confessore

Confessore is an Italian noun meaning “confessor” in English. It refers to a person who confesses or, in Catholic usage, a priest or bishop authorized to hear sacramental confessions and grant absolution. In contemporary practice, a confessore is typically a clergyman who administers the sacrament of penance, offers spiritual counsel, and ensures the proper reception of absolution within canonical norms.

In hagiography and liturgical contexts, the term also describes a saint who bore witness to the Christian faith without martyrdom. Confessores are honored as holy witnesses for their steadfastness, preaching, or ascetic life and may be commemorated in calendars of saints alongside martyrs and other holy figures. The designation is especially common in Italian-language biographical and liturgical texts.

Etymology: confessore derives from Latin confessōr, from confessus, related to confessio, confession. The English equivalent is confessor. In Italian, the word forms its plural according to standard rules, typically rendered as confessori or confessori, with the exact spelling varying by context and regional usage.

In modern Italian, confessore can also appear in reference to historical orders, religious communities, or titles within hagiographical works. Outside religious contexts, it may function as a surname or a character name in fiction, though its primary sense remains tied to confession, both sacramental and witness-based.