to make it anonymous but it makes the words rather than the body-language the focus.

I have never experienced a screen. I always thought Catholics employed that like a veil can be used for shame. It is not easy looking someone directly in eyes when you're confessing. I find myself bowing my head which seems quite the same.

 

[Tigger45]

I have never experienced a screen. I always thought Catholics employed that like a veil can be used for shame. It is not easy looking someone directly in eyes when you're confessing. I find myself bowing my head which seems quite the same.

I believe Catholics can have an option, (depending on how the confessional is built) upon entering the confessional they can either kneel before the screen or continue around the curtain to the area where the priest is and typically there is a chair for them to sit in. Also any private area where the two can chat will suffice.

 

[Supreme]

MOD HAT ON

Thread has had a major clean up. Please do not flame others.

MOD HAT OFF

 

[ToBeBlessed]

And Matt 18 - which talks about several things, and I'm debating how much to consider as being context, and why.
5 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

These verses are dealing with how we deal with other Christians. We are called to forgive each other as the Lord forgives us. This is talking about two Christians who are in conflict should deal with each other.

First we go to that brother or sister in private (not gossip or talk to others about it) and show him his fault/sin/indiscretion. This example is fairly clear that it is a doctrinal issue, like your brother or sister has strayed from the Word/faith. You point out their flawed doctrine and try to convince them of the truth.

If the brother or sister will still not listen, then a small group of two or three should talk to them to try to convince them of the error. That the other person is a witness to the situation, not a he said/she said....

Then the next step is the church to try to bring that person back into faith/scripture.

So in my opinion this is not about confessing ones sin, unless it would be to ask for forgiveness from a person/people.

Hope I explained that well. Not awake yet.

 

[katherine2001]

In my parish one has a choice; confess face to face (which is the norm) or from behind a screen. Is such a choice available to Orthodox Christians?

No. You do confession with the priest standing next to you. It is either done in front of the iconostasis before the icon of Christ or in front of a stand which either has an icon of Christ or the Gospels and a cross. That is to remind you of who you are really confessing to (Christ). The priest is there as a witness. He counsels you on how to overcome your passions (sins).

 

[ToBeBlessed]

It seems to me that Jesus spoke of salvation as a journey. Consider what he said about the strait gate and the narrow road that leads to salvation. If there were no journey then would it not be a strait gate that is salvation without any road mentioned? The Lord also speaks of a wide gate and a broad and spacious road that leads to destruction so one's path to hell also seems to be a journey. How do our instant-and-complete-salvation brethren understand the Lord's teaching?

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
Matthew 7:13-14
​

I agree that salvation is a narrow gate, but I do not think that salvation is the journey. I believe that sanctification is the journey for those who pick up their cross.

 

[ToBeBlessed]

I really need to learn to get into the tenses and such in Greek, I am so limited sometimes in figuring out what the Bible actually said. I appreciate the help.

Someone pointed me to this bible study resource a while back and it is wonderful, free and online Study Resources

I hope this is a good resource for you. It has timelines, maps, Greek, Hebrew, dictionaries, commentaries, topical indexes, ect.

 

[stevenfrancis]

A sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments (called “mysteries” in the Eastern Churches) are seven in number: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. (CCC Glossary)

Thank you. This is correct.

To Albion - I'm sorry for the final line of the post you pounced on. This is another example of why I prefer to quote the CCC, Scripture, the Fathers, encyclicals, the Summa, City of God, Chesterton, Lewis etc., as opposed to speaking off the cuff. My own beliefs are those of the Church, and so when I post quotes, I AM quoting my beliefs. The quotes offer the actual heart of my beliefs. My own words confuse and incite. The sentence in my post which ran something to the effect "I'm not sure where you got your definitions, but they are not those of the Church" or some such thing was just blasting from my operating mind, and was without direct research to your question, which should have been answered the way that this post did to avoid both confusion and argument. I live, and I learn.

 

[stevenfrancis]

I believe Catholics can have an option, (depending on how the confessional is built) upon entering the confessional they can either kneel before the screen or continue around the curtain to the area where the priest is and typically there is a chair for them to sit in. Also any private area where the two can chat will suffice.

I can verify this at my parish. However, when I attend confession at the Cathedral, they only have the old fashioned booths that you see in the movies. I confess most often at my parish, and with the same confessor, so that we establish rapport, and it gains the extra character of spiritual direction, as my confessor knows me deeper, and sees my own personal struggles and improvements, and can guide my penance and offer spiritual advice for the future.

But face to face - behind the screen - A regular confessor who knows you, or a priest from another city, parish, etc., who's never met you. They are all valid, so long as they follow the basic form and rubric of the sacrament.

 

[stevenfrancis]

No. You do confession with the priest standing next to you. It is either done in front of the iconostasis before the icon of Christ or in front of a stand which either has an icon of Christ or the Gospels and a cross. That is to remind you of who you are really confessing to (Christ). The priest is there as a witness. He counsels you on how to overcome your passions (sins).

This would be valid as well. The EO acknowledge and practice all the sacraments. The rubrics are little different for some from the CC, but we agree on the sacraments themselves, their necessity, and their efficacy. We are "two lungs of the same body" (Blessed John Paul II).

 

[Albion]

To Albion - I'm sorry for the final line of the post you pounced on...The quotes offer the actual heart of my beliefs. My own words confuse and incite. The sentence in my post which ran something to the effect "I'm not sure where you got your definitions, but they are not those of the Church" or some such thing was just blasting from my operating mind, and was without direct research to your question, which should have been answered the way that this post did to avoid both confusion and argument. I live, and I learn.

I certainly don't think I "pounced on" anything, but thanks for your reply here.

 

[stan1953]

In my parish one has a choice; confess face to face (which is the norm) or from behind a screen. Is such a choice available to Orthodox Christians?

In the RCC it was IN a booth with a screen between you and the priest.
Have no idea if it's still the same, but it is on Blue Bloods.

 

[Rhamiel]

In the RCC it was IN a booth with a screen between you and the priest.
Have no idea if it's still the same, but it is on Blue Bloods.

it really depends on the parish

the church I started going to has the old fashioned booths, but we never use the booths, there is a little room with a kneeler and a sheet hanging up and a kneeler and a crucifix on the wall, you can either kneel behind the sheet or move to the side of it and sit in an arm chair and have confession face to face

 

[MoreCoffee]

In the RCC it was IN a booth with a screen between you and the priest.
Have no idea if it's still the same, but it is on Blue Bloods.

Never take TV and film theology too seriously