CONFESSIONAL. - A church furnishing in which the priest administers the sacrament of Penance. Confessionals in their present form began to appear in the 16th century; previously the confessor had a simple seat or chair, without a fixed place in the church. The confessional is most frequently made of wood, sometimes of stone or marble, and is also recessed into the interior of the church walls.
In the decoration of the church itself, confessionals occupy an important part, whether, having arisen together with it, they share in its style, or whether they present, as is more commonly the case, other stylistic characteristics. Especially in the Baroque and Rococo periods, the art of woodworking has left true masterpieces in this category of church furnishing. Borromini must have designed the confessionals of S. Carlino alle Quattro Fontane so as to correspond to the characteristic architectural lines of the church; in S. Maria Maggiore in Bergamo, Andrea Fantoni, a celebrated carver (b. 1659, d. 1734), left a magnificent example of a confessional entirely carved and richly adorned with figures and reliefs. Also noteworthy are the confessional of the church of S. Ruffillo in Bologna, with figures of angels and saints and graceful ornamental motifs; that of S. Filippo in Chieri with heads of putti; and that of the church of Alzano Maggiore with a tall and bizarre finial. Among the confessionals set within the side walls of the church, mention should be made of those of the church of Gesù e Maria in Rome, where this arrangement becomes an architectural and ornamental motif at once, inasmuch as groups of sculptures are placed above these confessionals.
Also interesting in the church of S. Maria Maddalena in Rome is the placement above the confessionals of six allegorical statues personifying the attributes of good confession. In modern art, mention should be made of the confessionals of the church of the Immacolata in Genoa, very rich and inlaid with mother-of-pearl; those of the church of S. Maria delle Grazie in Carrara, inlaid with polychrome marbles; and those of the church of the Addolorata in Rome. Also in Rome, the modern church of Cristo Re has confessionals faced with rich marbles, recessed into the walls of the building. - See plate IX.
Bibliography4 works
Vincenzo Golzio
CANON LAW
a) In the Latin Church. - The use of the confessional has by now entered into canon law, but the obligation is more or less grave, depending on whether men, women or religious women are involved.
For men it is not strictly prescribed, since they can also confess in private houses (can. 910 § 2); however, if they confess in church and in oratories, they must not do so outside the confessional without a reason (AAS, 12 [1920], p. 576). For women, on the other hand, it is gravely prescribed, except in cases of illness or true necessity. Even then certain prudential norms must be observed, either laid down by the Ordinary or adopted on the initiative of the confessor, when diocesan provisions are lacking (can. 910 § 2). For example: the S. Congregation of Propaganda Fide, in authorizing missionaries to confess women, in case of necessity, outside the confessional, prescribed that they present themselves veiled (Collect. S. Congr. de Prop. Fide, n. 1424). For women, moreover, the confessional must be located in a clearly visible place, of easy access, generally in a church or in a public or semi-public oratory intended for women (can. 909 § 1). Finally the confessional must have a grille with small holes, so as to separate the confessor from the penitent, without preventing them from understanding each other.
The habitual violation of these prescriptions is grave, but not so an exception, even made without reason, provided however that no scandal is given. In any case the place does not affect the validity of the confession, except for religious women, for whom the confession is not valid if made (either habitually or ad actum) outside the place legitimately approved for the confessions of women (AAS, 20 [1927], p. 61).
b) In the Eastern Church. - Among the dissident Easterners the use of the confessional is unknown. They confess in church mostly near the iconostasis and standing. The priest wears the stole, which at the moment of absolution is imposed on the head of the kneeling penitent.
Among Catholic Easterners, some (e.g., the Byzantine-Russians and Byzantine-Greeks) still preserve this custom; at most they use a chair fitted, on one side, with a grille; while among others the use of the confessional is spreading more and more, especially for women; there are even synodal provisions that positively prescribe it (e.g., for the Italo-Albanians, Ruthenians, Syrians, Copts, Maronites and Melkites). Men may also confess outside the church.