Catholic Legion of Decency

The Catholic Legion of Decency was a moral guidelines organization established by the Catholic Church in 1933 to promote appropriate entertainment choices among Catholics. It assessed films, assigning ratings such as "L" for suitable or "O" for morally offensive, helping Catholics decide which movies aligned with Church teachings. Although it influenced film ratings and public morality debates, it functioned as a voluntary system rather than official Church doctrine. Over time, its strict influence waned, but it played a significant role in shaping moral standards and censorship in mid-20th-century American cinema.