CONFESSIONALE. — An ecclesiastical 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 location in the church. The confessional is most frequently constructed of wood, though it is sometimes made of stone or marble, and may also be recessed into the interior of the church walls.
As part of the church’s decoration, confessionals occupy an important place, whether, having originated together with it, they partake of its style, or whether, as is more commonly the case, they display other stylistic characteristics. Especially in the Baroque and Rococo periods, the art of woodworking produced true masterpieces in this ecclesiastical furnishing. Borromini must have designed the confessionals of S. Carlino alle Quattro Fontane so that they corresponded to the church’s characteristic architectural lines; in S. Maria Maggiore in Bergamo, Andrea Fantoni, a celebrated woodcarver (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 in the church of S. Ruffillo in Bologna, with figures of angels and saints and graceful ornamental motifs; that of S. Filippo in Chieri, with cherub heads; and that of the church of Alzano Maggiore, with a tall and fanciful crowning feature. Among the confessionals set within the side walls of the church, those in the church of Gesù e Maria in Rome are worth mentioning, where this arrangement becomes both an architectural and an ornamental motif, since groups of sculptures are placed above these confessionals.
Also of interest in the church of S. Maria Maddalena in Rome is the placement above the confessionals of six allegorical statues personifying the attributes of a good confession. In modern art, the confessionals of the church of the Immacolata in Genoa, extremely rich and encrusted 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 deserve mention. Also in Rome, the modern church of Cristo Re has confessionals faced with rich marble and recessed into the building’s walls. — Vedi tav. IX.
CANON LAW. - a) In the Latin Church. - The use of the confessional has by now entered canon law, but the obligation is more or less grave, according as it concerns men, women, or religious women.
For men it is not strictly prescribed, since they may also confess in private homes (can. 910 § 2); however, if they confess in a church or oratory, they should 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 genuine necessity. Even then, certain prudent norms must be observed, either those laid down by the Ordinary or those adopted on the confessor’s initiative when diocesan provisions are lacking (can. 910 § 2). For example: the S. Congregation of Propaganda Fide, authorizing missionaries to hear women’s confessions outside the confessional in cases of necessity, prescribed that they appear veiled (Collect. S. Congr. de Prop. Fide, n. 1424). Moreover, for women the confessional must be situated in a clearly visible and easily accessible place, generally in a church or in a public or semipublic oratory intended for women (can. 909 § 1). Finally, the confessional must have a grille with small openings, so as to separate the confessor from the penitent without preventing them from understanding one another.
The habitual violation of these prescriptions is grave; the same is not true of an exception, even when made without reason, provided that it does not give rise to scandal. The place, in any event, does not affect the validity of the confession, except in the case of religious women, for whom confession is invalid 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 dissident Eastern Christians the use of the confessional is unknown. For the most part, they confess in church near the iconostasis and standing. The priest wears the stole, which at the moment of absolution is placed upon the head of the kneeling penitent.
Among Eastern Catholics, some (e.g., the Byzantine-Russians and Byzantine-Greeks) still retain this practice; at most, they use a chair equipped with a grille on one side; whereas among others the use of the confessional is becoming increasingly widespread, especially for women. Indeed, there are synodal provisions that prescribe it outright (e.g., for the Italo-Albanians, Ruthenians, Syrians, Copts, Maronites, and Melkites). Men may also confess outside the church.