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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
re: Guidance regarding past sins	John	Sunday, September 12, 2010
Question: Dear Bro. Ignatius, I just read your answer, and first off, let me thank you for the depth of your response. I truly appreciate it, and will follow your instructions to the letter. Thank you for your prayers. That being said, I do have a follow up question. Just to clarify, I never actually visited a site containing this material. As I mentioned, this was on an image search engine. And obviously I did not click on anything (links leading to sites which contained them). Whereas I will still clean off the computer as you directed, does this have any bearing on the situation? Also you said reporting this was not necessary at this point. I just want to make sure I understood you correctly: so no further steps (other than wiping the hard drive) need to be taken? I've been wondering if any kind of 'restitution' or 'penalty' (other than personal repentance) needs to be made/accepted in order to make peace with God. Thank you again for your help and may God bless you for all your work.
Question Answered by Dear John: Even if you never actually went to the websites it does not matter. If you see a graphic or picture on your screen, you have it on your hard drive. That is how is works. Thus, the Temporary Internet Files (Cache) needs to be deleted and the deleted space on the hard drive wiped. Ace Utilities can do both, as I outlined. As for reporting what you found, you would have to give the authorities the exact URL of where these illegal pictures were located. After four years they are not likely to still be there anyway. As mentioned the FBI has a major task force now that scans the Internet for illegal pornography, so I am sure that they already know about it. If you can find it, be assured they will find it. You need to, instead, focus on the moral aspect and what you need to do there. From a moral standpoint, it also does not matter that you never went to the websites. You still looked at pornography. And I might add that one cannot look at pornographic thumbnails on Google without deliberately turning of the "safe search" mode. The Church teaches: 2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials. Thus, you are morally culpable for viewing pornography regardless of the age of the people in the images. You need to confess this when you are allowed to receive the Sacrament of Confession just before Easter. Then follow whatever penance you receive from the Priest. For the time being, confess your sins to God for viewing pornography, confess the lust, including the lust of anyone underage, and then do some acts of charity as your penance and reparation. This can be giving extra money to the poor, helping to feed the homeless, or any other act of charity. Make it an act that is meaningful. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

re: Guidance regarding past sins

John

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Question:

Dear Bro. Ignatius,

I just read your answer, and first off, let me thank you for the depth of your response. I truly appreciate it, and will follow your instructions to the letter. Thank you for your prayers.

That being said, I do have a follow up question. Just to clarify, I never actually visited a site containing this material. As I mentioned, this was on an image search engine. And obviously I did not click on anything (links leading to sites which contained them). Whereas I will still clean off the computer as you directed, does this have any bearing on the situation?

Also you said reporting this was not necessary at this point. I just want to make sure I understood you correctly: so no further steps (other than wiping the hard drive) need to be taken?

I've been wondering if any kind of 'restitution' or 'penalty' (other than personal repentance) needs to be made/accepted in order to make peace with God.

Thank you again for your help and may God bless you for all your work.

Question Answered by

Dear John:

Even if you never actually went to the websites it does not matter. If you see a graphic or picture on your screen, you have it on your hard drive. That is how is works. Thus, the Temporary Internet Files (Cache) needs to be deleted and the deleted space on the hard drive wiped. Ace Utilities can do both, as I outlined.

As for reporting what you found, you would have to give the authorities the exact URL of where these illegal pictures were located. After four years they are not likely to still be there anyway. As mentioned the FBI has a major task force now that scans the Internet for illegal pornography, so I am sure that they already know about it. If you can find it, be assured they will find it. You need to, instead, focus on the moral aspect and what you need to do there.

From a moral standpoint, it also does not matter that you never went to the websites. You still looked at pornography. And I might add that one cannot look at pornographic thumbnails on Google without deliberately turning of the "safe search" mode.

The Church teaches:

2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.

Thus, you are morally culpable for viewing pornography regardless of the age of the people in the images. You need to confess this when you are allowed to receive the Sacrament of Confession just before Easter. Then follow whatever penance you receive from the Priest.

For the time being, confess your sins to God for viewing pornography, confess the lust, including the lust of anyone underage, and then do some acts of charity as your penance and reparation. This can be giving extra money to the poor, helping to feed the homeless, or any other act of charity. Make it an act that is meaningful.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum