Communion for the Scrupulous

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ArmyofTheImmaculata

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I wonder if anyone can clear up some doubts I’m having…

My Priest (who is also my spiritual director and confessor) has told me not to make my general confession again, however I am uncertain as to whether I withheld a sin (I mentioned the sin as best and plainly as I could but didn’t go into details as much as I thought I should have as I was embarrassed and wasn’t sure if the details were necessary) as a result I left the confessional with doubts that haven’t gone away.

I haven’t received Holy Communion in months and my Priest is recommending me to, even when uncertain and even when I believe I may have fallen into Mortal Sin (he said the reason for this is because he doesn’t trust my own judgement due to my tendency to be scrupulous)

I really want to receive Holy Communion, but I am worried of profaning the body of our Lord incase I did withhold that sin.

Are there exceptions where a Priest can tell a scrupulous person to receive even when they believe they may be in Mortal Sin?
 
I think you need to listen to your priest. I assume most of the time you are not sure if you have committed a mortal sin and that is probably what the priest means when he tells you to receive Communion even if you think you committed a mortal sin. It is important to listen to your confessor and to take his advice. If you have questions relating to sin maybe you should bring it up with him
 
You need to listen to your Priest. Why would you assume random strangers on the Internet can advise you better than someone who knows you and is trained to help you?
 
I didn’t assume, I was hoping others may have known of any exceptions as to why my Priest may have instructed me in this way.
 
I feel your pain. I’ve been in your position before. Scrupulosity is a tough cross to carry.

If you confessed a sin to the best of your ability, and were not trying to withhold or hide it in any way, then you made a good confession. If you were not sure if you needed to include certain details and didn’t include them, you made a good confession. It’s only if you knew that you needed to include certain details and deliberately didn’t that you would make a bad confession. Be at peace and receive Holy Communion. It will give you grace to overcome your scrupulosity.
 
A big part of overcoming scroupulosity lies in understanding what is and is not due to your scroupulosity. As a result of doing so, you may discern what concerns you need to care about and not.
 
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I’m at the point where the scrupulous voice is so loud I don’t recognise it until it is pointed out, then I am at peace until it creeps back in and I’m in doubts again, it’s very overwhelming. I think this is why my Priest is instructing me in this way.
 
You really need to trust your priest. As lay people who don’t even know you, we’re not in any position to second-guess your priest’s advice.
 
I’m a random person on the Internet, but everything I have seen indicates that scrupulous individuals are supposed to listen to their confessors over their own thoughts, because they are mentally ill and so their thoughts on topics of sin and morality are likely to be lying to them.
 
I used to feel something like that myself…
I remember one time when I even managed to get to Confession two days in a row with the very same priest - it clearly wasn´t one of my proudest moments.

Slowly but surely I started to realize which occacions and what thoughts that were literally due to my scropulosity and which were not.

After some activity online I realized that only potentially sinful actions which I practically say “yes” to, or that I go on with even though I know is against the law of God, is sinful. So that means that everytime I do, say or think something without intentionally letting it happen - it´s not sinful.

But it´s great that you are seeking guidance from your confessor. He is the one who can truly know you and help you with these things.
 
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I hesitate to mention this, but you might consider medical treatment (not necessarily psychiatric). It sounds to me like you have OCD and there is medication for that. Scrupulosity is where OCD meets true religious devotion, and that can be a big problem.
 
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