1-900 # Competes With Catholic Confessional

A pay telephone line for French Roman Catholics to
confess their sins drew criticism from bishops on Monday.

"For advice on confessing, press one. To confess, press two. To
listen to some confessions, press three," says a soothing male
voice, welcoming the caller to "Le Fil du Seigneur", or "The Line
of the Lord" service.

"In case of serious or mortal sins -- that is, sins that have cut
you off from Christ our Lord, it is indispensable to confide in a
priest," warns the 0.34 euros a minute service.

The Conference of French Bishops, which groups the country's
Catholic leaders, warned in a statement that the line had "no
approval from the Catholic Church in France."

The site was set up this month at the beginning of the Christian
fasting period of Lent by a group of Catholics working for AABAS,
a small Paris company that provides telephone messaging services,
its creator told AFP.

It does not offer absolution for sins, which only a priest can
provide, said the creator, Camille, who asked for her second name
not be cited because she had received threats about the service.

"The idea is to confess sins which are not capital sins, but
minor sins, directly to God," she said, adding that the line
received about 300 calls in its first week.

Callers do not talk to a person but are offered an "atmosphere of
piety and reflection," where they can listen to prayers, music
and other people's confessions and can opt to record their own.

The bishops said telephone services had a role to play in lending
an ear to the aged, isolated or those with disabilities, but "it
is unacceptable to allow confusion over the notion of
confession," they added.

"For the Catholic faithful, confession has a sacramental meaning
and requires the real presence of a priest."

Camille said part of the money received for the calls goes to
charity. The service costs 0.34 euros (0.46 dollars) a minute
plus a connection charge for mobile phones, though a cheaper non-
charity line costs 0.12 euros.

The line says on its website that it aims to encourage youngsters
to confess at a time when church attendance is "in free-fall."