Adolescent sin?

[yahoo1225]

Is it a mortal sin for a pre-teen to harbor sexual thoughts and to want to look at porn? I’m not talking about myself. This is a child who’s very close to me, and so told me she did this. This would normally be a mortal sin. If I did it, it would be a mortal sin without a doubt. But IDK, she’s not even a teenager yet.

The Catechism says that adolescence can lessen the guilt of sexual sins, and that is why I am not sure about this. But she is already old enough to make her own decisions and she is fully aware that this is very seriously WRONG stuff. Afterwards, she realized what she did and she is now asking me if it was a mortal sin. It is of course a sin, but is it mortal or venial?

 

[06convert]

You may have answered your own question:

she is fully aware that this is very seriously WRONG stuff.

If she knew this was grave matter and did it anyways. It’s a mortal sin. If she just though it was wrong, but didn’t realize that it was a mortal sin, it’s probably venial. It would not hurt her to go confess it anyways.

But now that she knows, it’s up to her to avoid it.

 

[06convert]

Also, it may be worthwhile to mention to her that she is at a time in her life when she is able to make more and more of her own decisions. Satan is going to use every chance he gets to try and make her make the wrong decision. Remind her to pray often, be mindful of satans attacks and to do her best to do the right thing always.

 

[kage_ar]

Adolescents, children, teens, all are very much able to commit mortal sin. That is why the Church requires all over the age of reason (age 7) to go to Confession.

Take this child to Confession, help them grow in Faith.

 

[puzzleannie]

a pre-teen by definition is not yet an adolescent, and an abnormal interest in pornography could possibly be a sign of abuse, or that she has come under the influence of an adult or older child who is exposing her to this stuff in order to groom her for more overt activity. I think this should be reported to the adult who has charge of this child. I am not talking about normal curiosity and “peeking” and seeking information on sexuality, development etc. esp. if the parents have not done a good job answering her natural questions. I am talking about overt excessive interest in true porn and questions, knowledge or speech that is over the top for her age.

 

[yahoo1225]

Thank you for your answers.

If you look in the Catechism, it says that “affective immaturity” can make this a venial sin. I am asking what “affective immaturity” means…? It’s not like it matters much anymore. I told her it’s a mortal sin anyway. But I’m just wondering.

BTW, there is absolutely no possibility she is abused or anything like that. She just hasn’t had as much supervision as a curious kid her age should have. Porn unfortunately is everywhere these days. Young kids don’t have to be exposed to it by their parents to see it.

 

[kage_ar]

Thank you for your answers.

If you look in the Catechism, it says that “affective immaturity” can make this a venial sin. I am asking what “affective immaturity” means…? It’s not like it matters much anymore. I told her it’s a mortal sin anyway. But I’m just wondering.

.

That is something for her confessor to speak with her about in the confessional. Not for us to decide, for Father to decide.

 

[06convert]

The only thing I can find in the Catechism about “affective immaturity” is the following paragraph dealing specifically with masturbation, not pornography. From what I understand it’s saying that a person may be too emotionally immature to realize the gravely sinful nature of masturbation. I don’t think it applies to pornography, or even to her situation.

2352 By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. “Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action.” “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.”

To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.