How specific does one have to be when confessing bad thoughts? Is it enough to say “I had bad/impure/violent thoughts about a certain person (or various people)”? Or do you have to say who the person is and describe the thoughts in more detail? Say if it’s your own parents or children, the president, your parish priest (to whom you’re making the confession
), or even a Saint, do you have to specify that? And how descriptive do you have to be in explaining the bad thoughts? “Impure thoughts” can mean a lot of different things. What if it’s a person of the same sex vs opposite sex? Please help.
If the thought or desire crossed your mind but you do not dwell on it intentionally, then it is no sin at all. If you choose to dwell on it and know that it is wrong to do so, then it is a sin your would confess. It could be a sin if you do not avoid things that you can reasonably avoid that would lead you to sins (called the
near occasion).
You should not mention specific people, and only enough detail to determine the kind of sin.
Baltimore Catechism No. 3 has this:
Q. 1316. What are we commanded by the ninth Commandment?
A. We are commanded by the ninth Commandment to keep ourselves pure in thought and desire.
Q. 1317. What is forbidden by the ninth Commandment?
A. The ninth Commandment forbids unchaste thoughts, desires of another’s wife or husband, and all other unlawful impure thoughts and desires.
Q. 1318. Are impure thoughts and desires always sins?
A. Impure thoughts and desires are always sins, unless they displease us and we try to banish them.
Q. 771. What do you mean by the near occasions of sin?
A. By the near occasions of sin I mean all the persons, places and things that may easily lead us into sin.
Q. 772. Why are we bound to avoid occasions of sin?
A. We are bound to avoid occasions of sin because Our Lord has said: “He who loves the danger will perish in it”; and as we are bound to avoid the loss of our souls, so we are bound to avoid the danger of their loss. The occasion is the cause of sin, and you cannot take away the evil without removing its cause.
Q. 773. Is a person who is determined to avoid the sin, but who is unwilling to give up its near occasion when it is possible to do so, rightly disposed for confession?
A. A person who is determined to avoid the sin, but who is unwilling to give up its near occasion when it is possible to do so, is not rightly disposed for confession, and he will not be absolved if he makes known to the priest the true state of his conscience.
Q. 774. How many kinds of occasions of sin are there?
A. There are four kinds of occasions of sin:
*]Near occasions, through which we always fall;
*]Remote occasions, through which we sometimes fall;
*]Voluntary occasions or those we can avoid; and
*]Involuntary occasions or those we cannot avoid. A person who lives in a near and voluntary occasion of sin need not expect forgiveness while he continues in that state.
Q. 775. What persons, places and things are usually occasions of sin?
A.
*]The persons who are occasions of sin are all those in whose company we sin, whether they be bad of themselves or bad only while in our company, in which case we also become occasions of sin for them;
*]The places are usually liquor saloons, low theaters, indecent dances, entertainments, amusements, exhibitions, and all immoral resorts of any kind, whether we sin in them or not;
*]The things are all bad books, indecent pictures, songs, jokes and the like, even when they are tolerated by public opinion and found in public places.
- audiosancto.org/inc/BC3/bc3-34.html
