Catholic Church takes its cues from Motel 6

It’s a travesty when the Catholic Church has to literally sell guilt. According to The Washington Post, “the Archdiocese of Washington is ... using ads on buses, subway cars, a Route 301 billboard, 100,000 brochures and radio spots in an effort to get people back to the confessional.” Waning interest in the elemental rite has been attributed to busier weekends, a culture that promotes irresponsible behavior, and people’s inability to even recognize sin these days (hint: it looks like this). The rise in self-help and therapy is also recognized as a factor, and maybe that’s the model confession should follow. If nothing else, the marketing is shrewd. The tagline, “The light is on for you,” may ring a bell. A slightly different version did wonders for Tom Bodett and Motel 6.