Information AboutConfessional |
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| sacrament of confession | |
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, France ]] Confessional is a small, enclosed booth used for the Sacrament Of Penance , often called Confession , or Reconciliation . It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church , but is also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation. The priest and confessor sit in separate compartments and speak to each other through a grid or lattice. A crucifix is often hung over the grille. The priest will usually sit in the middle and the penitents will enter the compartments to either side of him. The priest can close off the other compartment by a sliding screen so that only one person will be confessing at a time. Confessions and conversations are usually whispered. Sometimes a confessional will be built into the church walls and have separate doors for each compartment; other confessionals can be free-standing structures where curtains are used to conceal penitents (and even the priest in some confessionals) from the rest of the church. However, after Vatican II , face-to-face confession has been allowed. To accommodate this, many confessionals now comprise just one room. There is a screen and a kneeler to kneel on so the penitent can receive confession anonymously, but there is also a chair that the penitent may sit on and face the priest. In some confessionals, there may also be a chair behind the kneeler so that people can sit but still receive reconciliation annonymously. The screen may be anything from a curtain to a section of wall with a grille inserted in it. Sometimes the penitent may be able to see the priest through the screen, but the priest can never see the penitent. Often placed on the kneeler is a plaque with the Act Of Contrition written on it. There may also be other materials associated with the sacrament, such as a card containing the order of the sacrament, with prayers and other useful information. Many modern confessionals will have two lights outside, which can be controlled by the priest from inside. A green light shows that a priest is in the confessional and he is available for confession, whereas a red light shows that a penitent is in there and parishioners should keep away from it as not to overhear something. If it is necessary to walk by a confessional, it is considered polite to cover one's ear with one's hand, to show respect for the sanctity of the confessional. |