A sin even a priest has never heard of?

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:confused::(I won’t go into the details, but years ago a twelve-year-old hated going to church. When it came time to go up for Communion, she took the Host on her tongue, but on the way back to her seat rolled her eyes and bit hard on the Host, thinking of how she was hurting Jesus physically, in addition to His suffering on the Cross. Years have passed, and now she is a very devout Catholic. She has told me of this, something I never knew about her, and it’s a long story of how she eventually came around….But now, she has told me, she is horrified that she ever could have done such a thing. She has never confessed it because she feels any priest could never have heard of such a thing. We all know that everyone always says there is nothing a priest hasn’t heard….but even I’m not too sure about this. I’ve told her maybe since it is in her past, and it has been years since she’s felt that way, she is already forgiven. Even I wonder, however, if her desecration of the Host those many years ago may be just so unthinkable that God could never forgive it. I don’t know what to tell her, because I’m uncertain myself, so I just thought I would ask on here. I was horrified, though the fact that she now deeply loves Jesus and has long since grown in her faith, I feel she may already be forgiven for what she’s done.
My question is, should she confess this, or just let it go? She’s already told Jesus in prayer that she is deeply horrified and resentful and sorry for what she did.
Thanks for any enlightenment. I can’t imagine any priest has heard something like this.
 
I am not a Priest, but I would imagine that most Priests have heard at least a variant of this behavior. Children get stupid ideas in their mind. It is part of growing up. Almost everyone goes through a period of rebellion as part of the maturation process. Tell your friend to go to confession in another town if she doesn’t want to confess locally.
 
I can’t imagine any priest has heard something like this.
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You aren’t serious, are you? I cannot imagine a priest who has not heard something like this.

Many/most people are angry at God at one time or another. Biting the host is not a sin. Being angry at God for having to spend an hour in church on Sunday is an act of immaturity, not a mortal sin. However, if something bothers us, we can always mention it in confession and/or ask the priest his opinion.
 
She didn’t desecrate the host. It is not a sin to chew the host, and it doesn’t hurt Jesus. She was just being a grumpy 12 year old. If it bothers her, she can mention it in confession, but I’m sure the priest will not be upset, he’s likely heard it before.
 
JimG said:
She didn’t desecrate the host. It is not a sin to chew the host, and it doesn’t hurt Jesus.
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This!

Jesus can’t be harmed by the way we treat the Eucharist.

She might confess – if she wishes – that as a child, she treated the Eucharist in an irreverent manner… but even if she did confess it, she wouldn’t be confessing something that a priest has never heard. 😉
 
Salutations,
Since she has not forgotten this or found peace about it, I think confession will bring her peace. Why was she angry at that time?
The priest will rejoice w her on her mature growth in her faith.
Epesians3:14-21
The only sin not forgivable, is a sin against the Holy Spirit and if you are worried about it, you haven’t committed it.
In Christ’s love
Tweedlealice
 
There are only so many different sins. I’d imagine that any non-rookie priest has heard them all.

ICXC NIKA
 
Why on earth do so many people think their sins are innovative and special?
 
Crown_of_Stars said:
:confused::(I won’t go into the details, but years ago a twelve-year-old hated going to church. When it came time to go up for Communion, she took the Host on her tongue, but on the way back to her seat rolled her eyes and bit hard on the Host, thinking of how she was hurting Jesus physically, in addition to His suffering on the Cross. Years have passed, and now she is a very devout Catholic. She has told me of this, something I never knew about her, and it’s a long story of how she eventually came around….But now, she has told me, she is horrified that she ever could have done such a thing. She has never confessed it because she feels any priest could never have heard of such a thing. We all know that everyone always says there is nothing a priest hasn’t heard….but even I’m not too sure about this. I’ve told her maybe since it is in her past, and it has been years since she’s felt that way, she is already forgiven. Even I wonder, however, if her desecration of the Host those many years ago may be just so unthinkable that God could never forgive it. I don’t know what to tell her, because I’m uncertain myself, so I just thought I would ask on here. I was horrified, though the fact that she now deeply loves Jesus and has long since grown in her faith, I feel she may already be forgiven for what she’s done.
My question is, should she confess this, or just let it go? She’s already told Jesus in prayer that she is deeply horrified and resentful and sorry for what she did.
Thanks for any enlightenment. I can’t imagine any priest has heard something like this.
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Priests visit prison. They have heard it all.
 
