Crowdsourcing my fic research

[genarti]

Okay, I have a question for the Catholics and/or historical scholars around these parts! I am working on a fic, and the one scene that's keeping it from being finished is hung up on the fact that I know nothing about what confession would have been like for a nun in France in the 1820s. I don't mean the exact rite -- I can find the Latin, but I

Comments

[avon]

I was going to reply, but it looks like your DW folks have answered.

One thing that was not explicitly mentioned, though I am sure it is in that encyclopedia article, is that confession can be anonymous. While she may have gone to the cure and asked, she could have just as easily waited, probably to later that night, and gone to confession when the priest was hearing confessions.

Also, afterwards, the priest would have assigned a penance, which I have no doubt she would actually do. However, there is a variety of experiences with how sincere the penances are actually carried out. She may have her first experience of completing a penance that she did not sincerely feel.

[genarti]

Oh, thank you for the reminder about anonymity! I did know that, but I'd forgotten. I don't think she'd take that option, but it's good to remember that it's one available.

And also for the good point about sincerely feeling the penance. Hmm.