Have you ever felt embarrassed to confess a sin to a priest?

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I used to be really embarrassed about certain things, but honestly, the more regularly I went to confession, I lost almost all of those feelings, and was mostly concerned with the fact that I had sinned, and offended God.
 
I do get embarrassed at times, but the tremendous joy and relief of being forgiven/absolved of my sins makes it all worth it.
 
I’m too embarrassed to say ‘masturbation’

Does anybody go in and explicitly say that? Or is there a more polite way to say it??
 
joclucsylv said:
Yes, I admit it. Some of my sins are really embarassing to confess. Does anyone else feel like I do?
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Yes. sometimes. I remember one very holy, young priest, as I stumbled to reveal my sin, he said, please don’t be embarrassed, Jesus wants to free you of this sin and He loves you so much…

What a smart priest…he was so right. Thank you Lord Jesus for your humble servants who help us journey thru this world home to you.
 
I sure was embarrassed the very first lifetime confession I had after 39 years of sins that was face to face with a six page handwritten list with a very nice looking priest myself.

Egads. It was awful. Plus I cried in front of him.

Egads again.

😊
 
Robert789 said:
I’m too embarrassed to say ‘masturbation’

Does anybody go in and explicitly say that? Or is there a more polite way to say it??
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😊

Yes, I was horrified to have to confess that sin. I did it anyway, using that word. There are many ways to put it - self-abuse, self-gratification, impure acts, and so on. But saying that word will put it out in the open so that you can’t hedge it any longer.

It was a little easier to read it from a pre-written note, if that helps at all.
 
Reading this thread made me realize a question I’ve had… what if someone sinned against the priest? (like in their thoughts, not actions, especially if they struggle with random bad thoughts). If they can’t go to another priest, should they tell the priest it was about him, or just keep it general? I don’t know what would invalidate a confession… and surely this would be embarassing but probably can help to repent more? I don’t know! I’m not sure how the priest would react to something like that. 🤷
 
To be honest i would just confess that as if you sinned against a normal person!

Thou i cant imagine i’ll ever have any really really embarrassing thoughts about a religious person…i’m a guy…and the few nuns about the place are old. Phew!!

I used to get taught by a priest at school. He was a great laugh, but once i had to go to him for confession. After i had confessed my sins he said “and what about that homework you rushed? What about not practising your violin enough and those scales you could have learned better?” I was like “yes Father, those too”. I was scundered, but he thought it was halerious!! - a bit like those REDICULOUSLY big crosses we used to get on our forehead on Ash Wednesday…he must have put them on with his fist or something. I loved him to bits though!! Wish i was back there. He’s now a monk.
 
Oh, and is looking at pornography, masturbating then ejaculating all 3 different sins??

Cause the masturbating involves the action and thoughts while ejaculating is the spilling of your seed.

…and if someone said, no just masturbating, does that mean that once i touch myself i may as well finish off…because the sin is already committed?
  • not that i’m planning to (without a struggle against sin anyway), but just saying…
Sorry if thats a bit gross for you - it IS what happens…and perhaps my age/hormones/dirty mind have made me curious and insensitive.
 
I wouldn’t confess to the priest you’ve included him in your fantasy. What would you do if he then replied likewise? :bigyikes: You’d have to get the hell outta there!!:stretcher:

In general, I think you should list sins according to the commandment they fall under eg. say ‘I have 6 sins against the 4th commandment, 3 against the 8th commandment, 2 against the 2 commandment, and 5(oo) against the 6th commandment’. That’s all they need.
 
There is one sin that consistently embarrasses me when I have to confess: making fun of priests, gossiping about them, or just being snide or uncharitable towards them. I squirm every time I have to do it. But I guess that’s good for the soul. 😉
 
I accidently blocked my parish priest’s car in earlier today when he was up visiting my sick granda. Must have given him an a whole millimetre at the front and back of his car.

Whoops!! I should have been more considerate…even if i knew it was a priest!

So at confession would you say “when i blocked the priests car in?” or say “when i blocked your car in father?”

Haha. Just wondering!!
 
Robert789 said:
Oh, and is looking at pornography, masturbating then ejaculating all 3 different sins??

Cause the masturbating involves the action and thoughts while ejaculating is the spilling of your seed.

…and if someone said, no just masturbating, does that mean that once i touch myself i may as well finish off…because the sin is already committed?
  • not that i’m planning to (without a struggle against sin anyway), but just saying…
Sorry if thats a bit gross for you - it IS what happens…and perhaps my age/hormones/dirty mind have made me curious and insensitive.
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You need to split up the porn as its own sin - it is coveting. The masturbation is assumed to include orgasm, I think, since that is the norm. If you don’t take it all the way, you could say “I stopped myself from continuing 3 x, but did the whole act 7 times,” for example.
 
I never thought of pornography as coveting - thanks for sharing that! 🙂 …coveting someone else’s wife/future wife.

pornography ruins women’s dignity. Men should be protecting the beauty of a woman’s dignity with their lifes - if need be…as it is so precious and delicate. Sorry for the times i have failed to do so 😦
 
Joy2day said:
I wouldn’t confess to the priest you’ve included him in your fantasy. What would you do if he then replied likewise? :bigyikes: You’d have to get the hell outta there!!:stretcher:

In general, I think you should list sins according to the commandment they fall under eg. say ‘I have 6 sins against the 4th commandment, 3 against the 8th commandment, 2 against the 2 commandment, and 5(oo) against the 6th commandment’. That’s all they need.
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hmm…I was taught that Confession should be more specific in terms of saying what kinds of sin… I was told, to just say what you did, rather than only what Commandment it breaks. Because there are various ways to break a Commandment and we should include anything that affects the gravity of the sin. For example - if a person says they sinned against chastity… do they mean that they had an impure thought, or they had premarital sex, or something else? if they dishonoured their parents, did they have an angry thought against them, or did they physically attack their parent? etc. It’s good to clarify and be more specific I think… just because there are different things that break each Commandment, not just one. What we think and what’s in our hearts is important, for example Jesus said if someone has lust they already committed adultery, and same with anger / murder, maybe because sin is in the heart and in the intention too… but I was told that for Confession, we should actually name the sin, rather than only saying “I broke the fourth Commandment” etc.
 
Monica4316 said:
hmm…I was taught that Confession should be more specific in terms of saying what kinds of sin… I was told, to just say what you did, rather than only what Commandment it breaks. Because there are various ways to break a Commandment and we should include anything that affects the gravity of the sin. For example - if a person says they sinned against chastity… do they mean that they had an impure thought, or they had premarital sex, or something else? if they dishonoured their parents, did they have an angry thought against them, or did they physically attack their parent? etc. It’s good to clarify and be more specific I think… just because there are different things that break each Commandment, not just one. What we think and what’s in our hearts is important, for example Jesus said if someone has lust they already committed adultery, and same with anger / murder, maybe because sin is in the heart and in the intention too… but I was told that for Confession, we should actually name the sin, rather than only saying “I broke the fourth Commandment” etc.
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Yes you are right here. I just think that in confessing sins you dont want to give unnecessary temptation to the priest (because that is a sin). I could never be a priest cause i could not cope with hearing all the sins.
 
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