Father Logan (Montgomery Clift) is a Catholic priest, but he finds his faith put to the test when he is accused of the murder of a wealthy member of his parish. The real murderer was Otto (O.E. Hasse), a poor German immigrant desperate for money, and Father Logan knows this because Otto confessed it to him. However, Father Logan is bound by the secrecy of the confessional and cannot share this evidence with the police, even if it means his own life.