How to verbalize sexual sin in confession?

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panther

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What would be an appropriate way to refer to masturbation while confessing to the priest? Is there a polite euphemism? I just found out that this is a mortal sin, but I don’t quite know how to verbalize it to the priest.

Thank you.
 
“I touched myself in an impure way x-number of times]”
“I committed a solitary sin against chastity”
“I sinned against chastity by touching myself”

It might just be easier to say “I masturbated.” 😊

It’s nothing the priest hasn’t heard before. God bless you as you struggle to live a chaste life.
 
panther said:
What would be an appropriate way to refer to masturbation while confessing to the priest? Is there a polite euphemism? I just found out that this is a mortal sin, but I don’t quite know how to verbalize it to the priest.

Thank you.
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I believe that the term “self abuse” is still correct, though I may be off by a hundred years or so.

Patrick
 
Just come out and say it. I guarantee that your priest has heard this and much worse hundreds of times before. It will not shock or scandalize him; in fact, he probably won’t even remember.
 
I was impure with myself x number of times.

Confess it first if you’re nervous about it.

Every priest has heard this sin confessed a million times. Like the other posters have said, he won’t be shocked.
 
Call a spade a spade, call a sin by its right name. Don’t pretty it up - ain’t nothing pretty about sin, and it can be helpful to face up to its ugliness.

Never known a priest who was shocked by the word ‘masturbation’ - heck, it’s in the Catechism isn’t it? It’s probably the most commonly confessed of all mortal sins.
 
if you can use the proper word on the internet you can certainly use the proper word in confession.
 
“I’ve sinned against chastity X times.”

That’s what I say anyway.
 
Dempsey1919 said:
“I’ve sinned against chastity X times.”

That’s what I say anyway.
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Sinned against chastity? That could mean an awful lot of things - pornography, lustful thoughts, fornication, adultery - they could all be described thus. You should probably be more specific, even if the priest doesn’t ask for anything else he may be thinking you mean something other than masturbation.
 
chicago said:
It’s probably nothing the priest hasn’t done before, either.
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Just like 90% of men and about 70% of women.

Doesn’t make it any less sinful or lessen your need to confess it, of course. Most all of us, for example, would have lied at least once in our lives. Doesn’t make lying any the less a sin.
 
LilyM said:
Sinned against chastity? That could mean an awful lot of things - pornography, lustful thoughts, fornication, adultery - they could all be described thus. You should probably be more specific, even if the priest doesn’t ask for anything else he may be thinking you mean something other than masturbation.
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I think that if someone confessed adultery, they would say the word “adultery,” so if someone confesses to “sinning against chastity” the priest can pretty much read between the lines.

Gosh, if we’re supposed to particularize every sexual sin, then I’ve got to re-do a whole bunch of confessions. I just state whether it was a sin by thought or by deed and whether another person participated. I don’t volunteer more information than that, and normally the priest doesn’t ask.
 
Gamera said:
I think that if someone confessed adultery, they would say the word “adultery,” so if someone confesses to “sinning against chastity” the priest can pretty much read between the lines.

Gosh, if we’re supposed to particularize every sexual sin, then I’ve got to re-do a whole bunch of confessions. I just state whether it was a sin by thought or by deed and whether another person participated. I don’t volunteer more information than that, and normally the priest doesn’t ask.
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Now that IS confusing - ‘another person participated’? Does that include pornography (since certainly others participated by making the pornography you watch but usually aren’t there in the room with you)? Or was it you who MADE the pornography? Is the ‘other person’ your spouse, or someone else (so was it adultery or not)? Or was it someone who encouraged you, for example, to commit a rape or something?

Can you see how difficult it would be for a priest to give anything like meaningful advice if you merely say you ‘sinned against chastity and another person participated’?

Granted, the priest may not care about giving advice, but on the other hand you may be missing out on the full graces available from confession by not facing your sins entirely squarely.

My own take on this - if you can dare to do the sin then better not dare to wimp out of naming it specifically in confession. You don’t need to give further details but name your sins precisely for what they are.
 
Having recently confessed a violation of the 6th commandment 😦 I just came right out and used the word adultery. Lightning didn’t strike and the priest didn’t bat an eye. He just asked a few more questions, gave some spiritual direction and told me my penance before giving me absolution.

The thought of having to make the confession was SO much worse than actually making the confession. So just take a deep breath, go in and tell the priest what you did.

I promise it won’t hurt anything except your pride 🙂
 
I’m guilty of the sin of masturbation x times since my last confession. That’s pretty much it. If you follow me in at times that priest would have just heard it and he’ll hear it from many pennitents after you. It won’t shock him.

We get nervous and it is humbling as it should be. But as far as the priest is concerned, unless he was ordained yesterday, he’s heard that sin confessed countless times. Just make sure that you have a firm purpose of amendment so as not to make this become easy enough to use confession as a means to sin. That would be your greatest fear…teachccd
 
I find it astounding that people find it easier to confess their sins on a public news board that is available to all the world (or at least to everyone who can read English) than to their own priest in the privacy of the Confessional.

I’m not meaning to make anybody feel bad - I just think it’s interesting how our minds work; that somehow, we feel safer - less likely to be noticed - out here in the public eye in front of the whole world, than we do in the privacy of the Confessional. 🤷

In reality, of course, the Confessional is much safer - but the Devil doesn’t like us to think so, I suspect.
 
Would you rather be the one to say it or would you rather have him ask you clarifying questions?
 
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