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Lay Confession

1910 New Catholic Dictionary

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Dictionaries
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
• Lay Confession
• Confession, Lay
Encyclopedias
The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Lay confession

A custom prevalent in the Middle Ages of confessing one's sins to a lay person, when danger of death was imminent and no priest could be obtained. Although lay confession was highly commended by theologians of that epoch as an act of humility and of penance, it was not regarded as possessing the sacramental efficacy of confession made to a priest.