Conscience and confession

[jtav]

I wrote something a few weeks back that may have been scandalous, but I determined was not (I did some creative writing for charity). I made what I believed was a good confession in the meantime, though obviously I didn’t confess the piece. This morning, my conscience pricked me that it probably was in fact scandalous. If I had believed it to be scandalous at the time, I wouldn’t have written it.

Since there was no intent to withhold sin, I assume my confession was valid. Do I confess the scandal? If I do confess it, can I receive in the meantime and just mention it when I would next go to confession, or should I treat it as if it had happened after the first confession?

 

[e_c]

Without giving the details, you can’t possibly expect a good answer.

From the way you are describing it, there is not a reasonable chance this was mortal sin and is therefore not obligatory to confess anyway.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I wrote something a few weeks back that may have been scandalous, but I determined was not (I did some creative writing for charity). I made what I believed was a good confession in the meantime, though obviously I didn’t confess the piece. This morning, my conscience pricked me that it probably was in fact scandalous. If I had believed it to be scandalous at the time, I wouldn’t have written it.

Since there was no intent to withhold sin, I assume my confession was valid. Do I confess the scandal? If I do confess it, can I receive in the meantime and just mention it when I would next go to confession, or should I treat it as if it had happened after the first confession?

You can mention it at your next confession.

 

[jtav]

Without giving the details, you can’t possibly expect a good answer.

From the way you are describing it, there is not a reasonable chance this was mortal sin and is therefore not obligatory to confess anyway.

Before I returned to the Church, I was the author of a series with a large number of non-celibate gay characters. My readership was mostly LGBT. I provided the next installment for charity. I assumed I was in the clear because the installment contained no sexual content. But it occurred to me this morning that I was probably still scandalizing the readership because of the gay couples showing up and being well couple-y.

 

[Bookcat]

Discuss with your confessor. Especially as to what to do now about the article.

We are often to *correct *matters if we can (ie withdrawing the publication etc).

 

[jtav]

Discuss with your confessor. Especially as to what to do now about the article.

We are often to *correct *matters if we can (ie withdrawing the publication etc).

Well I took the material and some others down, and posted a note that I was doing so, which is all I can do. It was what to do sacramentally that bothered me.

 

[jtav]

Discuss with your confessor. Especially as to what to do now about the article.

We are often to *correct *matters if we can (ie withdrawing the publication etc).

I’m anxious about going because 1. I just went last week. 2. I’ve been a revert for less than a month and have only met the primary pastor once, again last week and 3. I’m a disabled person who depends on a Protestant to take me to church and all they know is that going to confession means showing up half an hour early,. So my anxiety level has been quite high lately.

 

[e_c]

Before I returned to the Church, I was the author of a series with a large number of non-celibate gay characters. My readership was mostly LGBT. I provided the next installment for charity. I assumed I was in the clear because the installment contained no sexual content. But it occurred to me this morning that I was probably still scandalizing the readership because of the gay couples showing up and being well couple-y.

This does not seem even close to being a matter of grave scandal.

Mention it at your next confession if you like, but don’t make a habit of such things and don’t worry about it in the meantime.