Vatican Considering Possibility Of Allowing Priests To Confess Their Sins In The Mirror

Image: Ricardo André Frantz

Pope Francis has established a commission to study whether priests should be allowed to confess their sins to themselves if they’re in front of a mirror or a tinted window, Vatican officials said Thursday.

Although priests can forgive sins, they have never had the authority to forgive their own.

The possible change was signaled by Pope Francis during a meeting with the International Union Of Priests when a priest asked, “Priests are sinners, but they also have the ability to forgive sins. Why can they forgive the sins of everyone including the pope, but not themselves?”

Francis agreed, saying, “Yes, It would be good for the Church to clarify this point.”

The Vatican confirmed Thursday that the commission had been created.

“After intense prayer and mature…reflection…Pope Francis has decided to institute the Commission for the Study of Self-Confession,” it said in the statement.

The Priest’s Self-Forgiveness advocacy group said the creation of the commission was “an important step for the Vatican in recognizing “the man in the mirror.”