For scrupulous people

[Monica4316]

If anyone here is struggling with scrupulosity, I really liked this article about it, and it says pretty much what my priest has told me also. I recommend everyone with scrupulosity to read it, it can help. catholicpamphlets.net/pamphlets/Are%20You%20Scrupulous.pdf

God bless!

 

[McatholicN]

I’m surprised I’ve never seen this. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bookcat]

From a quick look at the article…

NB: it is important to note that it is a rather dated article.

(some parts vividly so…such as the reference America and the terms used such as disease…reference to a older kinds of fasts…etc).

Not that it can not contain many good things but be it known that it is from another time period (not that older works on this subject are not often very relevant and some even splendid).

Those who are scrupulous out there or have some difficulty with scruples etc…*consult *with your regular confessor. If you do not yet have one…obtain one.

 

[Blenderx]

Good article! Thanks for sharing!

I do have to disagree with the good Father on one point, however: He states that the scrupulous person is invariably virtuous and nearly sinless. But it is possible for someone to be struck with scruples in the first mansions, when there is still attachment to venial sin and the occasional fall into mortal sin still happens. For them, although they may be aware of having consented to a sin that is probably venial, they become convinced and very afraid that it was in fact mortal. The article doesn’t seem to address such a case, sadly. Any thoughts?

 

[PiousTemplar]

Thanks Monica. On a thread last night somone posted that, I added it to favourites. Extremely helpful.

 

[Bookcat]

Any thoughts?

As I noted it is a rather * “dated” *article.

Also note that it was an “interview” and even if it was by another Priest …interviews are well not always the best.

I have seen this article in the past…and I recall that there were good things there…and there were some things to disagree with or fill out etc.

In any case as noted above…

Those who are scrupulous out there or have some difficulty with scruples etc…consult with your regular confessor on this. If you do not yet have one…obtain one.

 

[Monica4316]

Even though the article may be dated, I have to say that I received the same advice on scrupulosity from my priest.

one of the points in the article is that the way to cure scrupulosity is finding a good confessor.

Good article! Thanks for sharing!

I do have to disagree with the good Father on one point, however: He states that the scrupulous person is invariably virtuous and nearly sinless. But it is possible for someone to be struck with scruples in the first mansions, when there is still attachment to venial sin and the occasional fall into mortal sin still happens. For them, although they may be aware of having consented to a sin that is probably venial, they become convinced and very afraid that it was in fact mortal. The article doesn’t seem to address such a case, sadly. Any thoughts?

I am scrupulous and I would say that i still commit mortal sins, sadly however I think the situation described in the article can very well be. I think what Father is trying to say there is that since scrupulous people are so concerned with sin, they try very hard not to consent to sin: even if they FEEL they have consented, they probably have not. If they absolutely know that they consented, and their confessor agrees, then they did.

I think the distinction between mortal and venial sin is mentioned in the article; for the scrupulous person everything seems like a mortal sin, so they need to have a good confessor to help them figure out if it’s truly mortal or not.

God bless!

 

[HonoraDominum]

Monica:

I’m in the middle of reading “Light and Peace” and I am LOVING it! It was recommended by the girl at my local Catholic book store, and boy do I owe her for this recommendation. You can get a paperback copy for under $10 at TanBooks.com, or you can get it for free if you have a nook through the nook bookstore. You can also read a scan of the book online. It’s fantastic!

I’m not the kind that can be coddled spiritually - my confessor has said, on more than one occasion, “You’re scrupulous, don’t do that! Cut it out!” “It”, of course, being whatever I’m doing that is causing scrupulosity. So the writing style of this book is really talking to me. There’s a lot of examples of ways to manage specific types of scruples, such as:

Never repeat a prayer, even should you have said it with many distractions. You cannot imagine the innumeral difficulties in which you may become entangled by the habit of repeating your prayers. Therefore I beg of you not to do it. In St. Ignatius’ time there was a certain religious of the Society of Jesus who was a victim of this kind of scruple. The recital of the daily Office always kept him much longer than was necessary because he would repeat again and again and for hours at a time any passage that he suspected had not been said with sufficient attention. St. Ignatius tried to correct him by various means, but in vain. At length the thought occured that one scruple might be cured by another. He therefore commanded the poor Jesuit, under pain of sin and in virtue of religious obedience, to close his breviary every day at the end of a specified time, this being just enough to allow him to read the Office through once and rather quickly. The first day the religious was obliged to stop before he had half finished. This caused him such intense regret that ere long the fear of not being able to say the entire Office made him contract the habit of finishing it within the alloted time.

It’s a bit old school, but it takes liberally from the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and the ‘Imitation of Christ’, and is a book I have no doubt I will be reading again and again.

Light and peace: instructions for devout souls to dispel their doubts and allay their fears - Carlo Giuseppe Quadrupani

• **Free (Scanned Pages) **- Google Books
• Free (Public Domain) - nook bookstore
• **$8.95 (+ s&h) **- Tan Books

 

[Monica4316]

thanks! I like old school

 

[Blenderx]

I am scrupulous and I would say that i still commit mortal sins, sadly however I think the situation described in the article can very well be. I think what Father is trying to say there is that since scrupulous people are so concerned with sin, they try very hard not to consent to sin: even if they FEEL they have consented, they probably have not. If they absolutely know that they consented, and their confessor agrees, then they did.

