CONFESSIONAL. – A movable piece of church furniture in which the sacrament of Penance is administered. I. In their current form, confessionals began to appear in the 16th century; previously, the confessor had only a simple seat or chair, without a fixed placement in the church. The confessional is most often constructed of wood, though sometimes it is made of stone or marble, and in some cases is built into the church walls themselves.
In the overall decoration of the church, confessionals occupy an important place, whether they were created at the same time as the church and share its style, or—more commonly—whether they exhibit other stylistic characteristics. Particularly in the Baroque and Rococo periods, the art of woodworking produced true masterpieces in this ecclesiastical furnishing. Borromini designed the confessionals of S. Carlino alle Quattro Fontane to harmonize with the church’s characteristic architectural lines; in S. Maria Maggiore in Bergamo, Andrea Fantoni, a renowned woodcarver (b. 1659, d. 1734), left a magnificent confessional entirely carved and richly adorned with figures and reliefs. Notable examples also include the confessional in the church of S. Ruffillo in Bologna, adorned with figures of angels and saints and delicate ornamental motifs; that of S. Filippo in Chieri, featuring cherubic heads; and that of the church in Alzano Maggiore, with its tall and fanciful pediment. Among the confessionals set into the side walls of churches, mention should be made of those in the church of Gesù e Maria in Rome, where this arrangement becomes both an architectural and ornamental feature, as groups of sculptures are placed above them.
Also of interest is the placement, above the confessionals in the church of S. Maria Maddalena in Rome, of six allegorical statues personifying the virtues of a good confession. In modern art, notable examples include the confessionals of the church of the Immacolata in Genoa, richly 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. Still in Rome, the modern church of Cristo Re features confessionals clad in rich marbles, set into the walls of the building. – See pl. IX.
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**Canon Law.** – a) In the Latin Church. – The use of the confessional has now entered into canon law, though the obligation varies in gravity depending on whether men, women, or religious are involved.
For men, it is not strictly prescribed, as they may confess in private homes (can. 910 § 2); however, if they confess in a church or oratory, they must do so within the confessional unless there is a reason not to (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, whether established by the Ordinary or adopted at the confessor’s initiative when diocesan regulations are lacking (can. 910 § 2). For example, the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide, in authorizing missionaries to hear women’s confessions outside the confessional in cases of necessity, prescribed that the women present themselves veiled (*Collectanea S. Congregationis de Propaganda Fide*, n. 1424). Moreover, for women the confessional must be in a well-visible, easily accessible location, generally in a church or public/semi-public oratory designated for women (can. 909 § 1). Finally, the confessional must have a small grille to separate the confessor from the penitent without impeding communication.
Habitual violation of these prescriptions is grave, though an exception made even without cause is not, provided no scandal is given. The location does not, however, affect the validity of the confession, except in the case of religious women, for whom a confession is invalid if made (habitually or at the time) outside the place legitimately approved for women’s confessions (AAS, 20 [1927], p. 61).
b) In the Eastern Church. – Among dissident Easterners, the use of the confessional is unknown. They confess in church, usually near the iconostasis and standing. The priest wears a stole, which at the moment of absolution is placed on the head of the kneeling penitent.
Among Eastern Catholics, some (e.g., Byzantine and Byzantine-Greek Catholics) still preserve this custom; at most, they use a chair equipped with a grille on one side. In other communities, however, the use of the confessional is increasingly spreading, especially for women, and there are even synodal provisions mandating it (e.g., for Italo-Albanians, Ruthenians, Syrians, Copts, Maronites, and Melkites). Men may also confess outside the church.
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