confessional, in Roman Catholic churches, box cabinet or stall in which the priest sits to hear the confessions of penitents. The confessional is usually a wooden structure with a compartment (entered through a door or curtain) in which the priest sits and, on one or both sides, another compartment or compartments for penitents. The latter compartment is separated from the priest’s by a partition with a latticed opening for the penitent to speak through and contains a step on which to kneel. By this arrangement the priest is hidden; the penitent may or may not be visible to others. Confessionals often form part of the architectural scheme of the church, but they may be movable pieces of furniture.
In its present form the confessional dates no farther back than the 16th century. Before that time, the priest normally administered the sacrament in its private form while seated on a chair in some part of the church, and the penitent stood or sat beside him and knelt for absolution. St. Charles Borromeo first ordered the use of a metal grill between priest and penitent in Milan in 1565. Some modern churches provide a room where priest and penitent may be face-to-face for the sacrament of reconciliation.