"My seminary professor friend, mentioned above, wondered if we cannot therefore see the chaos and crisis in the Church of the past sixty years as directly related to the loss, caused by all of the liturgical abuses, of the sanctifying grace that the sacraments bring. This is a profound insight and something that is greatly overlooked. If we really believe what we say we believe about the necessity and importance of the sacraments in the entire economy of salvation, then the loss of the graces associated with those sacraments cannot be without real effects in the life of the Church."
If seminary professors are actually wondering whether the loss of sanctifying grace is the source of the chaos, rather than being certain that it is the cause, shows why priests continue to be so poorly formed. The Council was silent on the Sacraments (not silent on the liturgy, but silent on matters of how Sacraments work to achieve the goal of salvation of souls). The “hermeneutic of continuity” folks saw this as meaning that Trent’s proclamations are still in effect. But, the “real Vatican II,” the one that sees the Church as having been re-founded in 1962, saw this as a green light to push a completely new sacramental theology, that was based more on feelings than truth. I guarantee that clergy formed in this nonsense will laugh at any attempt to impose some objective standard on sacramental Rites. Some, hopefully, will realize the error of their ways.
It isn't because of "liturgical abuses," it's because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was abrogated entirely and a Protestant meal service replaced it, which imparts no grace.
If a priest gave a confession in a Bordello it wouldn't be invalid but it also wouldn't be appropriate. We can't reduce the sacraments to a minimalist formulation. God must be honored.