Meaning

verb confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

verb admit (to a wrongdoing)

verb confess to God in the presence of a priest, as in the Catholic faith

originFrom Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“to confess, admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to confess, admit”) (from Old English andettan). Doublet of confiteor. Sense 6 is a calque of 告白 (kokuhaku).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0