Spiritual

THE CONFESSION "Bless Me Father For I have Sinned, was the opening incantation of the penitent. "Ego Te Absolve, In Nomine Patris, Filie, Spiritu, Sancti" was the muffled reply. It came both as an admonition and an inquiry, through the wooden lattice panel, of the confessional. For ease of purpose, The Priest in the middle was able to hear confessions from booths, on both sides. He had but to slide back the wooden shutter, to speak with either of us. Anonymity was hoped for by everyone, but sometimes voices had a way of carrying, in the larger churches with older members whose hearing wasn't very good.