A Question on Masturbation

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ChristIsTheWay

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I can’t seem to find an answer to a question I have. The question is this: if a priest were to masturbate, does he go to confession like everyone else or does his vow/promise of celibacy require more than a simple confession? I know, it seems like a dumb question but I am just wondering.
 
firstly, what is a “simple confession”? There is no such thing. Every confession is powerful and by no means simple. In fact, a confession is more powerful than a exorcisim. So my answer is yes, he would have to go to confession.
 
HailMary said:
firstly, what is a “simple confession”? There is no such thing. Every confession is powerful and by no means simple. In fact, a confession is more powerful than a exorcisim. So my answer is yes, he would have to go to confession.
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I mean simple as compared to what a priest would have to do if he actually had sex. Please don’t get hung up on words, thanks.
 
I guess he would go to confession, where no sin is too great to be forgiven, and provided he is repentant, which is a condition of a valid confession anyway.
 
ChristIsTheWay said:
I mean simple as compared to what a priest would have to do if he actually had sex. Please don’t get hung up on words, thanks.
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Any and all sins are expiated in exactly the same way irrespective of the sin and/or the sinner. The sinner confesses his sin(s) to God in the confessional, he expresses his true sorrow for having sinned, he expresses his true intent to amend his life (go and sin no more) and he expresses his intention to make amends because he has offended God. (penance).

There is no such division as “simple” and complex." The PENANCE may be relatively simple or it may be complex. The process of making amends may be relatively simple or may be complex, and the effort to amend his/her life may require simple or complex actions.

It is a powerful indictment of the Post-Vatican II “theology” to see that such questions even arise.
 
No, I think what the poster is asking is…obviously, the bishop often takes more serious internal bureaucratic actions if a priest is found to be having sex or gets married. This poster wants to know if the same thing occurs for masturbation.

No. I don’t think it does. A confession will be enough, he doesn’t have to “re-exchange his vows” or get laicized or have administrative disciplinary action taken or anything like that.
 
ChristIsTheWay said:
I mean simple as compared to what a priest would have to do if he actually had sex. Please don’t get hung up on words, thanks.
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A mortal sin is a mortal sin - death to the soul. The punishment in hell might be different; however, they are both considered mortal sins.
 
Or the priest could read the new Catechism of the Catholic Church where he might find a few handy excuses for determining masturbation isn’t really a sin at all. And maybe even an excuse to continue in that sin.

Nothing says “springtime” like unfettered self-abuse. 👍
 
Struggling said:
No, I think what the poster is asking is…obviously, the bishop often takes more serious internal bureaucratic actions if a priest is found to be having sex or gets married. This poster wants to know if the same thing occurs for masturbation.

No. I don’t think it does. A confession will be enough, he doesn’t have to “re-exchange his vows” or get laicized or have administrative disciplinary action taken or anything like that.
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Thank you. That is what I was asking and you provided an excellent answer.

To everyone else, thanks for trying but I already know that each sin is serious, confession is very important, and so forth.
 
Try asking your creator tonight, OR ANY TIME…HE’S ALWAYS THERE
THIS IS A
TRANS-DIMENSIONAL UP-LINK TO THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE

O CREATOR OF ME, If there is a way of life you most love out of all the ways of life, then guide me to it,let me understand it and act upon it with the greatest of ease.

Show me truth as truth and help towards that and show me falsehood as falsehood and help me to avoid that.

O CREATOR OF ME, WHEN YOU SHOW THE TRUTH LET ME SEE IT AND UNDERSTAND IT, LIKE I KNOW BLACK IS BLACK AND WHITE IS WHITE ,WITHOUT ANY CONFUSION
O Creator protect me from the EVIL around me.
 
The benefits of a chaste life, i.e., not masturbating, far outweigh the temporary relief provided by masturbation. We are all given our crosses to bear and this is an especially difficult one to carry. Reserving the use of sex to marital intercourse has unique rewards. It is easy to fall into a habit and God is our judge, but daily prayer and frequent confession and accepting one’s own weakness will balance the compulsion that we might experience. I think it important that we continue to trust in God’s mercy and make each day new by resisting what may be “natural” and acting in a “supernatural” way by avoiding the thoughts and actions that we know will lead us to sin. I do believe that constant preoccupation with the habit (of masturbating) does more to cause a repetition of the disorder. Better to practice acts of charity and call on God’s assistance.
 
So you can masturbate then go to confession?

How do you confess that? I am serious. When it has to deal with a sexual act I find it hard to discuss with a priest. i find it hard to discuss with anyone.
 
gjp said:
How do you confess that? I am serious. When it has to deal with a sexual act I find it hard to discuss with a priest. i find it hard to discuss with anyone.
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I think everyone finds it hard…but you just do it. (I guess that’s what makes Confession so humbling.) :o
 
In my humble and totally uninformed opinion. I suspect something could be put into the penance (such as informing a superior). I suspect this is not unlike going to confession and telling the priest you raped and killed a woman - bet the penance would include turning yourself into the police.

That said, I noticed under sins that cause excommunication (like trying to assassinate the pope) - a priest who absolves a partner in adultery.
 
chain said:
In my humble and totally uninformed opinion. I suspect something could be put into the penance (such as informing a superior). I suspect this is not unlike going to confession and telling the priest you raped and killed a woman - bet the penance would include turning yourself into the police.

That said, I noticed under sins that cause excommunication (like trying to assassinate the pope) - a priest who absolves a partner in adultery.
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Nope, no penance can ever be given that would force the penitent to reveal the sin to another living human being. Not even murder.
 
gjp said:
So you can masturbate then go to confession?

How do you confess that? I am serious. When it has to deal with a sexual act I find it hard to discuss with a priest. i find it hard to discuss with anyone.
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This is to gip who asks if you can “confess that.”
Definitely it can be confessed and I have no doubt that every priest has heard it many, many times. If one has a serious habit of masturbation it might even diminish one’s responsibility but that is a question of judgment. I think one should confess regularly no matter how often he fails. (By regularly I mean not more often than weekly). A good confession puts one in the state of grace and I am not sure that it is imperative to confess after each and every episode of masturbation, but I am not a priest and am sure many would disagree with my reading. I think one of the reasons that it is such a difficult habit to break involves our own preoccupation, and if we can just get over it by admitting our own guilt and weakness it might be easier to overcome the habit with frequent prayer and good works. Unfortunately many young people give up the practice of their faith when they feel that they can not conquer the habit.
Please consider a regular prayer and do not be overly concerned. Each time we fall, we can get up and that is the wonder of God’s love and mercy. To make a sin mortal does require full consent of the will as well as sufficient reflection and serious matter, therefore it would seem that not every incident of masturbating is a serious (mortal) sin. Further, I don’t think God condemns us to Hell for our own human weakness.
 
ChristIsTheWay said:
I can’t seem to find an answer to a question I have. The question is this: if a priest were to masturbate, does he go to confession like everyone else or does his vow/promise of celibacy require more than a simple confession? I know, it seems like a dumb question but I am just wondering.
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We are all called to chastity 2337-2359 pay special attention to 2349. Just because a priest has made a vow to celibacy doesn’t make his acts against chastity worse than ours.
 
gjp said:
So you can masturbate then go to confession?

How do you confess that? I am serious. When it has to deal with a sexual act I find it hard to discuss with a priest. i find it hard to discuss with anyone.
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It is a hard sin to have to confess over again. But I feel clean afterwards!:dancing:
 
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