Confessing old sins?

[MattJB]

Before I was Catholic, I had dabbled a bit in cross-dressing as a girl. I did this because I was sexually aroused by it and had homosexual fantasies which I thought about while dressed up. This was a few years ago, by the way.
I had forgotten about this sin until the other day and was wondering if I should bring it up in confession this Saturday? I’ve been to confession many times and never confessed it. (My first confession was on 4/7/2012 at the conclusion of my RCIA classes.)

I’m really embarrassed about bringing this up to my priest in confession… But if it’s a sin that separates me from God, then I will gladly do so. It’s just not easy to tell another man that you used to get sexually aroused by wearing girl’s panties…

What should I do?

 

[YosefYosep]

Before I was Catholic, I had dabbled a bit in cross-dressing as a girl. I did this because I was sexually aroused by it and had homosexual fantasies which I thought about while dressed up. This was a few years ago, by the way.
I had forgotten about this sin until the other day and was wondering if I should bring it up in confession this Saturday? I’ve been to confession many times and never confessed it. (My first confession was on 4/7/2012 at the conclusion of my RCIA classes.)

I’m really embarrassed about bringing this up to my priest in confession… But if it’s a sin that separates me from God, then I will gladly do so. It’s just not easy to tell another man that you used to get sexually aroused by wearing girl’s panties…

What should I do?

Have you been baptized into the faith yet? If you have been baptized and it was after these homosexual fantasies then those sins should be washed away.

 

[MattJB]

Have you been baptized into the faith yet? If you have been baptized and it was after these homosexual fantasies then those sins should be washed away.

I was baptized as a Baptist when I was 8 years old. I received confirmation and first communion when I was 24. The RCC considered my Baptist baptism valid. So, the baptism was way before this particular sin, but this sin was before being confirmed as a Catholic.
When engaging in this sin, I was no longer a Christian. I had left Christianity for a time before becoming Catholic.

 

[RoseMary131]

Before I was Catholic, I had dabbled a bit in cross-dressing as a girl. I did this because I was sexually aroused by it and had homosexual fantasies which I thought about while dressed up…if I should bring it up in confession this Saturday? I’ve been to confession many times and never confessed it.

I’m really embarrassed about bringing this up to my priest in confession…
What should I do?

Most people are a bit embarrassed at most of their sins. Anytime you feel you should confess something, please don’t let the emotion of embarrassment prevent you from confessing your sins.

You may feel very free of this past experience if you confess on Saturday something like, “For the sin of cross-dressing and homosexual fantasies many years ago before joining the Church, I ask God’s forgiveness.”

Father does not need to hear the details of how you cross-dressed and fantasied, just that you are sorry for your past sins.

May God give you His peace.

 

[1love]

Confess it. It’s time to let go of that old sin.

I was baptized as an infant but didn’t do my first confession until I was an adult. Sometimes I will remember something I did before converting to Catholicism, and I will confess it. It is very freeing.

Don’t worry about embarrassment. Easier said than done, I know, but it is nothing new to the priest. He hears it all and I have heard from priests that when someone confesses a whopper of a sin, the priest feels great joy that this person is released from that sin.

 

[St_Francis]

If a person genuinely forgets or doesn’t know to confess some action(s), they are forgiven anyway.

When we confess, we only have to state the kind and number: I lied a couple of times a day; I robbed a bank twice; I coveted my neighbor’s ox once. If there are circumstances which make the sin worse, they should be briefly explained: I talked my underage brother into helping rob the bank once.

You don’t need to add any details as to why you did it, what the other person did, etc. “Just the facts, ma’am.”

However, it is usually good to confess a forgotten sin, altho **re-**confessing sins can lead to scrupulosity or indicate a lack of faith in the efficacy of the sacrament.

 

[1love]

**re-**confessing sins can lead to scrupulosity or indicate a lack of faith in the efficacy of the sacrament.

That is a good distinction, and whenever I start feeling haunted by old sins that have already been confessed, I often tell my confessor that I am feeling guilt over things that have been absolved. Basically it boils down to doubting God’s mercy, although I didn’t really see it that way until a priest gently pointed it out to me.

 

[Bookcat]

One is* obliged* to confess Forgotten mortal sins.

So if something was forgotten that was a mortal sin (grave matter, the needed knowledge and consent) then it needs to be confessed. Venial sins need not be. And “doubtful mortal sins” are recommend for most to confess (noting they are doubtful).

(now for those who struggle with scruples…they can start to want to confess all sorts of unneeded things and need a regular confessor to guide them).