Step On In

Genuflex, a Venice, Italy, manufacturer of confessional booths, has unveiled its new “state-of-the-art” confessional. The 12 million lire (US$6,250), walnut-finished booth shows whether it is occupied or vacant. It includes black leather seating and soundproofing, and can be equipped with an optional “hygienic filter” between the priest and penitent. But “the real novelties of the confessional,” says Genuflex, are its built-in heating and air-conditioning systems. (Reuters) ...The “real novelty” being the priest’s ability to quickly heat up the booth to warn about perils of hell.