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NEW YORK - The apologies come in mostly late at night, when people are alone with their thoughts.
"I'm sorry that I turned my back on true love," says one man. "I'm sorry for having an affair with a married man," a woman says.
Others apologize for embezzlement or for lying.
One sad voice says, "I'm sorry I was ever born."
These are the callers to the apology hot line, a college student's effort to offer solace to troubled souls unable or unwilling to unburden their conscience in person.
Calls to the number are transferred to an answering machine that urges callers to "apologize for anything."
"Say you're sorry. The idea is to make yourself feel better."
The hot line offers participants a chance to alleviate their guilt and, to some degree, to own up to their misdeeds. Several art and Internet projects provide similar forums, offering comfort without the risk of confrontation.
Project creators say they are offering a public service, but critics worry that such apologies might be helping people avoid the face-to-face closure.
"You might get something off your chest, but how really honest is that to the person you're trying to apologize to?" asked the Rev. Kevin Irwin, a theology professor at Catholic University of America in Washington.
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