Vatican weighs in against confession by phone
December 09, 2020
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CWN Editor's Note: Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, has told L’Osservatore Romano that a confession made over telephone is probably invalid. He explained that the Church requires the physical presence of both priest and penitent. Recognizing the difficulties of hearing confessions during an epidemic, the cardinal said that diocesan bishops might allow priests to give “collective absolution” in hospital wards, provided that the penitents could actually hear the priest say the words of absolution.
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