Did I invalidate my confession?

[LP4H]

I’ve been worried sick about this. I do tend to be scrupulous, but I still need to get an outside opinion.

I know that anything that provides deliberately provides sexual excitement is a mortal sin. A few weeks back I fell into something that could provide this kind of excitement, and started doing it (this was not masturbation). I don’t believe I was doing this action to deliberately sexually excite myself, and when I realized this was sinful, I immediately stopped. I actually forgot all about this until Friday, and while I honestly can’t remember my motivations, I decided to confess it.

So, come yesterday, I’m in the confessional, and I’m very nervous and embarrassed by this. I told the priest the nature of the sin, what I did, and I mentioned that it was not masturbation. He knew it was the providing of the sexual excitement I was confessing. However, I omitted a small part of how it went down. What I omitted did not affect the outcome of what I was confessing, but still, I’m worried that I should have just said the whole thing. I’m worried I invalidated the whole confession now.

While I may not have even needed to confess anything in the first place, I’m afraid that even if there was no sin there, there is now, due to this omission. Could I have gotten away with saying “I have provided myself with sexual stimulation” or something along those lines, and been okay? If that’s the case, I believe that point came across. Maybe I’m making too big a deal out of this, maybe I’m worried more about what lead up to the sin or what the sin consisted of, rather than the sin itself.

 

[Liberanosamalo]

Please have mercy on the priest and don’t give him every detail of the mechanics of the action. That’s just my guess.

You confessed the sin. God knows what you were talking about. God knows you’re sorry. If it was so critical to your confession, it would have been at the front of your mind while you were confessing. You’ve been absolved. Don’t do it again.

 

[Mary_Henley]

CATECHISM OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT
PART 2: THE SACRAMENTS
Penance

CONFESSION SHOULD BE ENTIRE

Pastors should teach, first of all, that care must be exercised that confession be complete and entire. All mortal sins must be revealed to the priest. Venial sins, which do not separate us from the grace of God, and into which we frequently fall, although they may be usefully confessed, as the experience of the pious proves, may be omitted without sin, and expiated by a variety of other means. Mortal sins, as we have already said, are all to be confessed, even though they be most secret, or be opposed only to the last two Commandments of the Decalogue. Such secret sins often inflict deeper wounds on the soul than those which are committed openly and publicly.
…Some circumstances are so serious as of themselves to constitute mortal guilt. On no account whatever, therefore, are such circumstances to be omitted. Thus if one man has killed another, he must state whether his victim was a layman or an ecclesiastic. Or, if he has had sinful relations with a woman, he must state whether the female was married or unmarried, a relative or a person consecrated to God by vow. These circumstances change the nature of the sins; so that the first kind of unlawful intercourse is called by theologians simple fornication, the second adultery, the third incest, and the fourth sacrilege… Circumstances such as these are, therefore, to be mentioned; but those which do not considerably aggravate the malice of the sin may be lawfully omitted.

SINS CONCEALED

So important is it that confession be entire that if the penitent confesses only some of his sins and wilfully neglects to accuse himself of others which should be confessed, he not only does not profit by his confession, but involves himself in new guilt. Such an enumeration of sins cannot be called sacramental confession; on the contrary, the penitent must repeat his confession, not omitting to accuse himself of having, under the semblance of confession, profaned the sanctity of the Sacrament.

SINS FORGOTTEN

But should the confession seem defective, either because the penitent forgot some grievous sins, or because, although intent on confessing all his sins, he did not examine the recesses of his conscience with sufficient accuracy, he is not bound to repeat his confession. It will be sufficient, when he recollects the sins which he had forgotten, to confess them to a priest on a future occasion.
It should be noted, however, that we are not to examine our consciences with careless indifference, or to be so negligent in recalling our sins as to seem as if unwilling to remember them. Should this have been the case, the confession must by all means be made over again.

CONFESSION SHOULD BE PLAIN, SIMPLE, SINCERE

In the second place our confession should be plain, simple and undisguised; not artfully made, as is the case with some who seem more intent on defending themselves than on confessing their sins. Our confession should be such as to disclose to the priest a true image of our lives, such as we ourselves know them to be, exhibiting as doubtful that which is doubtful, and, as certain that which is certain. If, then, we neglect to enumerate our sins, or introduce extraneous matter, our confession, it is clear, lacks this quality.

CONFESSION SHOULD BE PRUDENT, MODEST, ROMCATE

Prudence and modesty in explaining matters of confession are also much to be commended, and a superfluity of words is to be carefully avoided. Whatever is necessary to make known the nature of every sin is to be explained romcately and modestly.

CONFESSION SHOULD BE MADE PRIVATELY AND OFTEN

Secrecy as regards confession should be strictly observed, as well by the penitent as by the priest. Hence, no one can, on any account, confess by messenger or letter, because in those cases secrecy would not be possible.
The faithful should be careful above all to cleanse their consciences from sin by frequent confession. When a person is in mortal sin nothing can be more salutary, so precarious is human life, than to have immediate recourse to confession. But even if we could promise ourselves a long life, yet it would be truly disgraceful that we who are so particular in whatever relates to cleanliness of dress or person, were not at least equally careful in preserving the luster of the soul unsullied from the foul stains of sin.*

(C)

 

[LP4H]

The Catechism pretty much clears it up for me there. I explained to the priest in greater detail than I did here, and the small omission did not change the outcome of the sin. Like I said before, I told him it was not masturbation. I believe I’m safe here. Thank God!

However, I will in the future make an attempt to be as complete as possible. I never intentionally leave entire sins unconfessed, but sometimes I’m a bit general. The priest once assured me that if I’m ever too general for him/vague/etc., he would let me know, so there’s is some reassurance there.

Thank you very, very much for the responses, this is sure a load off my mind!

 

[puzzleannie]

I’ve been worried sick about this. I do tend to be scrupulous, but I still need to get an outside opinion.

I know that anything that provides deliberately provides sexual excitement is a mortal sin.lf.

no you do not need an outside opinion, you need only the counsel of your priest in confession.

No not necessarily is your second statement true. There is a matter of degree, culpability, free will etc.

With regard to sins against the 6th and 9th commandment the priest does not need the backstory and he does not need a lot of detail. One word usually suffices to give him enough info. If you are giving paragraphs or several pages of data you are giving way too much info.

If you have problems with scrupulosity please the todays post in AAA on that topic because there is a good link for you.