Catholic confessional

Yup, there's a script. My knowledge is out of date, but I reckon this is probably a reliable source of current info:

http://www.catholic.org/prayers/confession.php

Depends... do you want now or some past era?

There can be a script. But now, it can also be more informal, at least on the part of the person confessing. The priest's blessing is the same, more or less.

I mean, I sit in a chair and have a face-to-face chat with my priest as my confession. It's not nearly the same feeling as kneeling behind a screen that most folks are familiar with from movies and the like.

Some of the prayers are the same, but there can be very different feelings to confession depending on the parish, the priest, how well the person knows the priest, etc.

True. When I left the church in 1976, the parish I belonged to had just started to experiment with face-to-face confessionals. It wasn't a sit down, face the priest, have a chat sort of thing, though. It was in the vestibule behind the altar with a kneeler for the confessor and a chair for the priest. Between them, however, was a screen similar to the ones in the confessional booths. It didn't have the privacy door; you just went into the vestibule, knelt, and made your confession. It wasn't quite as intimidating as the booths, though, and only one priest was doing this at the time (he was the "hip", "with it", younger priest that many of the girls, and a few of the boys *raises hand*, swooned over).

A minor digression, but . . . I can never see another movie scene involving a Catholic confessional without thinking about the movie In Bruges, with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes.

If you don't want your preconception/fond memory of Catholic confessionals ruined forever, don't see this excellent film.

caw

As I recall, it starts

'Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It is (x weeks/months/years) since my last confession. In that time I have...'

amergina said:

Depends... do you want now or some past era?

There can be a script. But now, it can also be more informal, at least on the part of the person confessing. The priest's blessing is the same, more or less.

I mean, I sit in a chair and have a face-to-face chat with my priest as my confession. It's not nearly the same feeling as kneeling behind a screen that most folks are familiar with from movies and the like.

Some of the prayers are the same, but there can be very different feelings to confession depending on the parish, the priest, how well the person knows the priest, etc.

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Yes, where I live, confession is an informal face-to-face chat too.

This previous thread, should answer a lot of your questions.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209990

The need for confession relies on the seriousness of the sin. This is not as straightforward as one might think.
Also it should be understood that sin is in the will, so if you plan on murdering your neighbor, for example, but never get the chance and our neighbor drops dead of a heart attack, you are still guilty of murder as far as the 'sin' part goes. It would be a "matter for confession".
BTW, taking God's name in vain refers to swearing a false oath, either as a matter of civil or canon law.
Only serious, or what the RCC calls "mortal sins"; those that, through an act of "knowing" will on you part, separate you from the God's grace require confession.
Catholics trot onto the confessional with all sorts of perceived sins, and it's all very cathartic, but few are truly guilty of sins that require confession.
So to wrap up, if your character is headed to the confessional, and if he / she knows what the sacrament is really about, it had better warrant the confession to be accurate for your story to work.

The formula for confession can easily be found on line.

Keep in mind that the priest's absolution is only valid, if the penitent is truly repentant, and if all the factors regarding the sin(s) are revealed. Also, there two types of contrition, one is conditional, I'm afraid to go to hell. One is unconditional contrition, I'm heartbroken and sorry. Both are valid in order to receive absolution and the prayer for contrition must be spoken in the presence of the priest.
Go with God.
C

auriel said:

So a man walks into a confessional... What does the priest typically say? Is there a sort of script you follow? I get that a person confesses their sins; do they name specific things or just "I lied, I said God's name in vain," etc etc.? What does the priest do/say when you're finished?

Any and all info is welcome. I'm pretty clueless here. All I know about this comes from books and TV, and I want to make sure I'm not propagating any stereotypes.

Thanks!

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