Confessor and died in peace. A notable example of this usage is the English king St. Edward the Confessor. During the Diocletianic Persecution, a number of Christians had, under torture or threat of torture, weakened in their profession of the faith. When the persecutions ceased under Constantine the Great, they wanted to be reunited with the Church. It became the practice of the penitents to go to the Confessors, those who had willingly suffered for the faith and survived, to plead their case and effect their restoration to communion. Thus, the word has come to denote any priest who has been
Iste confessor To Him be health, honor and virtue // who always shining on the heavenly throne </poem> Iste confessor Domini sacratus <poem> 1 Iste confessor Domini sacratus, // Festa plebs cuius celebrat per orbem, 2 Qui pius, prudens, humilis, pudicus, // Sobrius, castus fuit, et quietus, 3 Ad sacrum cuius tumulum frequenter, // Membra languentum modo sanitati, 4 Unde nunc noster chorus in honorem // Ipsius, hymnum canit hunc libenter, 5 Sit salus illi, decus, atque virtus, // Qui supra cæli residens cacumen, </poem> This holy confessor of the Lord <poem> 1 This holy confessor of the Lord // the feast