I think the distinction between mortal and venial sin is mentioned in the article; for the scrupulous person everything seems like a mortal sin, so they need to have a good confessor to help them figure out if it’s truly mortal or not.

God bless!

That’s true, thank you.

Monica:

I’m in the middle of reading “Light and Peace” and I am LOVING it! It was recommended by the girl at my local Catholic book store, and boy do I owe her for this recommendation. You can get a paperback copy for under $10 at TanBooks.com, or you can get it for free if you have a nook through the nook bookstore. You can also read a scan of the book online. It’s fantastic!

I’m not the kind that can be coddled spiritually - my confessor has said, on more than one occasion, “You’re scrupulous, don’t do that! Cut it out!” “It”, of course, being whatever I’m doing that is causing scrupulosity. So the writing style of this book is really talking to me. There’s a lot of examples of ways to manage specific types of scruples, such as:

It’s a bit old school, but it takes liberally from the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and the ‘Imitation of Christ’, and is a book I have no doubt I will be reading again and again.

Light and peace: instructions for devout souls to dispel their doubts and allay their fears - Carlo Giuseppe Quadrupani

• **Free (Scanned Pages) **- Google Books
• Free (Public Domain) - nook bookstore
• **$8.95 (+ s&h) **- Tan Books

Thank you! That is great. I have a book called ‘To Settle Your Conscience’ by Rev. Cass Kucharek I would like to recommend to anybody suffering. It is wonderful. A little older and I think out of print ( I bought a used copy off amazon for fairly cheap), but it has been most helpful for me. It goes over almost every possible sin, explaining what they are, what would make such a sin venial or grave, and then giving examples. It is sound and an excellent resource when you have doubts and don’t have access to a confessor at the moment.

 

[Bookcat]

Thank you! That is great. I have a book called ‘To Settle Your Conscience’ by Rev. Cass Kucharek I would like to recommend to anybody suffering. It is wonderful. A little older and I think out of print ( I bought a used copy off amazon for fairly cheap), but it has been most helpful for me. It goes over almost every possible sin, explaining what they are, what would make such a sin venial or grave, and then giving examples. It is sound and an excellent resource when you have doubts and don’t have access to a confessor at the moment.

Yes there is much that is good in that book in terms of moral theology. However there is some things which he would certainly change if he was to edit it today due to the times it was written in (in particular his referring to the conversations at the time in regards to Humanae Vitae and one statement of a particular conference of Bishops at that time…if he was writing it today…such would be very clear…he would state what is in the Catechism and other Church documents etc…).

 

[houston1]

Monica:

I’m in the middle of reading “Light and Peace” and I am LOVING it! It was recommended by the girl at my local Catholic book store, and boy do I owe her for this recommendation. You can get a paperback copy for under $10 at TanBooks.com, or you can get it for free if you have a nook through the nook bookstore. You can also read a scan of the book online. It’s fantastic!

I’m not the kind that can be coddled spiritually - my confessor has said, on more than one occasion, “You’re scrupulous, don’t do that! Cut it out!” “It”, of course, being whatever I’m doing that is causing scrupulosity. So the writing style of this book is really talking to me. There’s a lot of examples of ways to manage specific types of scruples, such as:

It’s a bit old school, but it takes liberally from the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and the ‘Imitation of Christ’, and is a book I have no doubt I will be reading again and again.

Light and peace: instructions for devout souls to dispel their doubts and allay their fears - Carlo Giuseppe Quadrupani

• **Free (Scanned Pages) **- Google Books
• Free (Public Domain) - nook bookstore
• **$8.95 (+ s&h) **- Tan Books

I just ordered Light and Peace off of amazon. I look forward to reading it. Thanks for the suggestion. I also read To Settle Your Conscience (mentioned by another person on this thread) and it is also very good.

 

[Blenderx]

Yes there is much that is good in that book in terms of moral theology. However there is some things which he would certainly change if he was to edit it today due to the times it was written in (in particular his referring to the conversations at the time in regards to Humanae Vitae and one statement of a particular conference of Bishops at that time…if he was writing it today…such would be very clear…he would state what is in the Catechism and other Church documents etc…).

Yes, that is true. Its a little bit older and I’ve come across a couple of things that should be seen in light of that. The vast majority of it I’ve found to be applicable to today and all of it trustworthy.

 

[Bookcat]

Yes, that is true. Its a little bit older and I’ve come across a couple of things that should be seen in light of that. The vast majority of it I’ve found to be applicable to today and all of it trustworthy.

Yes I say there is much in there that is good…even very good. But with that particular caviate (however you spell that darn word!) that I posted.

And course there has been a whole renewal of moral theology since the mid 1970’s

 

[JerrySeibert]

Great article thanks for sharing. I agree with many views of the Priest. It seems some people can forgive anything but themselves.