Do we have to confess viewing Pornography before we take Communion?

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Paul_theApostle

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Do we have to confess viewing porn (pictures not videos) before we take Communion?
 
Ask your priest next time in confession. You’ll get nothing but contradictory answers here based on different people’s experiences assumptions.
 
Depends on how you define pornography.
scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2354.htm

2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.
 
Ask your priest next time in confession. You’ll get nothing but contradictory answers here based on different people’s experiences assumptions.
Read the above posted quote from the Catechism. It defines pornography and states it is a grave offense.
 
Ask your priest next time in confession.
Any priest in confession who does not know this from the current Catechism is a priest in error.
scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2354.htm

2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.
That is all the OP needs to know. It is not
contradictory answers here based on different people’s experiences assumptions.
but the definitive teaching on this.
 
Do we have to confess viewing porn (pictures not videos) before we take Communion?
It depends why you are viewing it. If it is something that you accidentally saw because you type in the wrong web address, or you’re a cop viewing evidence, then the answer is obviously no. If you are viewing it for arousal, it’s a different story.
 
If the viewing is only incidental, I’d say no. By incidental I mean, for instance, you’re looking for a legitimate website but accidentally stumble on a porn site because you misspelled the URL. Even though you “saw” porn, if you immediately shut the page down or linked away from the site, then I’d say no, you did not sin mortally. No intent. Even if you pause for a moment and think “holy smokes that’s gross” but move on, I think you’re safe.

There may also be a case to make for legitimate research. You may for instance work in IT security, and porn sites are known vectors for Internet fraud, or other malevolent intentions. Or you may be part of a police investigating unit that is investigating Internet fraud or child pornography.

The first example is probably fairly frequent, the Internet being what it is. The latter examples, probably quite rare and confined to specialists so wouldn’t apply to most situations.

Of course there is the definition of “pornography” to consider. The CCC quote above is the Church’s definition of pornography, basically the depiction of sex acts, real or simulated. Tasteful nude photography, or artwork, that is not intended to arouse, isn’t pornography (otherwise the Sistine Chapel would be porn!). If it does arouse the viewer, then the viewer is guilty of the sin of lust, not viewing pornography, IMHO.
 
It depends why you are viewing it. If it is something that you accidentally saw because you type in the wrong web address, or you’re a cop viewing evidence, then the answer is obviously no. If you are viewing it for arousal, it’s a different story.
Well yes, of course. Those would be exceptions to the usual reason (non-justifiability) of viewing it. In the first case, it would not qualify as deliberate consent (a condition for sin), being that it would be accident. In the second, it would not contain the element of purpose of arousal.

I don’t know if there are still viruses around that involve involuntary pop-up erotic images. (I once encountered such a virus on a public library computer, which children accessed. :eek:)

But the OP should also know that priests report pornography as the single most frequently confessed sin.
 
I am talking about delibrately looking it up for arousal or because viewing nakedness is attractive to the eye

I wasnt sure if one should confess this before taking communion,even if the viewing is for 10 or 20 min
 
Read the above posted quote from the Catechism. It defines pornography and states it is a grave offense.
Read the posts that immediately precede my response and follow your reply. They contradict.
Any priest in confession who does not know this from the current Catechism is a priest in error.

That is all the OP needs to know. It is not

but the definitive teaching on this.
I would assume the priest would probably interpret the catechism in the OP’s circumstances.
 
I believe it can, at least always be a temptation to sin.

Just stay away from it. I isn’t going to make you a better person, in fact chances are it will cause you to sin.
 
I am talking about delibrately looking it up for arousal or because viewing nakedness is attractive to the eye

I wasnt sure if one should confess this before taking communion,even if the viewing is for 10 or 20 min
Dude! 🤷
 
Paul theApostle;8523250**:
I am talking about delibrately looking it up for arousal
or because viewing nakedness is attractive to the eye

I wasnt sure if one should confess this before taking communion,even if the viewing is for 10 or 20 min

Are you kidding?? Yes this is a sin of grave matter!!! See your priest!
 
Yes, as several other people have already stated, viewing pornography is a grave sin. If you receive Communion without first confessing this, it will be an act of sacrilege and a mortal sin.
 
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