MANILA (UCAN): Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, Manila, the Philippines, suggested on May 21 that while observing health protocols during the Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic mobile phones could be used for hearing confessions with the penitent physically present and separated from the priest by a glass partition.
“Find or build a place with a separating clear glass divider—floor to ceiling is better. Sit on the opposite side of the clear glass divider while the penitent is sitting on the other side,” Bishop David said in a message to priests in a Facebook post.
“Use a cellphone with a parish SIM card and give the number to the penitent. Allow them to call you from the other side of the glass and start making their confession,” the bishop added.
Bishop David explained that mobile phones could be used in confession as long as the penitent was physically present
The bishop’s recommendation appeared to go against protocols for religious services issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in 2020 which said: “Priests may not hear confessions via telephone or Zoom teleconferencing, though they may use these methods to offer penitents spiritual counsel,” adding, “While a priest cannot give absolution over the phone, he can use the phone to give a blessing and even guide a person through an Act of Perfect Contrition.”
However, Bishop David explained that mobile phones could be used in confession as long as the penitent was physically present, but he cautioned that they should not be in speaker mode to preserve confidentiality and protect the seal of confession.
“Make sure the seal of confession is not compromised,” the bishop stressed, adding that by observing these recommendations, Canon Law is not violated because the penitent is physically present to confess his sins to a priest, he said.
“As long as the penitent is physically present, even from a safe distance, without a divider, you can hear his or her confession through your phone. This way, you are only using your phones as speakers,” he added.
“The recommendation answers the need for confession during this pandemic. The concern of some regarding the seal of confession being compromised is addressed,” said Vangie Tamaca, a churchgoer from Manila.
