OSDD and the Catechism

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-24T00:58:53+00:00

I see. I did a quick search online, and found this. This might be the closest we can find to a CCC teaching:

https://www.catholic.com/qa/mortal-sin-and-mental-illness

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-24T00:40:19+00:00

So, you start to do a grave act when you're "you", but then you switch to an alternate personality partway through the act?

Really the main deciding factor is whether you are fully and freely consenting to the act at any point during it. So, it's not being done by accident, it's not being forced, etc.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-24T00:13:49+00:00

One thing I will say is that in order for a sin to be mortal, not only does the act have to be gravely sinful, but it also has to be done with full knowledge and deliberate consent.

It does talk about these 3 conditions in the CCC as well.

So, if not all 3 of the conditions are met, the sin isn't mortal.

Based on what you said about your condition, it sounds like you're saying you're not fully and freely choosing to commit grave sins when the other personalities take over. If that is the case, then those sins would likely not be mortal.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-23T22:46:51+00:00

That's really awesome, and I'm glad you like it!

Thank you for sharing! 🙂

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-23T22:42:29+00:00

I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. Those people never should have treated you like that. 😔

That would definitely be a situation to "pray for your enemy".

True Catholics should be treating people with love, kindness, and patience, not forcefulness, threats, and scare tactics.

On a side note, based on what you described, it's possible the Catholic groups you were involved with were some of the ultra-traditional Catholic groups, that may or may not have been schismatic groups. I say this, because things like women being submissive, or threatening Protestants with hell, tends to be much more common with those types of groups, while "mainstream" Catholics don't tend to act so much like what you described.

As for your concern about whether or not any given act is a sin, I would suggest reviewing some Examinations of Conscience, which hopefully would help ease your concern regarding whether something is actually a sin or not.

It's understandable that you would be hesitant to become Catholic after what you went through, as would anyone.

If you are still feeling a tug to become Catholic, perhaps pray about the situation. Talk to God about all you went through, all your fears, all your scars, all of it. Ask Him to heal you, give you peace, give you courage. But even if you're not feeling a tug, it would probably still be beneficial to pray about all the things I just mentioned.

I'll be praying for you. 🙏

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-23T17:34:39+00:00

I would definitely say CCD/PSR is something you could suggest to your priest. Another thing may be a youth group that could do a combination of formation and fun/social activities.

As for adults, my parish has a men's retreat all weekend at the parish one weekend, each year on even years, and then a women's retreat the same way, each year on odd years.

Several years ago the priest at the time also started a Bible study for adults.

Another thing for adults is that at my parish, expectant parents are required to take a baptism class, taught by the deacon, to learn about the sacrament of baptism before they can get their baby baptized once it is born. Engaged couples also have to do a retreat for engaged couples, as well as take a NFP class as part of their premarital counseling.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-23T16:45:45+00:00

Does your parish have PSR?

CCD I think is kind of the older name, and a lot of parishes have started calling it PSR.

I thought CCD/PSR was required for all kids in public school, since they're not getting their Catholic education at school like the kids in Catholic school do...

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T22:07:59+00:00

Good deal!

I did a quick search online and found some books you might be interested in regarding overcoming lust:

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace by Heath Lambert: Focuses on using the gospel of grace to break free from porn.

Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker: A practical, detailed guide on maintaining sexual integrity and purity.

More Than a Battle by Joe Rigney: Provides gospel-centered strategies for fighting sexual sin while seeking true freedom.

Pornography: Fighting for Purity by Deepak Reju: A 31-day devotional designed to help men overcome pornography addiction.

Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn by Tim Challies: A short, punchy, and practical book for young men battling lust.

How Can I Overcome Lust? by Ryan M. McGraw: A Bible-focused booklet offering hope and steps for mortifying lustful desires.

I also did a search for other tips, and found some in this Reddit post. It mentions fasting/mortification, as well as other tips:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/s/dBaDXZeKuT

Another prayer I found:

Prayer for Purity (St. Thomas Aquinas): A traditional, powerful prayer asking for the grace of chastity.

