Pierre-François Pirlet

Le confesseur du Prince: profil et fonction des confesseurs des gouverneurs-généraux espagnols à Bruxelles de 1598 à 1665

Under the reigns of Felipe III and Felipe IV, Spanish Netherlands were governed by sovereigns then General Governors from Spain. Setting the court accordingly to Madrid’s, these princes used to seek the advice of a personal confessor. The duty of this monk was to administer the sacrament of penance, but furthermore to act as a spiritual director. Nevertheless, the choice of this clergyman was exclusively up to the King of Spain and its counselors. The electing process of the best candidate emerges as very meaningful : the criteria used are drawing the figure of a courtier able to decide in both religious and political fields, and less chosen to be a morale adviser. His election was an institutional act. The purpose of this paper is to consider the patterns and the range of the confessor’s assignments throughout the analysis of a set of primary sources related to his designation process.