How specific in confession?

[MyPseudonym]

Examples:

Do you have to mention who you have lusted after (male, female, relative, etc)?

Do you have to mention who you wanted to see naked (male, female, relative, etc)?

Is lusting and wanting to see someone naked the same sin? Would you have to mention these separately?

Do you have to mention what type of pornography you have watched (straight porn, gay porn, child porn, etc)?

 

[teachccd]

Examples:

Do you have to mention who you have lusted after (male, female, relative, etc)?

Do you have to mention who you wanted to see naked (male, female, relative, etc)?

Is lusting and wanting to see someone naked the same sin? Would you have to mention these separately?

Do you have to mention what type of pornography you have watched (straight porn, gay porn, child porn, etc)?

The sins against chastity only need to be confessed in the category in which they fall unless there is something that would make the sin more serious. Wanting to see someone naked is lusting otherwise you would have them keep their clothes on. So just mention the sin of entertaining impure thoughts. I would mention if you watched gay or child porn as this constitutes a more serious distortion to our sexual orientation and could lead to further acts that you would want to avoid. The priest is trained to help you in these matters and you should be as specific as your soul calls you to be. I always err on the side of caution and mention something if I think it might be necessary. The priest has heard it all and none of it will shock him. So it’s better to leave the confessional knowing that you made a good confession than to sit around wondering. Our God is a merciful God and there is nothing that He will not forgive. Give it all to Him and then be at peace. God bless you and be with you on your journey into the Church.

 

[Bookcat]

Note: In addition to confessing number and kind for mortal sins one would confess that which changes the “kind” would be mentioned --so I would for example mention if it where say a relative or was regarding the same gender.

 

[MyPseudonym]

Note: In addition to confessing number and kind for mortal sins one would confess that which changes the “kind” would be mentioned --so I would for example mention if it where say a relative or was regarding the same gender.

Wouldn’t the “kind” still be pornography?

Also, I asked Fr. Serpa once about lust. Here was my question:

“How specific must one be in confession? For example, if someone who is attracted to both males and females is confessing the sin of lust, would they have to say which gender they lusted after? or mention that they are attracted to both genders?”

Here is what he said:

“No; lust is lust.”

 

[teachccd]

Wouldn’t the “kind” still be pornography?

Also, I asked Fr. Serpa once about lust. Here was my question:

“How specific must one be in confession? For example, if someone who is attracted to both males and females is confessing the sin of lust, would they have to say which gender they lusted after? or mention that they are attracted to both genders?”

Here is what he said:

“No; lust is lust.”

Lust is lust but you might want to seek counsel if you are having thoughts of incest or you are lusting after children. Father is right but this is mainly for you to find the right path into which might lead you out of the distorted orientations of your sexuality. I think that there is a difference between adult porn and child porn but then maybe that’s my being scrupulous.

 

[MyPseudonym]

Well what if it’s a teenager watching porn of teenagers?

 

[Bookcat]

Wouldn’t the “kind” still be pornography?

It would seem to me that if someone say lusted after their sister–especially as their sister – I would say they need to mention more than lusting after a woman. Or someone say watched child pornography they would mention such. I would think too that if for example someone lusted in a homosexual way.

One must confess the number and kind --and if the circumstance changes the kind.

One may get some varied answers once one gets into some very particular things – for some may judge that such and such does not change the kind and others that it does. Some things certainly are clearer than others.

Ones confessor can guide one.

 

[Christy_Beth]

How far would you go? I think it might be much if some woman would confess, “I’ve lusted after you five times just this week.” That would be going a bit too far, I think.

 

[jenwha]

How far would you go? I think it might be much if some woman would confess, “I’ve lusted after you five times just this week.” That would be going a bit too far, I think.

Oh wow. I don’t think I would ever confess that to the one I was lusting over! Can you imagine. Actually now that I think of it there is nothing new under the sun so it’s probably happened.

 

[MyPseudonym]

Thanks for all the responses so far.

 

[Edward_H]

I was told you receive graces specific and commensurate with the specificity of your self accusation.

This doesn’t need to lead to scrupulous explanations…just frank admission. If you sense “beating around the bush”, and a certain clever evasion…wade into the filth and give it the ugly name it deserves.

 

[Vico]

Wouldn’t the “kind” still be pornography?

Also, I asked Fr. Serpa once about lust. Here was my question:

“How specific must one be in confession? For example, if someone who is attracted to both males and females is confessing the sin of lust, would they have to say which gender they lusted after? or mention that they are attracted to both genders?”

Here is what he said:

“No; lust is lust.”

Pornography is depiction. That kind of sin would be producing pornography.
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.