Despite that adultery is becoming a common act nowadays, there are still those who regret it and change for the better. As there are ways to deal with the guilt caused by it, for Catholics, taking it to a priest for confession is the most effective one. In this blog post, we will discuss how to confess adultery to a Priest.
Adultery
Before we answer deep dive on how to take it to confession, let’s first see what the Catechism has to say about adultery.
CCC 2380 “Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual relations – even transient ones – they commit adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of mere desire. The sixth commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery absolutely. The prophets denounce the gravity of adultery; they see it as an image of the sin of idolatry.”
CCC 2381 “Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents’ stable union.”
As highlighted in the statements above, adultery is a grave sin.
Mortal Sin
The Church has two categories of sin depending on its gravity.
It could be mortal or venial.
A sin is mortal if it involves a grave matter, performed with full knowledge that it is grave, and with deliberate consent.
If one is absent in the conditions above, it will fall as venial.
Mortal sin requires confession while venial one is optional.
However, regardless of its gravity, mortal or venial, sins are still encouraged to be confessed.
Thus, in the case of adultery, confession is a must.
How to Confess Adultery?
Now that we know how grave adultery is, we’ll proceed to how to confess it.
Just like confessing other sins, the transgressors must divulge to the priest that they committed adultery and unfaithfulness to their spouse.
They must also mention the times or the frequency they committed it.
For example, if you had an illicit relationship multiple times, you just have to say to your confessor that you had committed adultery and tell him the times you did it.
In return, the priest will then give them counsel, ask for penance, and finally absolve them.
To know how to confess other sexual sins, you can check this out.
Or if it is your first time going to confession, this guide can help you.
Conclusion
Confession in general is a difficult task to do for us Catholics. Unraveling our dark secrets, and taking what the priest has to say can be embarrassing. It takes a lot of courage and willingness to change. But know that it is rewarding in the end. Forgiveness that will banish our guilt, and our soul renewal is a perfect result of confession. Eventually, lead us to become better, inspiring us to strive more for holiness.
That we may fear losing God’s friendship forever by unrepented sin, Loving Mother, pray for us.