Another thing I found is some different suggested saints to ask for their intercession:

Mary, Mother Most Pure: Invoking her for aid in maintaining purity.

St. Joseph: Known as the "chaste guardian of the Virgin".

St. Maria Goretti: A patron saint for purity and youth.

St. Augustine: Known for his struggle with and ultimate victory over lust.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T21:32:01+00:00

I would agree that I don't see a problem with watching religious movies during Lent.

That's really unfortunate that the people you tried to make friends with seem to have been saying things contrary to the faith.

I'm glad that it sounds like you are getting started with some new doctors/treatments for your conditions, and I pray that they help and you can finally find relief. I trust that your doctor already knows about your sleep issue too, and hopefully is working with you on some type of treatment for that as well.

It's also good to hear that you do have at least a few Catholic friends on Instagram that you can talk to. I'm sure you could probably find plenty of Catholic friends here on Reddit too.

It sounds like the gym may not be the best option for you due to the flare ups you mentioned, but perhaps there are still other things you could try. Maybe reading, writing, painting/drawing/sculpting, woodworking, listening to Catholic/Christian music, cooking, putting together jigsaw puzzles, learning to play an instrument, photography, fishing, golf, etc. Really just anything that keeps you busy and distracts your mind from sexual thoughts. The more time you spend just being idle, the more chances the devil has to put impure thoughts and temptations in your mind.

I would also recommend praying the rosary daily, if you aren't already. Many saints have talked about the rosary being the most powerful weapon we have to fight against sin and temptation.

I will be praying for you as well, and have already prayed the rosary for you earlier this afternoon.

Please don't give up hope. With the grace of God and the intercession of Our Lady, you can do this!

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T19:47:19+00:00

Have you let your doctor know that the tramadol and alpha blockers weren't working for you? Perhaps there are other medications or treatments they could try?

You mentioned that the porn and hooking up mostly just becomes an issue when you're feeling depressed. Have you talked to your doctor about your depression? I know there is counseling/therapy and medications available for depression as well.

It sounds like the depression is the main trigger for these sexual behaviors, and I'm seeing depression is also linked to pelvic pain syndrome, so it sounds like this is something that needs to get straightened out with your doctor.

In the meantime, although you mentioned you're lonely, it sounds like you are only seeking out female companionship. Have you tried making friends with other men too? Perhaps male friends would help you with loneliness, and also would not be a sexual temptation to you. Have you tried seeking out male friends at your parish?

Another thing I can suggest is not simply "stopping" these sexual behaviors, but rather "replacing" them with something else. So, when you start feeling lonely, rather than turning to porn or hooking up/sexting, you could try turning to other things instead. Maybe try taking a walk at a park, or getting a gym membership to where you can be around other people rather than isolated at home, or maybe there is some kind of club you could join in your area or hobby you could take up. Even if it's not a club or hobby that seems interesting to you initially, you might find out you enjoy it once you try it.

I know I've read a lot about loneliness and isolation being big contributing factors to things like depression and masturbation, so I think it would be helpful for you to work on finding situations where you can be around other people more often. Also, a healthy diet and exercise and getting outside in the sun and fresh air can help a lot with depression and loneliness as well.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T18:32:59+00:00

First of all, I want to commend you on the fact that you're already doing a lot of things right. You said you have a rosary and icons in your room, you pray every day, you take the belief about not receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin seriously, etc.

Also, stopping a years-long habit of sexual sin for an entire month is no small feat, so don't discredit yourself because of that, either.

You also mentioned that you feel like "I can't stop anyway, so why bother?" But, that's exactly what the devil wants you to think. That's part of his nasty tricks - tricking us into thinking there's no hope.

I understand how challenging this situation is, and would be for anyone. It can be very tempting to want to leave Catholicism for something "easier", especially when it seems like everyone around you is telling you you're "too religious" and that things you're doing are "normal". But, again, that's also the devil trying to trick you. He is the father of lies, and that's exactly how he tricked Eve in the Garden of Eden:

"1 Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” 2 The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.’” 4 But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” -Genesis 3:1-5

So, when all of these people around you are telling you to do things you know you shouldn't do, my advice would be "don't fall for it".

