I know there are screened partitions that the priest in the middle can open and close, but it seems like that wouldn't be enough. Why were they built with 2 sides in the first place? Were THAT many people going to confession that the Church felt it couldn't waste even a few seconds between confessions?
Please let me also know where you got your information for your answer.
2007-04-12 07:52:53 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Absolutely, it was that busy. The nuns drilled it into our heads that monthly confession was risky and weekly confession was a safer bet. You never knew when that bus was coming.
Two sided confessionals enabled people to get settled in and ready while the other penitent was confessiong. It also reduced the clumsy moment when the newly absolved and the next up were negotiating the same doorway. The only thing you had to do was figure out which was the slow queue and which was the quick one, and which one you preferred.
And those kneeler switches that let you know when a box was occupied were an inspired feat of traffic control information.
2007-04-12 08:37:24 · answer #1 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it was to have people line up and go in from each side. The Priest would shut the window on one side and open the other. Back and forth.
Yes, there were many people who would go to confession, back when people knew that there was such a thing as sin. Now everyone just wants to pretend that there is no such thing.
2007-04-12 08:16:42 · answer #2 · answered by Misty 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It gives one person getting ready time to Pray and reflect on their sins before the confession starts.
And it does save some time, please remember that Catholics are supposed to go to confession after a serious sin or once a Month, but have to go at least once a year to be considered Catholic.
So, at times, the Confessional is quite busy.
2007-04-12 08:01:40 · answer #3 · answered by C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let's suppose you want to place it in a corner. If the only one side of the Confessional is the wall side, you couldn't do.
2007-04-12 08:05:01 · answer #4 · answered by M.M.D.C. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some of them have one side as a kneeling side where the priest doesn't know who you are, and the other side is a face to face confessional where you can sit with the priest and talk to him.
I prefer the face to face - God already knows my sins, so hiding them from a priest isn't going to help me any.
2007-04-12 07:59:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
From what I have gathered about traditional architecture it was to seperate male and females. I have read many articles about change over the yrs, but this one is the only one to address gender that I have found. Don't know how correct it is though.
2007-04-12 08:28:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
so you can sit in a little room all by yourself and feel extrordinarily guilty while the priest "fixes" someone else
its just to make you feel really good when you get out, so you think its becase youve been releaved of you sins but actually its becase you finally have oxygen
2007-04-12 08:23:31 · answer #7 · answered by Elizabeth 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply for convenience.
2007-04-12 07:58:51 · answer #8 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