Q. I think I broke the seal of confession. A friend of mine shared with me his experience of the compassion of a priest in confession. I then shared his story with another friend. Am I excommunicated? Did I commit a mortal sin?
A. No, you are not excommunicated, and you did not commit a mortal sin. This is not an example of breaking the seal of confession. This is sharing a good experience with another person, and it is commendable, not condemnable. There is
a difference.
Q. If, in your mind, you decide that you are going to commit a mortal sin, but then you change your mind before physically committing that sin, have you committed a mortal sin?
A. No. This is a perfect example of the torturous thinking that is generated by scrupulosity—a question driven by “what if…?” This is not how real decision-making takes place, and it is certainly not reflective of the seriousness of mortal sin. It is just the type of thinking that scrupulosity produces.