▁heard ▁the ▁conf ession ) ▁covers ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁person ▁with ▁his ▁Ep it rach el ion ▁( Sto le ) ▁and ▁reads ▁the ▁P ray er ▁of ▁Ab sol ution , ▁asking ▁God ▁to ▁forg ive ▁the ▁trans gression ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁( the ▁specific ▁prayer ▁diff ers ▁between ▁Greek ▁and ▁S lav ic ▁use ). ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁un common ▁for ▁a ▁person ▁to ▁conf ess ▁his ▁s ins ▁to ▁his ▁spiritual ▁guide ▁on ▁a ▁regular ▁basis ▁but ▁only ▁seek ▁out ▁the ▁priest ▁to ▁read ▁the ▁prayer ▁before ▁receiving ▁Holy ▁Comm union . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Church es , ▁cler gy ▁often ▁make ▁their ▁conf ession ▁in ▁the ▁san ctu ary . ▁A ▁bishop , ▁priest , ▁or ▁de acon ▁will ▁conf ess ▁at ▁the ▁Holy ▁Table ▁( Alt ar ) ▁where ▁the ▁G ospel ▁Book ▁and ▁bless ing ▁cross ▁are ▁normally ▁kept . ▁He ▁conf esses ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner ▁as ▁a ▁lay man , ▁except ▁that ▁when ▁a ▁priest ▁he ars ▁a ▁bishop ' s ▁conf ession , ▁the ▁priest ▁kne els . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁different ▁practices ▁regarding ▁how ▁often ▁Orth odox ▁Christians ▁should ▁go ▁to ▁conf ession . ▁Some ▁Patri arch ates ▁advise ▁conf ession ▁before ▁each ▁reception ▁of ▁Holy ▁Comm union , ▁others ▁advise ▁conf ess ing ▁during ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁fast ing ▁periods ▁( Gre at ▁L ent , ▁N ativity ▁Fast , ▁Apost les ' ▁Fast ▁and ▁D orm ition ▁Fast ), ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁many ▁additional ▁variants . ▁Many