Confession: a Critical Layman’S Perspective

REFLECTIONS Confession: A Critical Layman’s Perspective Vasily Selyuminov The sacrament of confession is but in whether confession is under- strongly encouraged for practicing stood as a gateway to receiving com- Orthodox Christians throughout our munion—a prevalent view in the life in the Church. And yet it is rare Russian tradition—or as a separate that a layperson’s perspective on event in Christian life, as it is often this practice is sought or offered. In regarded in Greek practice. Both ap- the course of my life in the Church I proaches suffer from the consump- have observed three types of confes- tion ethic that pervades the practice sion: formal, controlling and respon- of confession in the contemporary sible. While the first two approaches Church, however. They turn confes- are widespread, the third requires sion into “paying dues,” either for a significant amount of work, immediate access to communion or self-awareness, and mutual respect as a regular contribution required to from both the penitent and the con- remain in good standing. fessor priest. In this article, I outline the characteristics of these differ- Such an attitude is quite foreign to ent types of confession and suggest the essense of the sacrament. The some ways in which we might make very word confession implies a pen- responsible confession the prevail- itent’s sincere sharing of uncomfort- ing norm. able truths. By definition, the sacrament should be driven by one’s Confession Now conscious and voluntary decision to repent. This model of confession, Our approach to the sacrament of wherein the penitent organically confession is the result of numerous develops the desire to repent with- developments and cultural factors, out being “sold” such a desire, has many of them comparatively recent, its biblical source in the parable of and it is therefore likely quite re- the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). In mote from the vision of the ancient the parable, the son’s confession is Church. It also varies significantly driven by a strong desire on his part from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and to return to the father in spite of all even from parish to parish. that has transpired between them. It takes courage to overcome anxiety Broadly, there are two major ap- and shame and to appear before the proaches, which I will call Russian eyes of the father. The father offers and Greek for the sake of simplicity. forgiveness to his son, but this act is The difference lies not in frequency driven by the son’s choices, not vice of confession, as is often supposed, versa. 88 Likewise, confession, a sacrament The line is always there. These are © 2020 The Wheel. of reconciliation with the Church, all the same people who have been May be distributed for cannot begin with the priest. The coming to the same church for years noncommercial use. www.wheeljournal.com willingness to reconcile comes from and sometimes for decades. They go the sinner, and the Church, in God’s through this ritual every Saturday manner, has no other way but to for- or Sunday. Some priests urge peo- give the sinner unconditionally. One ple to come to confession on Satur- might ask, “But what about all of the days and refuse to hear confessions penance practices known as early as on Sundays, save for the sick and the times of Saint Basil?” We must parents with small children. Still remember that those practices were the ritual goes on, week after week, never a condition for forgiveness; month after month, year after year. they were merely restorative spiri- And it mostly consists of a litany of tual exercises routinely associated habitual transgressions, rushed and with certain kinds of transgressions. formal because of the dual pressure of the line and the time. What drives In contrast to this ideal state of it? Why does it keep happening? things, modern confession is fre- Why do so few question its absurdi- quently driven either by institution- ty? The answer is twofold. First, it is al expectations or by a priest. Let me hard to break traditions. People get dive deeper into the two prevalent used to repetitive actions as a coping types of confession I have experi- mechanism and a natural defense enced as a layman or heard of from against life’s uncertainties. Depen- other laypeople. dence on rituals is part of the human neurological structure. Formal Confession There is a second factor driving This is arguably the only form of this familiar ritual, however. The confession known to the majority unbreakable connection of confes- of Orthodox Christians in churches sion and communion has assumed of the Russian tradition. It comes a sacred dimension in the Church’s from a late view of confession as a mind. Severing it is inevitably seen prerequisite to partaking of holy by some as ending a relationship communion. This approach to the with God. Lining up before ev- sacrament is burdensome for both ery Liturgy and providing a priest penitents and the confessor priest. with a 30-second brief of the same Anyone familiar with Russian-tradi- old stuff the priest already knows tion churches knows the long lines is viewed as non-negotiable. From of penitents on Saturday nights and the priests with whom I have spo- Sunday mornings. In a small church ken and from my own experience, served by a single priest, people are people rarely come to such confes- used to seeing the priest leave the sions with actual sins. Sins are the altar as much as he can during the wrongdoings that create a distance service to “serve” the line instead between a person and God. Repen- of offering service to God, especial- tance is the eagerness to overcome ly during Vigil. Sometimes, a priest this distance. During these routine comes out during Liturgy after the confessions, however, people often Lord’s Prayer to hear confessions, complain about life, work, family, essentially interrupting the Liturgy and acquaintances. The “sins” por- for as long as an hour. tion is confined to eating dairy on The Wheel 21/22 | Spring/Summer 2020 89 Wednesday and Friday or watching Orthodox Archdiocese of America Game of Thrones. Yet challenging and of the practice of obedience to this ritual brings fear, uncertainty, Athonite elders across half the world and genuine thoughts of desecration highlight the universal nature of this and blasphemy, as evident from dis- problem. cussion of the draft guidelines of the Russian Orthodox Church for partic- In this kind of confession, unlike the ipation in the sacrament of the Eu- formal one, the relationship between charist as recently as 2015. priest and penitent comes very much into play. Whatever internal This practice ultimately serves to traumas lead people to engage in create a comfortable and unchal- those relationships, at their center is lenging environment of confession. a vast power differential. Just as Sith A formal routine effectively replac- Lord Darth Sidious in the Star Wars es the need to take responsibility for universe lures Anakin Skywalker to one’s own life and to bring it into the Dark Side of the Force by using alignment with the gospel, and es- the latter’s fear of losing his wife, pecially for such difficult challenges the priests who engage in this type as loving one’s neighbor. Oftentimes of “spiritual fatherhood” build an such confession is informed by lists initial relationship on the penitent’s of “sins” whose many versions exist fear, by claiming a unique ability in brochures and on websites. The to contain and control the source of motivation to take part in the sacra- this fear. ment seldom comes from a person’s conscience. A priest rarely says Fear can be brought to the first con- anything except for the absolution fession, but it can also be born in the prayer at the end. The ritual is done moment when a person talks to an and the dues are paid. elder for the first time. It can easily be a fear of hell created by the el- This type of confession is formal der’s sudden revelation that people and boring, but in most cases it is who behave “sinfully” are destined harmless. It fails to deliver the rec- for eternal flames. The reasons can onciliation and the healing of the vary, from a woman wearing pants sacrament of confession established to church to having services accord- by the Church, but it does not cause ing to the “wrong” calendar to being direct spiritual, psychological, so- engaged in sexual intimacy (even cial, or physical harm. within marriage). From the moment of initiation, failure to follow the el- Controlling Confession der’s guidance means certain, inev- itable eternal suffering. Whatever The perceived need for regular con- the transgressions, people in such fession and the perceived inability to relationships of absolute obedience approach the chalice without it have become enslaved by their own fear given birth to another, more harmful and lose all autonomy. practice. While it is easily brought on by the mandatory confession While extreme cases of such elder- specific to the Russian tradition, it ship may not be widespread, the is not confined to it. Anecdotal evi- temptation to abuse one’s position dence from the Arizona monasteries poisons many priests, both monas- under the jurisdiction of the Greek tic and married. A clear sign of this 90 kind of controlling, spiritually abu- non-Orthodox or heretical. This can sive behavior is asking unsolicited happen even if the elder is within the questions and giving unsolicited canonical boundaries of the Church.

Load more