Tolkien's masterpiece The Fellowship of the Ring has a scene in it that is strikingly similar to the Catholic Sacrament of Confession. Coincidence?
In this penitential season of Lent, making a good confession is probably on your mind. You may have heard the recommendation on this or that podcast/blog that Tolkien is a good read for the Lenten season. Ever wonder why?
You probably know that J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Catholic of the Traditional persuasion. (Point of clarification: we're talking about J.R.R Tolkien, not J.R.R.R.R. Tolkien, who's an entirely different guy.)
His master works The Silmarillion and the better known The Lord of the Rings. You'll find a great deal of Catholic symbolism all through these books. Even those who haven't read The Fellowship of the Ring are likely to have seen the movie. Near the end, Boromir falls to temptation and attempts to seize the Ring from Frodo. He fails, and shortly thereafter he is mortally wounded as he fights to protect Frodo and his companions. Aragorn (a character Tolkien uses as one of the Christ-like figures) returns to the battlefield and the following scene between Aragorn and the dying Boromir has many elements that you'll find familiar from the Sacrament of Confession.
Boromir’s dying statement to Aragorn bears a strong resemblance to Catholic confession in that it represents a moment of profound humility, self-awareness, and repentance. In his final moments, Boromir acknowledges his failings—his lapse in judgment and the corrupting influence of the Ring—much like a penitent lays bare their sins in the confessional booth. This admission serves as an act of contrition, where he takes responsibility for his actions and implicitly seeks forgiveness, echoing the Catholic liturgy’s emphasis on confession as a pathway to spiritual reconciliation.
Moreover, just as the sacrament of confession offers a chance to unburden the soul and seek absolution, Boromir’s heartfelt admission becomes a transformative release from the guilt that had weighed him down. In both cases, the act of confessing our sins is not merely about recounting misdeeds, but about embracing the truth of our vulnerabilities to pave the way for redemption and healing. Thus, Boromir’s final words serve as a literary mirror to the cathartic process of Catholic confession, where acknowledgment of sin is the first step toward salvation.