Confessor

Confessor

The title confessor is used within Christianity in several ways.

Contents

Confessor of the Faith

Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith, but not to the point of death. The term is still used in this way in the East. In Latin Christianity it has come to signify any saint, as well as those who have been declared blessed, who cannot be categorized by another title: martyr, apostle, evangelist, or virgin. As Christianity emerged as the dominant religion in Europe, persecutions became rare, and the title was given to saints who lived a holy life and died in peace. Perhaps the most well known example is the English king St. Edward the Confessor.

Confession of sins

During the Great Persecution, a number of Christians had, under torture or threat of torture, weakened in their profession of the faith. When the persecutions ceased under Constantine the Great, they desired to be reunited with the Church. It became the practice of these penitents to go to the Confessors, those who had willingly suffered for the faith and survived, to plead their case and effect their restoration to communion. Thus, the word has come to denote any priest who has been granted the authority to hear confessions. This type of confessor may also be referred to as a "spiritual father."

In this sense of the term, it is standard practice for a religious community of women, either if enclosed or just very large, to have a priest, to serve as confessor to the community, serving their spiritual needs.

It can also be used as the title of the head of a religious society.

See also

confessor of love

External links



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  • Confessor — • A title of honour to designate of the Faith who had confessed Christ publicly in time of persecution and had been punished with imprisonment, torture, exile, or labour in the mines, remaining faithful in their confession until the end of their… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Confessor — Con*fess or (?; 277), n. [OF. confessor, F. confesseur, fr. L. & LL. confessor.] 1. One who confesses; one who acknowledges a fault, or the truth of a charge, at the risk of suffering; specifically, one who confesses himself a follower of Christ… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • confessor — late O.E., one who avows his religion, especially in the face of danger, but does not suffer martyrdom, from L. confessor, agent noun from confiteri (see CONFESS (Cf. confess)). Meaning one who hears confessions is from mid 14c.; this properly… …   Etymology dictionary

  • confessor — |ô| s. m. 1. Sacerdote que ouve confissões. 2. Aquele que confessa a sua fé, no tempo das perseguições. 3. Mártir.   ‣ Etimologia: latim tardio confessor, oris …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • Confessor — (lat.), 1) Bekenner; 2) in der alten Kirche Ehrenname derer, die ihren Glauben öffentlich vor den heidnischen Tribunalen bekannten, deshalb wohl auch eingekerkert u. gemartert, aber nicht hingerichtet wurden. Sie standen bei den Gläubigen in… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Confessor — (lat., »Bekenner«), Ehrenbenennung für diejenigen Christen, die während der Christenverfolgungen ihren Glauben standhaft bekannt hatten, aber mit dem Leben davongekommen waren …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Confessor — (lat., »Bekenner«); in der alten Kirche Ehrenname für solche Christen, die in Verfolgungen ihren Glauben standhaft bekannt hatten, aber, im Gegensatz zu den Märtyrern, dem Tode entgangen waren …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • confessor — index penitent Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • CONFESSOR — apud Ambrosium, l. 2. ad Imperator. Gratianum, Paulinum, Ep. 28. sub fin. etc. qui martyriô vitam pro Christo, quem palam confessus erat, finiit. Apud alios, qui Christum palam coram fidei hostibus confessus, cruciatus quidem tormentaque varia… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • confessor — ► NOUN 1) a priest who hears confessions. 2) a person who makes a confession …   English terms dictionary

  • confessor — [kən fes′ər] n. 1. a person who confesses 2. a) a Christian who suffered for his or her faith b) R.C.Ch. a male saint who was not a martyr 3. a priest authorized to hear confessions …   English World dictionary

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