From Praiseworthy to Blameworthy: The Sacrament of Confession in Mid-Twentieth Century America

Abstract

Catholics often note the dramatic decline of the sacrament of confession that occurred beginning in the late 1960s. Scholars have suggested numerous contributing factors for the decreased popularity of the sacrament, including the dissatisfaction of the laity. The dissatisfaction of the clergy with the sacrament, however, also appears to have influenced the practice of confession. While priests prior to the 1960s admitted the challenges and difficulties the sacrament presented, they highlighted the enormous benefit of confession when writing or preaching, and this positive language coincided with the popularity of the sacrament. Priests' late-1960s tendency toward reticence on the topic of confession or explicitly negative language concerning the sacrament's many perceived failings coincided with the decline of the sacrament's popularity. This observation indicates the benefit in reexamining the often-proposed argument that the laity's newfound "maturity" at this time period enabled them to act on their dissatisfaction with the sacrament. Rather, priests' criticisms of confession, including discouraging the laity from the regular practice of confession, contributed to the decline.