I'm not sure, but I think that the priest who hears someone's confession is called the confessor. That seems contrary to what the suffix "or" stands for, like visit(or) is someone who visits and act(or) is someone who acts. So a confess(or) should be someone who confesses. What is your take on this?
You ask an interesting question about the English language. Here is my take on it.
When we think of the use of the suffixes "or" or "ee," as in "lessor" or "lessee" (for someone who leases property and someone who receives a lease) or "donor" (someone who donates something) and "donee" (someone who receives a donation), there is one who gives (giver?) and one who receivers (givee?).
So with the distinction of giving and receiving, the priest as "confessor" does not give a confession to a penitent ("confessee"). But what does the priest give to the penitent? Absolution would be the "thing" that is given and received.
So, perhaps the priest should be more correctly referred to as "Absolver"? But I believe it is in this sense of "absolver" that the priest is referred to as "confessor."
We should not get tripped up on language here (ie, like we "park" on driveways and "drive" on parkways). It does not change the mystery of the sacrament.
Grace and Peace,
Fr. Chris
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