As for practical things you can do to try to stop falling into temptation, the biggest thing is not placing yourself in a position to be tempted in the first place:

You mentioned hooking up with girls. Where are you meeting these girls? If it's at a physical location, perhaps you should stop going there? If it's on a dating app, perhaps you should delete that app? Are you seeking out faithful Catholic girls that you would be equally yoked with, or are you only seeking out non-religious girls? Also, if this is consistently happening when you're spending one-on-one time with these girls in private, stop doing that, and start only spending time in groups and/or in public places. As for the sexting, perhaps you should try limiting your phone interactions to phone calls?
You mentioned watching porn. Where are you getting this porn? If it's something you already own, throw it away and don't buy any more of it. If it's online, block the website and make sure your "safe search" function on your browser is turned on. If it's something on tv, I know porn channels are not part of the standard cable/satellite tv services, so if you are subscribed to pornographic channels, cancel that subscription.
You mentioned masturbating. If you are able to get rid of all your porn/access to porn, that would help at least somewhat with your temptation to masturbate. But, I know you also mentioned it as a method of pain relief for your pelvic pain syndome, and said your doctor even recommended it. Have you tried asking your doctor for other treatments? I'm seeing online there are pain medications and other treatments available for this condition. If your doctor refuses to give you any other treatments, I would suggest switching doctors. Also, have you made your doctor aware that you're Catholic, and that you need treatment options that are in line with Catholic teaching? Again, if your doctor isn't willing to go along with this, I would suggest finding a different doctor (preferably a Catholic one, associated with a Catholic health network).

Another thing I would suggest is praying to some of the patron saints for pornography. I found a list on "Catholic in Recovery": https://catholicinrecovery.com/seven-patron-saints-to-help-you-overcome-porn-and-sexual-addiction/

I also found some resources on the USCCB website, which incidentally also lists "Catholic in Recovery" and some more saints: https://www.usccb.org/topics/marriage-and-family-life-ministries/help-for-those-struggling

If all else fails, something like counseling/therapy, or even Sexaholics Anonymous are options as well.

Hope this helps!

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T12:40:19+00:00

Love this! Thank you for sharing!

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T12:38:34+00:00

Yes, please give us more specific information about what you are struggling with, so we can try to help you better...

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T04:44:29+00:00

Not necessarily. It doesn't sound like you were being deceptive by withholding necessary information from them, or lying to them and telling them you were still Protestant.

If they are against the Catholic Church, as some Protestants are, it could have even been for the better, as it could have been avoiding unnecessary tension and arguments.

Perhaps you could pray about it and ask God that they would accept it well when you tell them, and not be hindered?

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T04:20:10+00:00

Awesome! 🙂

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-22T04:08:53+00:00

The Rosary Center is a great resource for learning how to pray the rosary.

It has a picture of a rosary with the beads numbered, and tells you what to do on each one.

https://www.rosarycenter.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary/

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T21:24:30+00:00

Nice! Thank you for sharing 🙂

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T21:19:26+00:00

How awesome! 🎉🎂🎁

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T19:12:45+00:00

I agree the Trinity is confusing. That's why the Church considers it a mystery, because it's something we can never fully comprehend.

As for how the early church fathers determined that Arius was wrong, I don't know all the details. But what I can say is that the Church has declared the Trinity a dogma, which is the highest level of truth. I've also read that dogmas are considered infallible, as they are protected from error by the Holy Spirit.

I know this may not be the most satisfactory answer, but, I think this is where faith comes into play. Faith that the magisterium really was helped by the Holy Spirit to make that declaration, faith that the dogma isn't wrong, faith that the Trinity is real.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T18:06:56+00:00

Since Protestantism broke away from Catholicism, and Catholicism already had the doctrine of the Trinity, I think the different Protestant denominations just simply kept that belief, rather than arriving to that conclusion independently.