Obviously, I’m not a priest, but seven of my uncles are. While none of them would ever break the seal of the confessional, I know there is nothing they haven’t heard before, in some variation. She should confess it, and also tell the priest how repentant she is. And always treat the precious Body of Christ with the greatest reverence, which I assume she does now.

This is just advice from a lay person. As I said, I am not a priest. Although “Lily” is not my real name, I am a woman.
 
Gorgias said:
This!

Jesus can’t be harmed by the way we treat the Eucharist.

She might confess – if she wishes – that as a child, she treated the Eucharist in an irreverent manner… but even if she did confess it, she wouldn’t be confessing something that a priest has never heard. 😉
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YES.
I think this whole chewing/biting thing came about because pious sisters and nuns back in the day taught people when they were young not to chew the host to somehow bolster the belief in the Real Presence in children. And some people have carried it through to adulthood because few people really study theology later in life. All they know is "Sister Mary so and so told me/…and it becomes the only way for people to think about things.

Does it matter that a priest “may have not heard this exact story”.
No.
And anyway, he has.
peace
 
Crown_of_Stars said:
:confused::(I won’t go into the details, but years ago a twelve-year-old hated going to church. When it came time to go up for Communion, she took the Host on her tongue, but on the way back to her seat rolled her eyes and bit hard on the Host, thinking of how she was hurting Jesus physically, in addition to His suffering on the Cross. Years have passed, and now she is a very devout Catholic. She has told me of this, something I never knew about her, and it’s a long story of how she eventually came around….But now, she has told me, she is horrified that she ever could have done such a thing. She has never confessed it because she feels any priest could never have heard of such a thing. We all know that everyone always says there is nothing a priest hasn’t heard….but even I’m not too sure about this. I’ve told her maybe since it is in her past, and it has been years since she’s felt that way, she is already forgiven. Even I wonder, however, if her desecration of the Host those many years ago may be just so unthinkable that God could never forgive it. I don’t know what to tell her, because I’m uncertain myself, so I just thought I would ask on here. I was horrified, though the fact that she now deeply loves Jesus and has long since grown in her faith, I feel she may already be forgiven for what she’s done.
My question is, should she confess this, or just let it go? She’s already told Jesus in prayer that she is deeply horrified and resentful and sorry for what she did.
Thanks for any enlightenment. I can’t imagine any priest has heard something like this.
Click to expand...
She should go to Confession and talk to a priest ASAP because she will be bothered with this the rest of her life if she doesn’t. Father can help her understand and most important give her Absolution and wipe her slate clean so to speak. She will have such JOY and peace knowing she can finally put it behind her and go on joyfully in her beautiful faith. God Bless, Memaw
 
If this is laying heavy on your friends heart, she should confess it, and for her to still remember it and be concerned means she definately should make peace with herself and God.

I remembered a sin from long ago too. It was bothering me and I am a bit scrupulous, and I wil leave out details which caused me great anxiety and remorse.

I was a mess about it until I went to confession. Don’t let this happen to your friend-tell her to go.
 
Tell her to confess it and then be at peace. It is the evil one who is agitating her with all this worry about the priest never hearing of a like incident.
 
Let’s assume for a moment that there is such a thing as a sin that no priest has never heard of. The problem with this, then, would be that the priest could not be expected to deal with a sin he’s never heard of. The problem with that assumption is that it seems to regard his training as being one of cramming in a bunch of objective facts to match all the possible situations he might face. And yet, his training in the seminary would be nothing like this, nor would training for any job. Rather, it’s about building a discipline of synthesizing responses for various situations. Realize that the first time a priest walks into a confessional to hear confessions, there aren’t any sins he’s ever heard or dealt with in that exact context (practicum classes notwithstanding). The goal of seminary formation is not to give him a list of instant responses, but to help him learn to think through these things. So even if the priest has never heard of someone having done something, surely his training would help him prudently discern how to respond. And worst case scenario, he can simply assign penance and give absolution.

-ACEGC
 
Even if a priest hasn’t heard it before, it won’t bother him, because that is part of the power that Christ has given him in confession as his call demands of him. He has heard much worse, so you need not worry about him.

This would not be brought up if it didn’t bother the person’s conscience. She is somewhat concerned about it. There will be no final peace with this until it is revealed to Christ in the confessional. Then the devil will no longer be able to use it as a wedge between her and Jesus. Just tell the priest about it and then she will cry for joy that the thorn is out.
 
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