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The Virtue of Penance in the United States, 1955-1975

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The Virtue of Penance in the United States, 1955-1975 THE VIRTUE OF PENANCE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1955-1975 Dissertation Submitted to The College of Arts and Sciences of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Theology By Maria Christina Morrow UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Dayton, Ohio December 2013 THE VIRTUE OF PENANCE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1955-1975 Name: Morrow, Maria Christina APPROVED BY: _______________________________________ Sandra A. Yocum, Ph.D. Committee Chair _______________________________________ William L. Portier, Ph.D. Committee Member Mary Ann Spearin Chair in Catholic Theology _______________________________________ Kelly S. Johnson, Ph.D. Committee Member _______________________________________ Jana M. Bennett, Ph.D. Committee Member _______________________________________ William C. Mattison, III, Ph.D. Committee Member iii ABSTRACT THE VIRTUE OF PENANCE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1955-1975 Name: Morrow, Maria Christina University of Dayton Advisor: Dr. Sandra A. Yocum This dissertation examines the conception of sin and the practice of penance among Catholics in the United States from 1955 to 1975. It begins with a brief historical account of sin and penance in Christian history, indicating the long tradition of performing penitential acts in response to the identification of one’s self as a sinner. The dissertation then considers the Thomistic account of sin and the response of penance, which is understood both as a sacrament (which destroys the sin) and as a virtue (the acts of which constitute the matter of the sacrament but also extend to include non-sacramental acts). This serves to provide a framework for understanding the way Catholics in the United States identified sin and sought to amend for it by use of the sacrament of penance as well as non-sacramental penitential acts of the virtue of penance. The dissertation argues that there was a change in the conception of sin both at popular and academic levels, and that this coincided with the decline of practices of the virtue of penance, including, but not limited to the sacrament of penance. With the change in the concept of sin, American Catholics became less likely to identify their actions in terms of sin or themselves primarily as sinners. Given this change in self-understanding, Catholics perceived the need to do penance in a different light. Both sacramental and non-sacramental penances were criticized for being too routine and unreflective, and there were numerous approaches to counter these perceived problems and to revitalize penitential practices among American Catholics in the 1960s. One particular response was the National Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Pastoral Statement that changed non-sacramental penitential practices in the U.S. in its implementation of Paul VI’s iv Paenitemini. The language of this document reflects the change in academic moral theology toward an emphasis on individual freedom and responsibility and the willing acceptance to live out one’s faith commitment in a more personally authentic way in contrast to personal obedience to routine communal obligations. All of these changes did not produce the desired effect of revitalizing Catholics’ full participation in the sacrament of penance and other penitential practices. The changes made to the sacrament of penance as well as the non- sacramental penitential practices did not strengthen the virtue of penance as described by Thomas, and they did not lead to a revitalization of penance. This dissertation examines the decline in the sacrament in the broad context of the decline in Catholics’ participation in obligatory communal penitential practices and hence adheres to the long tradition in Catholic moral theology, articulated succinctly in Thomas’s Summa Theologiae, that understands penance as a virtue that requires habitual practices that include but are not limited to frequent reception of the sacrament of penance. v Dedicated with love to Jeffrey And in thanks to St. Joseph the Worker vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS One professor of mine was fond of saying that “theology is a team sport.” While the emphasis is no doubt to be on the “team” rather than the “sport,” some of us women students proposed another less-competitive metaphor, namely, that “theology is a quilting bee.” The point of both metaphors is that the work of theology is a communal undertaking, wherein each person seeks to contribute her individual work to a larger project. The various people involved support each other in the process, encouraging constant progress while also challenging each other to ever greater quality in the task, for the benefit of both the individual and the team. I have certainly felt the need of communal support during the writing of my dissertation, and I have benefited greatly from those who have accompanied me along the way. In the realm of academia, I thank first and foremost, my director Sandra A. Yocum, for her attention to my work and encouragement even in the midst of her own busy life, including a long tenure as Chair of Dayton’s Religious Studies Department. Thanks as well to the other members of my committee: William Portier, Kelly Johnson, Jana Bennett, and William C. Mattison, III for their helpful comments as well as challenges to help me improve. Thanks are also due to my wonderful doctoral classmates at the University of Dayton, who did always make it feel as though we were on the same team, even in the midst of disagreement, as well as when our classes ended and dissertation writing began. I also offer a heartfelt thanks to the University of Dayton Graduate School for providing me with the 2012-2013 Dissertation Year Fellowship. This very generous support allowed me the resources to focus my time and attention on finishing this project. vii It was at the New Wine, New Wineskins Symposium in 2007 that I first learned that Thomas Aquinas spoke of penance not just as a sacrament, but as a virtue. Thank you to Melanie Barrett for that fine introduction, and for the many ensuing conversations on this and related topics at NWNW symposiums in the past six years. And thanks to John Inglis of the University of Dayton’s philosophy department for guiding me in my first exploration on the topic of Thomas and penance. The American Catholic Historical Association’s regional meeting at Princeton in 2010 was also a wonderful opportunity to test out some of my early work on conceptions of sin in the U.S. in the 1960s, and accordingly I thank all those present, especially Joseph M. White and Fr. Steven Avella for their positive and insightful comments. At a practical level, I also wish to offer a thank you to several priests who have helped me to keep my academic work related to my life, and in particular to assist me in thinking through the practicalities of the sacrament of penance. Fr. Jim Schimelpfening, S.M. first initiated the challenge of how to integrate my academic work with everything else, and his words have been a constant reminder to me that motherhood and theology, especially under the guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, have the potential to be mutually enriching. Fr. Pablo Gadenz set an example for me of dedication to academic pursuits in the midst of a particular vocation. I owe a great thanks to Fr. Jim Spera not only for his excellent service as a parish pastor and confessor, but also for his seemingly endless knowledge of Church liturgical traditions and historical details from the American Church in the 1960s. It was information which he was always happy to share, along with various liturgical books, such as the interim editions of the Sacramentary and Divine Office and the current Rite of Penance. A parent can never really leave her family behind when doing her academic work, and this is especially the case when that family involves several young children and the parent is the primary childcare provider! My academic work would never have been possible without hours viii of generous (and free!) childcare provided by my friends. I remember and thank particularly Nikki Coffey Tousley, Sue Sack, Mary Lou Guizzo, Suzanne Covine, Cindy and Don Readlinger, and Anna Nuñez, among others. My parents, Robert and Kathryn Feilmeyer have also been kind in assisting me with home and children, particularly in the final stretch of revisions. I am also grateful for the encouragement and support of my in-laws: Cheryl Banks, Daphne Morrow, and Jay Morrow, who purchased for me the computer on which this dissertation was written. It may seem strange to thank the kids that have, in many ways, slowed me down in my work, but nonetheless, I am so thankful for Maia Bernice, Eva Marcella, Patrick Benjamin, and Robert Sebastian for keeping me grounded, unknowingly challenging me to be efficient in my work time, and for stopping by my office, next to their playroom, to remind me that there is more to life beyond the virtue of penance among Catholics in the United States from 1955-1975. Moreover, their enthusiasm toward my project coming to an end has also served as an unintended encouragement! My greatest thanks, however, are reserved for two dads that have made all the difference for seeing this dissertation through to the end. First, thank you to my husband Jeffrey Morrow, whose unending enthusiasm for things both theological and historical are a great model for me. As a conversation partner for all of my work, he has been a great resource, and his willingness to review my writing and charitably correct my mistakes has no doubt contributed to the form of the final project. I thank him also for making sacrifices in his own academic work in order to prioritize mine, while always expressing confidence that I would finish and that it was only a matter of time.
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