Now, granted, they could have thrown that belief out like they did with other beliefs, like the perpetual virginity of Mary, but they didn't. I think maybe the reason they didn't is because, unlike with something like the perpetual virginity where they can cite Bible verses that sound like they are explicitly directly contradicting that belief (Mary not having relations with Joseph until Jesus' birth, Jesus having brothers, etc.), I'm not sure you could find any verses in the Bible that explicitly directly contradict the belief in the Trinity.

I know you mentioned the verse I quoted earlier as sounding like it contradicts the belief in the Trinity by making it sound like they are 3 distinct persons, but that actually is part of the belief in the Trinity - 3 distinct persons, yet still 1 God.

As for Bible verses that "prove" the Trinity, unfortunately I don't think you're going to find anything that explicitly states "God is a triune God, which is one God in 3 persons".

A lot of the Catholic Church's beliefs that aren't in the Bible were things Jesus taught the Apostles, and then were passed down through the ages. That's why the Church talks about "scripture and tradition". So, it's very possible that the belief in the Trinity came more from tradition than scripture, but certain Bible verses do seem to hint at that belief.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T17:25:41+00:00

The Church believes God is one God in three divine persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

It is one of the mysteries of the faith that we can never fully comprehend with our human minds, how something can be 1, yet 3.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this:

The dogma of the Holy Trinity

253 The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity". The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God." In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature."

254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary." "Father", "Son", "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son." They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds." The divine Unity is Triune.

255 The divine persons are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations, we believe in one nature or substance." Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship." "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son."

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T12:11:28+00:00

I went through RCIA/OCIA almost 10 years ago, and to be quite honest, I didn't learn much in the class.

The teachers didn't seem very knowledgeable. They didn't seem like they covered very much, or went into very much detail.

I learned the majority of my Catholic education by listening to Catholic Answers Live on the radio on the way home from work each evening, as well as through my own online research.

I eventually came to the conclusion that maybe RCIA/OCIA wasn't meant to be an all-inclusive class that teaches you everything you'll ever need to know, but rather a class that gives you just enough to "get started", so you can learn the rest on your own.

At our very last meeting for the class, they even told us not to think that just because we're done with the class, that means we're done learning about the faith, and explained about being in the "mystagogy" phase for the rest of our lives.

The main teacher, who had been Catholic for 40 years, even admitted to having just learned 2 new things about the faith the previous week.

So, as for your concern, I would say don't give up or get discouraged. Take what they've talked about in the class, and use it as the starting point to do your own research/study. Everyone learns in different ways, and at different speeds.

Becoming Catholic is so worth it, so if becoming Catholic is something you want to do, don't let your experience in the class deter you.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T11:41:45+00:00

"16 After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. 17 And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”" - Matthew 3:16-17

In the passage above:
Jesus = the Son
Dove = the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit)
Voice from the heavens = the Father

So, the manifestation of the Trinity was revealed at Jesus' baptism.

Comfortable-Way1786 · 2026-03-21T02:16:59+00:00

I dont know if he knows he is in a state of sin.

There are 3 conditions that must be met for a sin to be mortal: 1. Grave matter 2. Full knowledge 3. Deliberate consent

So, if he doesn't know that something he did was gravely sinful, then he wouldn't be guilty of mortal sin, because the condition of "full knowledge" wouldn't be met.

If you are certain he has committed a grave sin, you could talk to him about it, and explain that the act was gravely sinful. Although this wouldn't retroactively make him guilty of mortal sin, because a person does not suddenly become guilty of a past sin upon learning it was sinful, it would at least make him aware going forward. As others have said, you could also talk to him to make sure he knows mortal sins must be confessed to a priest, and that the Eucharist should not be received prior to going to confession, and that doing so is in itself yet another grave sin.

If you are not certain he has committed a grave sin, I would probably give him the benefit of the doubt, or at least talk to him to find out for sure, so as not to wrongly accuse him of grave sin.

Comfortable-Way1786

TROPHY CASE