Confession in RC school.

[CrazyHorse]

I mentioned to DD that her class will be going to confession (in school not the church) this week - it's in the school newsletter. Her response was to become agitated and say she didn't trust Father X.

She's 9yo, so I said if she didn't feel comfortable going to confession in school, I would take her to the church when she wanted to go. A wrote a note to her teacher today, requesting DD choose whether or not she goes to confession. DD come home and told me Mr X said I have to tell you I MUST go to confession tomorrow, but it's alright, I'm going to go, and then hide in the office for a bit and then go back to class.

Surely DC aren't forced to go to confession these days? Less than 50% of the class are Catholic, so it's not as though every child will be going.

Her teacher last year stressed to me she never forces children to go to confession, but it wasn't an issue then, as DD was happy to go.

The bit about DD saying she didn't trust Father X reads worse than it is....the only contact DD has had with him is when he takes mass (very rarely) and during confession at school.

My DS went to. Catholic school....nobody goes to "confession" there unless they are doing Holy Communion. Even then it's just a case of the children writing on a bit of paper anything they feel sorry about....usually a case of "I tease my little sister" etc.
The priest then did a nice communal bonfire to signify that the "sorry" issues were forgiven and gone. Very pagan He talked to the children about how they could make amends etc.

Our priests won't see any children alone either, only talk to them in plain sight of a parent and saY a prayer with them if they want to.

They also call it "reconciliation " here rather than the old fashioned "confession"z

OK, so how should I phrase it? It's not that I don't want DD ever to go to confession. I'm quite happy if she wants to go, in fact I would feel awful if she wasn't allowed to go when she wanted to because I'd written in.

Maybe her idea to hide for a bit is the best one.

I would write a note to Mr X informing him that DD will NOT be going to confession. Surely that won't be a problem if the non catholic children aren't going.