The Reconciliation of a Penitent is, in one sense, an ironic inclusion in a Book of Common Prayer.  Liturgy, by nature is corporate, involving as much of the gathered church as will assemble.  The private confession of sins to a priest, however, is not public worship.  In this light it is no surprise that classical Prayer Books did not include this rite in full text, and only pointed to it in rubrics and exhortation.  However, the fully-printed inclusion of this rite in modern times speaks to another sense of what Common Prayer is.  Not only does “common” refer to what the Church does together, but also to what the Church does in common, yet separately.  Just as many individuals pray the Daily Office without a gathered congregation are nevertheless participating in the greater Prayers of the Church, so too is the use of the Reconciliation of a Penitent a participation in the Church’s liturgical ministry.

The presence of this rite in the Prayer Book itself was first enacted in 1979.  The practice of private confession to a priest, however, has always been authorized in the Prayer Book tradition.  In the Exhortation to Holy Communion (BCP 148) the congregation is invited to come to the priest to “confess your sins, that you may receive godly counsel, direction, and absolution.”  This invitation, in turn, is taken from the third Exhortation in all the classical Prayer Books.  The absolution of sins is also one of the special roles and duties of the priest, as stated in the Ordinal (both classical and modern).

Furthermore, the historic rites for the Visitation of the Sick direct the priest to ask the sick person if “he repents him truly of his sins”, and if his conscience feels troubled he should be moved to make “a special confession of sins”.  The priest’s absolution is provided, the 1662 version reading thus:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offenses: And by his authority committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

Thus the inclusion of a form for the reconciliation of penitents, apart from the context of the visitation of the sick, is entirely within the scope of historic orthodox Anglican practice regardless of party or churchmanship.