Confessors

Confessor is a title used in some Christian traditions for a person who bears witness to the faith by confession of belief or by enduring persecution. The term derives from Latin confessus, “having confessed,” from the verb confiteri, “to confess, to acknowledge.” In general usage, a confessor is someone who publicly affirms Christian faith under pressure or persecution, without necessarily having died as a martyr.

In Catholic tradition, confessors have two related meanings. Historically, the term designates saints who bore witness to the faith through suffering or confession but were not killed for their faith—a category in hagiography alongside martyrs and virgins. In a more contemporary ecclesial sense, a confessor is a priest authorized to hear the sacrament of penance and to grant absolution after hearing a penitent’s confession; such priests are often simply called “confessors” in the context of parish life or spiritual direction.

The confessor’s role in confession involves listening to sins, offering guidance, assigning penance, and granting absolution in the name of the Church. The practice emphasizes secrecy and discretion. While all priests may hear confessions, not every priest is titled a confessor; the designation is assigned when they are specifically entrusted with the pastoral duty of hearing confessions or when a saint is venerated with the title.

By other Christian traditions, the term is used variably. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and in some Anglican usages, “confessor” may refer to a monk or priest who suffered for the faith or to a saint recognized for confessing the faith, and it carries a largely honorific sense rather than a liturgical function.