Will some other Catholics help me? I did something I can't confess to my priest, so who should I confess to?

Question

i feel awful so i ahve to confess, but i just cant to our priest, it would put him in a really really bad position

we had our bible camp retreat last week and me and a friend hid a camera in one of the girls shower stalls and saw a bunch of naked girls. and at first i liked it, but when i got home i was sick with guilt and deleted the videos. but if i confess to my priest then he probably has to do something and i dont want that, so who do i go to? another priest?

Answer 1

Go to a different church and talk to a priest who doesn't know you.

Answer 2

First of all, don't listen to all these folks telling you not to bother with Confession. It's part of our Faith, backed by Scripture (James 5:16) and Tradition, plus it's good for you. (And online Confession doesn't do it.)

Secondly, while your priest can't call the cops on you or anything, he may in fact ask (or even require) you to make some sort of special penance, such as apologizing to the girls. You need to trust that he has your best interests in mind and is not trying to punish you, but help you regain a healthier state of mind. Such a penance will be extremely hard, and will probably make things uncomfortable for you for a while, but at the same time you did in fact do something very wrong. Accept whatever penance you are given with grace - things will turn out right in the end if you trust in God.

Another consideration is that you need not identify yourself, whether to your own priest or another one. Confessions are supposed to be done in a manner in which the priest and the penitent are not directly seen by one another, for example separated by a curtain or screen. This sort of anonymity is good in your case - just like your anonymity here on Yahoo.

Finally, look at the big picture for a moment. You aren't the first teenaged boy to try to sneak a peek at girls, and you won't be the last. Most priests I know were once boys just like you - you can be pretty sure they'll understand.

Good luck. I can tell you from experience, once you screw up the courage to go and Confess, you'll feel much better about the situation - and about yourself. Go to Confession and get on with your life.

God bless!

Answer 3

Priests aren't even allowed to tell the police when a murderer or rapist confesses. Your priest won't do anything but assure you that God forgives you.

You made a mistake but you did the right thing by destroying the tape and the fect that you feel bad about it now means that you won't do it again. That's what repentence is, and the priest should feel good about that.

Answer 4

It is important that you repent and never do it again. If you cannot go to your priest confessing to a witness of your remorse, and then asking God for forgiveness should be okay. Do not give explicit details as to have the witness or hearer of the sin be tempted. You should be able to confess without giving detail but expressing the nature of the sin. The important thing here is that you recognize the sin and are willing to repent, therefore your sins are forgiven and God will remember them no more.

In a society like ours sexuality is the Achilles heal of our time. Satan knows our weaknesses, through Jesus Christ, we can become strengthened in our weaknesses and they will become strengths. Be honest in your confession but give less details.

Answer 5

GOOD GRIEF, get on your knees and talk to the one who created heaven and earth.

Your heavenly father and tell Him you feel terrible even though he already knows it. He knows you deleted the movie so that proves you felt guilt. You CAN talk to your heavenly father you know

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me."

That tells me I can talk to Jesus directly. Confessing to the priest is good because it gets your guilt out in the open, and the priest can make suggestions to help you avoid future sin, but in this case you aren' t willing to do that.

Talk to God he is faithful and just to forgive our sins.

Answer 6

It looks like you just confessed to everyone on the net. If it makes you feel any better, I may not be Catholic, but I am a lawfully ordained minister (priest). Consider your confession accepted.

Answer 7

When one confesses; one confesses to GOD, your priest is only the mediator of this calling. If I were you, regardless of how you feel, confess to your maker, through the priest as you normally would, All will be forgiven!

Answer 8

Dude, God never created Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims ect.. he created men and women. You sound young and what you did is something you and your mates will laugh about later on in life. Its all about growing up. As long as no one is hurt through your actions.. EX: Sell video on net/ send copies to friends..... You a boy who is growing up and are allowed to do boy things... and no priest has the right to judge or punish you. All Men are Created Equal and if you feel guilty about it, then your guilt is your internal punishment and there is nothing to forgive....

Answer 9

What a silly thing to do but you have to face up to the consequences of your actions. I am sure your priest will have the right answer for you. If he was at fault somehow (perhaps for not supervising enough) then he has to know that so that it won't happen again.

Answer 10

If you feel you have to confess to be absolved then by all means visit your priest or seek out another.
But what you did was really pretty normal for a boy your age.

Answer 11

Well a priest is supposed to be forgiving to everything so go to a priest doesn't matter which