Polish priest offers drive-thru confessions to beat virus

A parish priest in western Poland is offering his flock the possibility of Easter confessions from the comfort of their own car as social distancing to fight the coronavirus becomes the new norm.

"We've already done a practice run... I have an appointment with a family of five tomorrow and next week I'm due to hear a parishioner confess every sin from his entire life," Father Adam Pawlowski told AFP.

The priest from the western village of Rogalin plans to park his car in an alley by the church and will roll down his window for the parishioner parked at least 1.5 metres (five feet) away to avoid any potential coronavirus infection.

Every year many Poles attend confession before Easter in the majority Catholic EU member of 38 million people, which has 1,120 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 14 deaths.

The religious authorities have reminded the faithful that confession via telephone or the internet is not valid but says the in-person location does not have to be a church confessional.

Drive-through confessions have appeared the US and online mass and other initiatives are also appearing as people try to live a normal life in the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic.