confessional

thumb|Confessional at the Toulouse Cathedral thumb|300px|A confessional in Luther Church, Helsinki|Luther Church ([[Helsinki, Finland)]]

A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, stall or room where the priest from some Christian denominations sits to hear the confessions of a penitent's sins. It is the traditional venue for the sacrament in the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but similar structures are also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation. In the Catholic Church, confessions should occur only in a confessional or oratory, except under special circumstances or just reason.