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A writer writes:
I’m a writer, working on something that incorporates a back and forth between a priest and a congregant in a confession booth. I’m not Catholic, and when I asked a Catholic friend for some help, he was sad to say he couldn’t remember the last time he went to confession. He did, however, give me your name as someone who might be able to shed a little light on the situation. You don’t know me from Adam,
That’s okay. I don’t know most folks from Adam. There are six billion of us, after all.
and I’m sure you’re a busy guy, but if you had a couple of moments to field a couple of questions, it would be most appreciated.
Sure, no prob.
The info I’m looking for is pretty basic. The character in the thing I’m writing hasn’t been to confession since he was a little boy. So he’s pretty rusty when he enters the booth.
Okay, first a bit of general info: They aren’t called "booths." They look like that–or used to, at any rate–but the term you’ll want to use is "confessional." Also, these days they don’t look like booths in most churches. They’re like little rooms, and they’re usually designed in such a way that you can either sit opposite the priest on one side of a screened partition or so that you can go around the other side and make your confession face-to-face if you want.
If your story is set in the past (say, pre-1970) or if you just want a more traditional feel, you can still use the booth set-up. A few parishes still have those.
As a bit of research for your story, I’d suggest visiting a Catholic church and looking at the confessionals. It’ll help give you a better idea how to describe them in the story. Notice the colors and textures and smells (though all of these will, of course, vary from parish to parish). If you need to know the names of things in the room–like the kneeler that may very well be present in front of the screen–ask someone from the church office to explain them.
BTW, try to pay this visit when confessions are not being heard. It’ll inconvenience folksand confuse the priest if you’re there poking in the confessional around while people are waiting in line for confession.
When someone enters a confession booth, who speaks first? And what’s said?
Typically the penitent will begin by making the sign of the cross (i.e., crossing himself) and saying "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." If the penitent stops at "and of the Holy Spirit" then the priest may say the "Amen."
If the penitent doesn’t say the Trinitarian formula, the priest will probably do so as a way of prompting the penitent to start. If the penitent still doesn’t start, the priest may say in a friendly, inviting manner, "Go ahead" or simliar words.
According to the rite (as found in a book called The Rites, volume 1, which goes into all this in great detail), the priest then invites the penitent to trust in God, using one of a number of different invitations.
- May God, who has enlightened every heart, help you to know your sins and trust in his mercy.
- The Lord does not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to him and live. Come before him with trust in his mercy.
- May the Lord Jesus welcome you. He came to call sinners, not the just. Have confidence in him.
- May the grace of the Holy Spirit fill your heart with light, that you may confess your sins with loving trust and come to know that God is merciful.
- May the Lord be in your heart and help you to confess your sins with true sorrow.
- If you have sinned, do not lose heart. We have Jesus Christ to plead for us with the Father; he is the Holy One, the atonement for our sins and for the sins of the whole world.
In practice, the priest doesn’t make this invitation if, as usually happens (so far as I know), the penitent launches into his confession after the sign of the cross is made.
The TV version has the congregant starting first, saying, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." But if the congregant wasn’t sure how things went, might the priest start?
The classic way of beginning is by the penitent saying "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been X amount of time since my last confession." If the penitent doesn’t know how long it’s been, he may simply say "It’s been a long time since my last confession." The priest might ask how long, and the answer "Years" would be acceptable.
Actually–and most folks don’t know this–the mentioning of how long it’s been is not mandatory. The rite only calls for the priest to ask for this if he doesn’t know the penitent.
Is there ever any discussion re: what types of sins might be discussed? For example, if someone hadn’t been to confession in a long time, might the priest suggest he start with sins of the heart, sins of the flesh, sins of the mind, etc.?
Yes, this kind of thing will happen. If the penitent hasn’t made an examination of conscience before going in to confess, the priest will help him do so in the confessional (assuming that there’s time). The typical way this would happen would be for the priest to walk the penitent through the Ten Commandments, asking if he can remember any offenses against the individual commandments. (Be sure to use the Catholic numbering of the Ten Commandments if you go this route. SEE HERE AND SCROLL DOWN.)
The priest may, though, simply ask the penitent what sins are on his mind, and afterwards he may ask if there are any other sins that he is aware of that he needs to confess. (You only need to confess mortal or major sins; not venial or light ones.) The priest may also give the penitent counselling advice, particularly about how to avoid sin in the future.
After the penitent is finished confessing the priest will assign him a penance (typically some prayers, such as an Our Father and a Hail Mary or a decade of the Rosary or something, or he may assign him to read the Scripture readings for that day).
Then the priest invites the penitent to say an act of contrition, in his own words or using a set formula. If the penitent isn’t sure what to do the priest may lead him through a simple act of contrition like:
Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Then the priest extends his hands or his right hand and says the words of absolution:
God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
As he says the Trinitarian formula he makes the sign of the cross with his hand, and when he is done the penitent says "Amen."
Then the priest says something to dismiss the penitent, such as "The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace."
There are a lot of variations on how this all happens. You might want to check out The Rites volume 1 (a local parish will have it) to see some of them. One thing that is not supposed to vary, though, are the words of absolution as I gave them above. The priest has a lot of flexibility elsewhere, but he’s supposed to say the words of absolution verbatim. (Regrettably, not all priests do.)
One thing I’d recommend is that after you write this scene you show it to an actual priest and ask him if what you’ve written rings true. If he spots any major problems, you’ll be able to fix them before turning in your story to–well, wherever it is you’re planning on submitting it.
Good luck!
