MyCatholicSource.com - 'Quick Help' Page: How To Have Confession If Medical Issues

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I'm sorry to hear about your medical difficulties. If you contact your parish (or your priest directly) you should be able to work out a way to have Confession in a manner that accommodates your condition and maintains secrecy. I have heard of cases where penitents pass a paper to the priest in the confessional which is immediately destroyed afterwards by the penitent. What exactly may be done in your particular case can be worked out between you and the priest, in accordance with the rules of the Church.

BTW, I am assuming you are not having transportation issues. If you are having transportation issues, you can also contact the parish (or diocese) to see how they can ensure that you are able to receive the Sacrament of Penance. If you are not able to reach your parish by phone, maybe you could ask someone you trust to call on your behalf or see if it is possible to contact your parish electronically (e.g. via a form on their website, via e-mail, etc.)?

Important Note: Be careful about privacy – definitely do NOT transmit any sensitive personal information in any insecure manner (including medical information or information about sins). Note that email, website forms, and even phone calls may NOT be secure, so be careful if you use such methods that you do NOT disclose sensitive information to any party (e.g. private information about you, your medical condition, your sins, etc.). Also, as I'm sure you know, you must NOT confess your sins to anyone other than the authorized priest himself – and this must be IN PERSON.

Be assured that some appropriate way to hear your Confession should be able to be arranged between yourself and a priest, even though you may have medical difficulties. The specifics of how it can be done will need to be worked out with the priest, in accordance with the rules of the Church. In the (hopefully unlikely) event that you have difficulty obtaining assistance from your priest, you might consider calling another parish or contacting the diocese.

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