Was the Sacrament of Confession allowed to be performed over the phone during COVID?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Orthodox Church, the Holy Mystery of Repentance and Confession requires the physical presence of both the penitent and the priest (confession father). Consequently, the formal completion of the Sacrament—specifically the laying on of hands by the priest over the penitent’s head while reciting the liturgical Prayers of Absolution—was not authorized to be conducted over the phone or via digital communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nature of the Sacrament

Orthodox sacramental theology is fundamentally incarnational and physical:

1. Physical Presence and Laying on of Hands: The Sacrament of Confession is not merely a conversation or a therapeutic session; it is an ecclesiastical, sacramental act. The priest acts as a witness before Christ and exercises the authority given by Christ to the Apostles (John 20:23). The ritual requires the physical laying on of the cross and hand upon the head of the penitent for the prayer of absolution. This cannot be transferred across telecommunication lines.
2. Confidentiality and Sanctity: Canonical and practical reasons also prohibit remote confession. Electronic lines, whether cellular or digital, are susceptible to recording, tapping, or interception, which violates the inviolable seal of confession.

Pastoral Measures During the Pandemic

While the Sacrament itself could not be administered remotely, the Church provided pastoral accommodations during severe lockdowns:

• Spiritual Counseling and Guidance: Penitents were encouraged to call their father of confession for spiritual guidance, pastoral care, and to discuss their struggles. However, priests were instructed to clarify that such conversations constituted spiritual counseling (spiritual fatherhood), not the completion of the Holy Mystery.
• Personal Repentance: Believers were urged to practice daily repentance before God in their personal prayers (using the Agpeya and personal prayers of contrition) while awaiting the opportunity for sacramental absolution.
• Socially Distanced Confessions: When restrictions began to ease or in individual urgent cases, priests arranged in-person confessions with safety measures (such as wearing masks, sitting outdoors, or maintaining physical distance in large church spaces) so that the prayer of absolution and the laying on of hands could still be performed canonically in person before the individual partook of the Holy Eucharist.