ANSWER by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM on June 19, 2004

Dear Rebecca: No, confession by telephone is not permitted. For one thing the telephone is not secure and thus confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Second, the nature of the Sacrament of Confession is a personal one. The lack of human contact that comes from talking through an electrical wires removed that human intimacy. The tradition is to confess behind a veil. This establishes anonymity if the Priest does not already know you, and emphasizes that one is confessing to God and not to a mere man. In the United States, at least, it is also permissible to confess face-to-face with the priest. While this is permitted, I personally do not like that method because it makes confession more like a counseling session than a Sacrament of Confession. But that is me. If the priest offers face-to-face confession, which he is not obligated to do, then the faithful may avail themselves of that choice. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary