Can you attend confession remotely via the Internet, phon...

The issue of remote confession arose particularly in France during the COVID-19 crisis, when travel was restricted and it was difficult to meet with a priest to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. With the internet, video calls, and apps like WhatsApp, the question of remote confession (via the internet, phone, or video conference) is coming up more and more often. Many of the faithful are therefore wondering whether it is possible to go to confession by phone, Skype, or videoconference; to confess one’s sins online; or even to receive absolution from a priest online. This article provides an overview of this issue.

Can one go to confession by phone or Skype?

No, in the Catholic Church, it is not possible to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation remotely.

Is it possible to go to confession over the phone or via Skype?

Can one go to confession over the phone?

Confession by phone is not recognized by the Catholic Church.

Even if the conversation is genuine and sincere, the penitent’s physical presence before the priest is lacking.

In an interview published by the Vatican’s official newspaper, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza explained, for example, regarding the possibility of confessing over the phone: “The actual presence of the penitent is lacking, and there is no actual transmission of the words of absolution. These are merely electrical vibrations that reproduce human speech.”

Can one go to confession via Skype or videoconferencing?

Similarly, a confession via videoconferencing (Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, etc.) is not valid.

Even if one can see and hear the priest:

• There is no real sacramental presence,
• The rite therefore cannot be performed according to the Church’s sacramental norms,
• Sacramental absolution cannot be granted under these conditions.

Can one go to confession online?

Today, some people may imagine that they can send their sins by email or confess them in a chat room.

But the Catholic Church is clear: confession over the Internet is not possible and cannot, under any circumstances, be a sacrament. This type of communication may possibly constitute a spiritual exchange, spiritual guidance, or pastoral dialogue, but in no case does it constitute the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Why is it not possible to go to confession remotely?

While it is not possible to go to confession remotely—whether by phone or online—the reason is not technical but theological.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is based on three essential elements:

• Contrition (regret for one’s sins),
• Oral confession of sins,
• Absolution granted by the priest.

But above all, it is an embodied liturgical act, that is to say:

• A real encounter,
• A human dialogue,
• A visible sign of God’s mercy.

The only way to go to confession is therefore to meet with a priest. However, confession can take place just as easily in a church as in any other place. Some penitents have reported having confessed to a priest on a train or on the subway; such a confession is perfectly valid, but it is not possible to confess remotely.