Is there a way to play safe in confession?

[ILoveTheLordGod]

I just came from confession. One of my sins was excessive masturbation, but I didn’t wanna tell the priest about that out of shame, and so I said “abusing my own body” instead (which masturbation actually is). After all, masturbation is not the only way I abuse myself. I also sleep late and eat unhealthily (which is, in my standards, also a sin of not taking care of what God gave you). Could simply saying “abusing my own body” generalize all of these sins? The priest didn’t ask to clarify and just went on with the confession.

Can there be playing safe in confessions?

 

[buc_fan33]

I just came from confession. One of my sins was excessive masturbation, but I didn’t wanna tell the priest about that out of shame, and so I said “abusing my own body” instead (which masturbation actually is). After all, masturbation is not the only way I abuse myself. I also sleep late and eat unhealthily (which is, in my standards, also a sin of not taking care of what God gave you). Could simply saying “abusing my own body” generalize all of these sins? The priest didn’t ask to clarify and just went on with the confession.

Can there be playing safe in confessions?

I would say no, for exactly what you say. To use an analogy in biology, you confessed to the genus of a sin. you did not confess to the species. Confession requires specificity. i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to actually confess this specific sin. You need to force yourself to say the words. i promise you, you will not shock the priest.

The reality is that priests will rarely, if ever, ask questions in confession. on very rare occasions I will. But, at some point, priests must trust that their penitents are being honest. We are trained to ask few questions in Confession. Just be honest. Say what you did and move on. This is also a very effective way to overcome the sin. Speaking personally, when I have a penitent who has had to confess to some heavy sins, I make a point to thank the person. A good confession makes my day as a priest. I have the utmost respect for someone who can be humble and honest about his or her sins.

Of course, as I reread your post, “self abuse’” is often a euphemism for masturbation, so the priest probably assumed that was what you meant. I guess I would say this. by your own admission, you said that you were less than specific out of shame. To me, this is a red flag. My spiritual director in seminary used to tell me that the one thing you DON’T want to say in Confession or spiritual direction is the one thing that you SHOULD say. It was maybe the best advice I ever received.

 

[livingwordunity]

I just came from confession. One of my sins was excessive masturbation, but I didn’t wanna tell the priest about that out of shame, and so I said “abusing my own body” instead (which masturbation actually is). After all, masturbation is not the only way I abuse myself. I also sleep late and eat unhealthily (which is, in my standards, also a sin of not taking care of what God gave you). Could simply saying “abusing my own body” generalize all of these sins? The priest didn’t ask to clarify and just went on with the confession.

Can there be playing safe in confessions?

Masturbation is probably the most commonly confessed sin (at least for men). I think the priest is probably expecting this to be confessed when a man enters the confessional. So if you tell your priest this in confession, he’s not going to be shocked by it. Since you are aware of this, go back and confess it before receiving Holy Communion. If you don’t see this before receiving Holy Communion and you do receive it then at the next available time confess that you had received Holy Communion after a bad confession and confess what you had left out.

 

[Edmundus1581]

…Speaking personally, when I have a penitent who has had to confess to some heavy sins, I make a point to thank the person. A good confession makes my day as a priest. I have the utmost respect for someone who can be humble and honest about his or her sins.
…

In persona Christi

 

[hsmomforlife]

I just came from confession. One of my sins was excessive masturbation, but I didn’t wanna tell the priest about that out of shame, and so I said “abusing my own body” instead (which masturbation actually is). After all, masturbation is not the only way I abuse myself. I also sleep late and eat unhealthily (which is, in my standards, also a sin of not taking care of what God gave you). Could simply saying “abusing my own body” generalize all of these sins? The priest didn’t ask to clarify and just went on with the confession.

Can there be playing safe in confessions?

Really? I think if you were honest with yourself, you would know the answer…the fact that you feel you need to even ask the question…should give you your own answer…your conscience is bothering you (and that’s a good thing!)

Sounds like you are thinking you can bank on the off chance that the priest didn’t know what you were talking about and you will be forgiven on the sly …but since he’s acting in the place of Jesus…Jesus knows exactly what your sins are so looking for ‘wiggle room’ just makes Jesus (through his loving eyes) wonder why you won’t tell him the truth…

I’m NOT saying it’s easy…other responses are far better than mine for formation etc.

As a mom, when my kids won’t tell me the truth (even though I know it) it makes me wonder why…why won’t they just tell me??? I already know, and it would all be so much easier if they would just fess up… I can’t possibly love them less…but when they tell me less than the whole truth, it sure puts a ‘chink’ in our relationship.

My advice is don’t put a ‘chink’ in the armor of His love…

Sorry, motherly love is the closest that I can relate to the love that Jesus has for us…

 

[MrsLilreader]

Tell the priest. Go to another priest if you have to, but Satan is trying to keep God’s children from being free from their past. I put off confessing for so many reasons! I have different sins than you, but mortal sin. Until I broke down and confessed all plainly with contrition I was a prisoner to that history of mortal sin. I still struggle with sin and go to confess, but I feel free of that past, and want you to have that freedom too! Go and confess so God can do mighty things with and through you!

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

If you intentionally tried to hide a moral sin, your confession was invalid and you left the confessional with an additional mortal sin of sacrilege. The only way to rectify this is by reconfessing all mortal sins in kind a number, and telling the priest you tried to hide a mortal sin in your last confession.