Special
The man beHind the screen wants to help you heal
Guest Columnist Father Cody Chatagnier
“Afraid … anxious … scared … I really don’t want to go in there … But I need to go in there … Did I remember everything? Am I ready? How will the priest react when I tell him how long it’s been since my last confession? What if he knows me? What if he looks at me differently outside the confessional?” These are my thoughts and feelings
when I sit outside the confessional waiting to go in to receive God’s mercy. I’ve been going to confession for over 30 years now; and for the past six years, I have been hearing confessions and imparting God’s mercy. I know what it feels like to be on both sides of the screen, and I still get nervous before going into “the box.” I’ve never had a bad experience in confession. I always leave feeling relieved, peaceful, determined, like a weight has been lifted off of my chest. And yet, I’m still nervous before going in. I’m nervous because of the person on the other side of the screen. I’m nervous because I have to be vulnerable with a priest. I’m nervous because I know that I’m about to share my deepest, darkest sins to a human being.
26 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • March 2022
My hope in writing this article is to shed light on the priest on the other side of the screen. Who is he? What is he trying to accomplish? Why is it a good thing that he is a flawed, sinful human being? The beautiful mystery about the priest hearing confessions is that he is in the person of Christ and yet is still himself. Now, here I could dive deep into Sacramental Theology, but honestly, I’d rather focus more on the human side of the priest during the sacrament of reconciliation. So, I’d like to share my thoughts and desires when I hear confessions. When someone walks into the confessional, my first priority is to make whoever is on the other side of the screen as comfortable as
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