How detailed must one be when confessing sins of impurity?

  • Thread starter Thread starter asdf21
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

asdf21

Guest
Hello. To start, I’d like to say that I struggle with scrupulosity and I have seen conflicting answers to this question.

I struggled with numerous mortal sins during high school and never confessed the number or frequency during my confessions. I had heard of that rule, but it was never formally taught to me so I disregarded it. I knew I should have done it but I didn’t. I talked to my current priest about this and he says that I was forgiven but need to mention those sins and their frequency in my next confession.

One of those sins is the sin of pornography. I know you are also supposed to confess anything that changes the circumstances of a sin, so does that mean I need to state the specific types of pornography? For example, if someone were to watch pornography that was sacrilegious in a way (involving someone in religious life or mocking the sacraments) or that was homosexual etc. would they have to confess that specifically? I’ve heard people say that all porn is against God’s will in some way so there is no point in mentioning every specific type, but others say it is necessary because it changes the circumstances. I just want to do confession right this time and not have to doubt myself. I don’t want to purposefully leave info out but does the priest need that information?

I want to be clear that this is no longer something I struggle with so would it benefit me to be going back bringing up these past sins in a more specific way? Especially since I struggle with scrupulosity? I just don’t want to invalidate my confession by leaving this out but I also don’t want to stir up bad thought from me or make the priest uncomfortable.
 
“Bless me Father, for I have sinned. Back in year X when I was in high school, I looked at porn 15 times, gay porn 5 times and blasphemous porn 3 times. I’ve stopped doing this now and haven’t looked at porn in X years, but these sins bothered me and I wanted to mention them as I’m not sure I properly confessed them at the time. For these and all my other sins I am truly sorry.”
 
Last edited:
asdf21 said:
Hello. To start, I’d like to say that I struggle with scrupulosity and I have seen conflicting answers to this question.

I struggled with numerous mortal sins during high school and never confessed the number or frequency during my confessions. I had heard of that rule, but it was never formally taught to me so I disregarded it. I knew I should have done it but I didn’t. I talked to my current priest about this and he says that I was forgiven but need to mention those sins and their frequency in my next confession.

One of those sins is the sin of pornography. I know you are also supposed to confess anything that changes the circumstances of a sin, so does that mean I need to state the specific types of pornography? For example, if someone were to watch pornography that was sacrilegious in a way (involving someone in religious life or mocking the sacraments) or that was homosexual etc. would they have to confess that specifically? I’ve heard people say that all porn is against God’s will in some way so there is no point in mentioning every specific type, but others say it is necessary because it changes the circumstances. I just want to do confession right this time and not have to doubt myself. I don’t want to purposefully leave info out but does the priest need that information?

I want to be clear that this is no longer something I struggle with so would it benefit me to be going back bringing up these past sins in a more specific way? Especially since I struggle with scrupulosity? I just don’t want to invalidate my confession by leaving this out but I also don’t want to stir up bad thought from me or make the priest uncomfortable.
Click to expand...
Tell all this to a priest in your next confession, and let him guide you. Believe me, he has probably heard it all.
Peace
 
I gave my first confession Saturday.

I didn’t give specific numbers, I basically just listed habitual sins of mine and things I could remember over the last 26 years, father gave me some advice, and then absolved me. He was good with it so I took that as good enough.
 
Yeah, I couldn’t possibly give numbers either when I went back after 18 years away and was trying to confess mortal sins I did over the course of 9 years that I hadn’t had anything to do with in the 6 years since. I really couldn’t remember all that good especially given my nerves and it being 6:45 am. I suppose I could have tried to come up with a rough number of how many times each, but Father seemed okay with “I did X over a few years and then I stopped in 2009 and haven’t done X since”.
 
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself said:
“Bless me Father, for I have sinned. Back in year X when I was in high school, I looked at porn 15 times, gay porn 5 times and blasphemous porn 3 times. I’ve stopped doing this now and haven’t looked at porn in X years, but these sins bothered me and I wanted to mention them as I’m not sure I properly confessed them at the time. For these and all my other sins I am truly sorry.”
Click to expand...
Well said in the simplicity of it, but even then there may be unnecessary detail.

The question of whether to confess the kind of pornography comes up regularly here, and has a standard answer:
40.png
How specific in confession? Ask an Apologist
If a person has committed a sexual sin, such as pornography or masturbation, can the sin in name only be given? Or do you have to go into detail about what kind of porn it was (like if it was homosexual in nature, soft vs hard, etc.) or in the other case, what you fantasized about (like if it were a really dark fantasy)?
Click to expand...
Answer (from Fr Serpa):
You need to name the sin. But you don’t have to go into detail.
For example, just saying “fornication” is enough. One would not have to explaine more about it–unless the priest asks for clarification. When I hear Confessions, if the person confesses having stolen, I always ask what it was that was stolen. It could be five dollars or a Honda SUV. The sin needs to be clearly stated.
Click to expand...
So, I wouldn’t recommend even confessing “homosexual” pornography. Still, I suspect that there are times when a person’s conscience tells them that more specificity is required. So, let your conscience and priest guide you, but don’t feel that the kind of pornography necessarily needs to be confessed. Of course, it may be hard to discriminate between “conscience” and feelings of remorse/shame.
 
Last edited:
It would literally have been impossible to say the numbers of times I’ve watched porn, masturbated, or had sex over the course of my life before my conversion. I couldn’t even begin to fathom a number.
 
Father’s answer here makes sense to me. Another priest, who writes a popular blog, said that we DO need to confess the nature of porn if it was a depiction of homosexuality or other disordered acts. This never made sense to me. I believe that one should confess homosexual lusts if one sought out porn of one’s own sex (a man watching other men for his pleasure)… but if a man is watching a pornography involving two women, there is nothing homosexual about his particular sin… he is lusting after the opposite sex, not engaging in their gay sex himself.
 
Pornography is a kind. If you want to be more specific, just add another adjective to it (or minimal phrase), like is it child pornography, homosexual pornography, satanic or blasphemous pornography? If any more information is needed, the priest may ask you. Don’t worry about it.

God bless.
 
Last edited:
Thank you everyone for your responses! This has helped to calm my nerves and clear my head.
 
I converted to Catholicism from Protestantism in 2007. At that time, our RCIA teachers advised us for our first confession not to try and recount every sin and every occurrence. Instead, our prayer was something about forgive me for these sins and all others I cannot remember - something to that effect - and that would take care of it…
 
If it was child pornography and you were deliberately seeking to satisfy such disordered lusts, you would have to specify that I think… likewise, if you seeking to satisfy a same-sex desire or a blasphemous desire. Beyond that, I don’t think details are required… most people who watch porn are simply looking to be aroused by graphic images of the opposite sex, and that’s the sin that needs to be confessed… not “I watched porn where the couple was clearly fornicating and also contracepting”.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top