Gossip/Detraction?

[pm2222]

I tend to be scrupulous occasionally, and I am wondering if I committed a mortal sin or not. I was talking with my family and a couple other people who were not in my family but were with us. Someone mentioned a person who was going to be hanging out with our family soon. I said something like “oh this person is bad” and was asked why and i said “because he does etc…” I revealed a fault about this person and my family may look at him differently now. Later on I said something to try and reverse what i said about the person like he is not a bad kid etc…but i feel as if I may have mortally sinned and i was wondering what anyone else thought.

 

[StrawberryJam]

I am not sure who if anyone would pass a hard sniff test.
My assumptions are that you did not act with malice.
It’s best to keep some observations to ourselves unless we truly feel that there is something dangerous that may come about IMHO.

 

[Gertabelle]

Well, I’ll just tell you what I tell everyone who starts a thread asking if they committed a mortal sin: go to confession and talk with a priest.

As much as I would love to ease your concerns, the fact is that the call of mortal or venial is not mine to make. And I would give the same advice to my dearest friends if they asked me the same question: go to confession and talk with a priest.

And just in case you’re unsure of what constitutes a mortal sin, be reminded that there are three criteria, all of which must be met:

1. 
   *]The sin must be grave matter (stealing a piece of candy from your sister’s Easter basket wouldn’t be grave matter, for example)
   *]You must willingly commit the sin – that is to say, no one is coercing you in any way.
   *]You must know at the time you are committing it that it is a grave sin.
   
   If you are asking a bunch of strangers online whether it was a mortal sin, it probably wasn’t, due to the fact that you didn’t know at the time that it was grave matter. Also, I’m not sure where gossip/detraction falls on the “grave matter scale.”
   
   Final advice: go to confession and talk with a priest. Nothing anyone says here can absolve you of your sins, whether mortal or venial. So, go to confession!
   
   God bless you!
   
   Gertie

 

[pm2222]

For a scrupulous person, they would be going to confession at least once a week if they were to go to confession every time they are unsure if a sin is mortal

 

[Gertabelle]

For a scrupulous person, they would be going to confession at least once a week if they were to go to confession every time they are unsure if a sin is mortal

So it’s just better if a scrupulous person turns to a bunch of anonymous strangers then? Sorry, but I do not agree.

Personally, I have been going to confession once a week for awhile now – and I assure you I don’t have the tiniest bit of scrupulosity. There’s nothing wrong with going to confession weekly, and a scrupulous person might actually benefit from hearing over and over again that stealing their sister’s Easter candy will not land them in hell.

I stand by my recommendation to just take our concerns to confession.

Gertie

 

[pm2222]

I mean for a person without scrupulosity I think it is a good idea that when in doubt go to confession because it most likely is mortal. But for the scrupulos person I heard that when in doubt it is most likely not a mortal sin. If I am not able to make it to confession before Sunday Mass should I not recieve the Eucharist? Im not saying your advice is bad I just think it may be different for a scrupulous person.

 

[underacloud]

I mean for a person without scrupulosity I think it is a good idea that when in doubt go to confession because it most likely is mortal. But for the scrupulos person I heard that when in doubt it is most likely not a mortal sin. If I am not able to make it to confession before Sunday Mass should I not recieve the Eucharist? Im not saying your advice is bad I just think it may be different for a scrupulous person.

Why can’t you arrive early and ask to make a confession? Why can’t you attend confession the day before?

If you, being scrupulous, attend weekly confession with the same priest, he will get to know you and be able to help you deal with your concerns. He will even be able to offer you guidance so that you can start to judge for yourself whether of not to receive Eucharist based on doubtful mortal sins. Internet strangers cannot do this for you.

If you have a regular confessor, you can even give him a call and ask such questions. It doesn’t replace confession, but you can ask him “because I did such-and-such, do I need to come in for confession?” and he can guide you and make an appointment for you to come in or to say “no need to come in, you’ll be OK to receive Eucharist” or “you’d better come in and see me”.

 

[thistle]

I tend to be scrupulous occasionally, and I am wondering if I committed a mortal sin or not. I was talking with my family and a couple other people who were not in my family but were with us. Someone mentioned a person who was going to be hanging out with our family soon. I said something like “oh this person is bad” and was asked why and i said “because he does etc…” I revealed a fault about this person and my family may look at him differently now. Later on I said something to try and reverse what i said about the person like he is not a bad kid etc…but i feel as if I may have mortally sinned and i was wondering what anyone else thought.

CCC 2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:

• of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
• of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;
• of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

CCC 2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one’s neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity.

CCC 2507 Respect for the reputation and honor of persons forbids all detraction and calumny in word or attitude.