Pope Francis Confesses

As my parish’s two communal reconciliations approach, a question arises in connection with the Holy Father’s surprise for his MC. Did you read about it:

(A)s Msgr. Guido Marini was showing which confessional the pope would be using to hear confessions, the pope pointed to another confessional nearby, indicating that he himself was going to first confess. The pope, dressed in a simple white alb and purple stole, spent about three minutes kneeling before the priest’s open confessional and received absolution.

Almost always, I see parish clergy confess at the end of form II. This has been nearly universal in my experience. What about yours?

I don’t think there’s much to read into Pope Francis’ choice. It might not have been seemly for him to cut off his line of penitents and wait in someone else’s queue.