[Mrs. Don-o]

For the most part, sacramental confessions occur in confessionals, but there are obvious exceptions such as jail cells, hospital rooms and combat zones. So no, it doesn't have to be in a confessional booth. But it does have to be an explicitly intentional sacramental confession from beginning to end. Without intent, there is no sacrament.

Sacramental confession and U.S. law have coexisted for 225 years now, and I have never heard of a case where a murderer confessed to a priest face to face but did not repent (which would raise the question: then why did he confess? --- understanding that the priest could refuse absolution unless he surrendered himself to the police.)

There have been novels along these lines, but no actual cases that I know of.

[Arthur McGowan]

Which reminds me:

Ted Kennedy’s receiving a Catholic funeral was defended on the grounds that there was a priest oozing around the compound in the days before he died. I.e., according to canonists, the presence even of such a Mafia priest constitutes some sign of repentance.

If I had been his confessor, I would have made a public repudiation of his public sins—support for abortion and other social evils—a condition of absolution.

Whether there should have been the canonization that Cardinal O’Malley allowed—and clearly reveled in—is a whole ‘nother issue.

[piusv]

You make a good point regarding “how would the priest know who the person was”, but since Vatican II penitents can request absolution face-to-face or not. So, a priest can know who the penitent was.

Up to this point, I hadn’t thought of this specific example and only adds to my beliefs that changing to face-to-face confessions was a mistake.