Confessor of the Faith is a title given by some Christian traditions. InRoman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Christians who professed their faith in times of Christian persecution and therefore had to sufferpersecution,exile,torture,mutilation and/orimprisonment, but not directly undergomartyrdom, are calledconfessors (Latin:confessores).[1] Later,popes,bishops,abbots, kings andhermits were also counted among the confessors.
With the spread of Christianity and the decrease in persecution of Christians in the 5th century, this designation was also given to those Christians who lived a holy life, such as the English King Edward the Confessor.[1]
The word confessor is derived from the Latinconfiteri, 'to confess; to profess'. In the early church, it was a title of honour, designating those individuals who had confessed Christ publicly in time of persecution and had been punished with imprisonment,torture, exile, or labour in the mines, remaining faithful until the end of their lives. The title thus distinguished them from the martyrs, who were those that had undergone death for their faith. Among writers, St.Cyprian is the first in whose works it occurs.[2][3]
In theRoman Catholic Church, the title is given tosaints and thebeatified who were notmartyred. Historically, the titleConfessor was given to those who had sufferedpersecution and torture for the faith but not to the point ofmartyrdom. AsChristianity emerged as the dominant religion inEurope by the fifth century, persecutions became rare, and the title was given to male saints who lived a holy life and died in peace. Perhaps the best-known individual associated with the title is theEnglish kingSt. Edward the Confessor. It is possible for confessors to have another title or even two other titles, for example,Bishop and Confessor;Pope and Confessor; or Bishop, Confessor, andDoctor of the Church, among others: St.Jerome is known asPriest, Confessor,Theologian,Historian andDoctor of the Church.[2]
The termconfessor is also used for non-canonised Catholics who died under persecution, not being executed. For example: the Tudor bishop,Cuthbert Tunstall "became one of the eleven confessor-bishops who died prisoners for the Faith."[4]
In theEastern Orthodox Church, the titleConfessor refers to asaint who has witnessed to the faith and suffered for it, but not to the point of death, and thus is distinguished from a martyr. For example,Nikephoros I of Constantinople, who was banished to the monastery of Saint Theodore for his support oficonodules, is revered as a confessor.
A confessor who is also aclergyman may be referred to as ahieroconfessor.[5] A confessor who is also amonastic (monk ornun) may be referred to as avenerable confessor.[6]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Confessor".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
