Question:
Answer:
So that a priest may adequately counsel you in the confessional, it’s good to specify the nature of your sins while avoiding greater and graphic details that serve no useful purpose.
You mention “gay masturbation.” Does this mean you engaged in self-masturbation—thus the term “solitary vice”—in which you either used mental fantasy and/or morally problematic images to help facilitate the act? Or did it involve another person, in which the sin would be compounded because of another person’s willful participation? These are questions for your self-reflection and to guide you in making a good confession. (Regarding confessing one’s sins in general, see the Catechism 1455-58).
In summary, it’s good for a priest to know the basics of a penitent’s life so that, in addition to absolving him of his sins, he can offer helpful pastoral advice to help the penitent avoid the near occasion of sin regarding particular vices.