Do restrictions imposed as a part of penance have limits?

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Luken

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Hello!
Sorry if this is wrong forum, but I really didn’t know how to classify this question.
Today I went to confession, and as a part of the penance, I got interesting restriction - not watching any websites for a week. I mentioned that I’m working as a programmer, so websites related to my work was excluded, but I forgot to ask some other question, that hit me too late and I believe, should be answerable based on some general rules, that I’m not sure of.

Firstly - I love this penance, I really think it is perfect challenge for me. However, is this restriction as absolute as it sounds? I mean, what if my activity on the Internet is charitable, and not related to my work? In fact I have some that kind of activities.
  1. Creating free, open source game. It will be written in not so popular yet programming language, and I hope its code will help other programmers. I love to work on it, precisely because I feel that I’m doing something good.
  2. “Let’s play” series on youtube. I know what do you think - If it was stupid shooter with a lot of blood, I would without hesitation put it on hold. But in fact, this is simulator, and I’m trying to put into it as much quality historical content as possible, and sincerely - I don’t have any profit from it, and I’m doing it only, because I wanted to do something good, something that would be as much teaching as fun. I’m making currently two episodes a week, and well… you know, you need to go to youtube to upload episode (even if it takes only moment). This one is in fact very exhausting to do, and I’m recording it only because I got very positive feedback from subscribers that learn a lot from it.
Both things are pretty much non-profit activity for the good of others, and my conscience and reason would argue that it is justified to do charitable deeds in this case, but limit myself from anything else that would serve only me. This seems reasonable but I have also great respect to what I heard.

Is my reason and conscience on the good path or should I assume the most restrictive interpretation, because in the end, it serves something.

Kind Regards.
 
Would it be possible to ask the priest in question to clarify the penance for you?

From what you wrote it doesn’t sound as though it would hurt anything to stay off of all web sites – even those you mentioned. And one week isn’t really that long. Maybe you could find some other (non computer related) charitable work you could do instead during your week of abstinance from computer web sites.
 
Games and Youtube are hardly necessary forms of charity. If you have been involved with some sin on the internet, I would accept the penance and avoid all unnecessary internet use for a time. If you want to do charity or get recreation, get out of the house and do it the old fashioned way for a while.
 
It sounds like you’re trying hard to find a way to do what you want instead of the penance you were given. If you can’t stay off the Internet for a week without looking for exceptions, then it sounds like you really need the time off.
 
It sounds like you’re trying hard to find a way to do what you want instead of the penance you were given. If you can’t stay off the Internet for a week without looking for exceptions, then it sounds like you really need the time off.
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I was asking more general question about “bending” penance (I know how it sounds), but if you are curious about my specific situation I can describe it better.

I’m living in a small village, I have practically nothing to do, without some help from internet. All my friends lives far away from me. All my colleagues live far away from me. I don’t have here anyone that I would have something to talk about with. I can read the Bible, and I would do this extensively anyway, as even if I would be allowed to upload movie (like two times in this period) or writing open source code - It wouldn’t fill my whole time. And note that, those two things is only like 10% of my normal internet activity, but I would consider it the best one. The point is - I would just like to be able to do something useful in this time.

I would gladly learn something that doesn’t involve computer at all, but to learn like - electronics or something, guess what - I need an Internet 😦 . This is really not about “bending” penance to do something that I like, or something unworthy - it is “bending” to do something good and useful instead of like watching brainlessly TV, without anything else to do. And what with reading catholic press over the Internet during penance? Or this discussion? (I didn’t start the penance yet as firstly I would like to gather knowledge about the situation)

And the last thing - it is not a BIG problem for me to just interpret the penance literally, and do literally nothing for a week. It would be a pain, and extremely boring, and I would achieved nothing but lesson, but I would go through it if I would have to have any doubts. I certainly deserve it. But - I used to do things very literally because of doubts, and I would consider my conscience very meticulous. Sounds paradoxically right? Well. This is actually an effort to go other way. To be a little more driven by conscience (if it will mean greater good). I was just curious if I have any space for it, in that kind of situation. Because in the lack of almost any other activity, I think I would do better reading catholic press over the Internet for a week, without any other activity - for example.

Yet again - this is overall not a big thing, I’m just trying to learn something here to shape my conscience right.

Kind regards!
 
Games and Youtube are hardly necessary forms of charity.
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I agree that it is not necessary. But I would argue that this is definitely a form of charity. And in the case of youtube - I hardly have any fun from it, to the point, that I started to record those movies on fridays - to underline penitential character of this day 😃 . And I’m serious - this is hard to do, not so fun, but other people can learn very much from it, this is only reason I’m doing it, and I feel a little obligated to deliver those timely, but of course penance is more important, and in case of any doubt I can stop it temporarily.

It is easy to say “Do literally what you heard and have clean conscience”, but also I think we should think about those things to have not only fulfilled obligations, but to have properly shaped conscience also. Hence this thread.
 
Luken, the best one to advise you is your priest. In giving penance he’s not trying to make your life absolutely miserable. Work with him to find a suitable penance that will perhaps help you to think but not ruin your life.
 
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