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Amsterdam’s most popular confessional church
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The Church of Our Lady stands out for the presence of more confessionals than anywhere else in Amsterdam.
Since the nineteenth century, many Amsterdam Catholics have found their way to this popular church of confession. In addition to several other factors, the design of the confessionals played an important role. This design served primarily to support churchgoers who were in conflict. It lowered the threshold for confession.
Read on and let yourself be drawn into the story surrounding this internal conflict. Discover the inspiring power of the design of the confessionals on the Keizersgracht.
Why was confession so popular on Keizersgracht?
Why was confession so popular on Keizersgracht?
The main reason was anonymity. Many Amsterdammers preferred to go to confession here on the busy Keizersgracht rather than in their own parish. Following the restoration of religious freedom in the nineteenth century, the clandestine churches disappeared. The Church of Our Lady became Amsterdam’s main public confessional church. To accommodate the large influx of worshippers, the building was fitted with no fewer than eight monumental confessionals. One more was added later.
Wood carvings that illustrate the conflict surrounding the threshold of the confessional.
Confession dilemma:
Should I do it or not?
Internal Conflict
Internal Conflict
The design of every confessional features an angel and a demon; figures that symbolise the inner struggle that precedes confession. Imagine you are a churchgoer and your conscience is troubling you. You are considering silencing your conscience by going to confession. You ask yourself: shall I do it or shall I not? At that moment, you are essentially standing at the ‘threshold of confession’. Immediately, various positive and negative forces begin to push and pull at you.
Shame, fear of failure, moral dilemma, relief
Shame, fear of failure, moral dilemma, relief
These opposing forces act as a brake and sap motivation. An example of this is the fear of failure or the shame of admitting mistakes out loud. This negative force is reflected in the figure of the demon.
The angel figure stands on the positive side of the force field, alongside the motivating forces. The desire to be free from moral distress, the longing for peace of mind, and the thought of receiving the Holy Eucharist with a clear conscience all have a stimulating effect. The knowledge that you will remain anonymous and are simply telling your story also gives you courage.
This inner struggle is vividly depicted on the confessionals. It is precisely this striking design that helps churchgoers to take the step into the confessional.
An inviting design:
An inviting design:
Step over the threshold of the confessional
Step over the threshold of the confessional
The confessional as a place of tranquillity
The confessional is the place where inner turmoil comes to an end and is resolved. The hesitation to confess one’s sins is always present. That is precisely why the design focuses on providing a positive, visual stimulus. It helps to overcome that hesitation.
The images on the confessionals evoke stories that reflect the Church’s core mission: to reconcile people with God. Biblical stories about King David, Mary Magdalene and the Apostle Peter show that a new beginning is within reach.
These well-known stories contain clear life lessons on how to relate to yourself and to God. They invite you to straighten out the winding paths. They show that your change of heart or return is eagerly awaited. When you feel remorse, there is no condemnation, but rather acquittal.
Practical questions
Practical questions
At the same time, the stories and the design of the confessional also address very ordinary, practical questions. How is privacy protected within those wooden walls? Is it safe? Why is speaking out better than bottling things up? And how will I walk out again afterwards?
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