James M. O’Toole, "For I Have Sinned: The Rise and Fall of Catholic Confession in America" (Harvard UP, 2025)

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Mar 25, 2025

James M. O’Toole, author of "For I Have Sinned: The Rise and Fall of Catholic Confession in America", explores the intriguing history of Catholic confession from its integral role in American Catholic life to its sharp decline since the 1970s. He discusses how societal changes, the rise of psychology, and shifting attitudes toward the Church have transformed this once-sacred ritual. O’Toole highlights the impact of cultural dynamics, including gender roles, and the challenges of revitalizing this sacrament amidst modern pressures.

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INSIGHT

Confession's Rise

Confession became ingrained in American Catholic life as the church's infrastructure grew.
Frequent confession became common by the early 20th century, marking Catholic identity.

ANECDOTE

Staggering Numbers

A New York priest's diary reveals staggering confession numbers in the early 20th century.
He recorded entries like "only 88" confessions on a "slack day", highlighting high expectations.

INSIGHT

Sin Classification

The Church had an elaborate system for classifying sins, including venial and mortal sins.
This system gave Catholics a framework for moral self-reflection and discussion in confession.

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For generations, American Catholics went faithfully to confession, admitting their sins to a priest and accepting through him God’s forgiveness. The sacrament served as a distinctive marker of Catholic identity, shaping parishioners’ views of their relationship to God, their neighbors, and the wider world. But starting in the 1970s, many abandoned confession altogether. Focusing on the experiences of both laypeople and priests, in For I Have Sinned: The Rise and Fall of Catholic Confession in America (Harvard University Press, 2025) Dr. James M. O’Toole reconstructs the history of confession’s steady rise—and dramatic fall—among American Catholics.

In the early United States, the Catholic Church grew rapidly—and with it, confession’s centrality. Although the sacrament was practiced unevenly for much of the nineteenth century, frequent confession became common by the early twentieth. Both priests and parishioners understood confession as a ritual crucial for the soul, while on a social level, it established Catholic distinctiveness within a largely Protestant country. Today, however, even faithful Catholics seldom confess. The reasons for this change, Dr. O’Toole reveals, include the emergence of psychology and other forms of counseling; the Church’s stance against contraception, which alienated many parishioners; and a growing sense of confession’s inability to confront social problems like structural racism, poverty, and sexism. Meanwhile, increasing recognition of sexual abuse within the Church further undermined trust in clergy as confessors.

Sensitively attuned to the historical importance of confession, For I Have Sinned also suggests that, if the sacrament no longer serves the needs of US Catholics, the Church and its members might find new ways to express their ideals in the twenty-first century.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s episodes on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

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