Is Self-Flagellation permitted?

[ZelkonRodz]

Hi all, this is my first time posting on the forum (hopefully I’m doing this right), so here goes:

I’ve always wondered what the Church currently teaches regarding self-flagellation. Is this practise still on going, and would a lay person be permitted to ‘self-flagellate’? I’m just curious as I intend on fasting and offering sacrifices, so flagellation just so happened to come up in my head. I don’t intend on flagellating myself, I’m just curious of the current stance on the matter.

Thanks!!

 

[1ke]

You should only undertake spiritual or physical mortification under spiritual direction.

 

[TK421]

Sometimes I beat myself with a rolled-up newspaper if I jump on the table or try to drink the plant water.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The Church nowadays frowns upon self-flagellation and other forms of physical self-punishment, and specifies that if done at all, it can only be done under the guidance of a spiritual director and should be strictly limited. Obviously the Church has concerns about the psychological and physical effects of this sort of thing and doesn’t want to encourage people to just go doing it on their own.

Most laypeople don’t even have spiritual directors who could guide them, so that would tend to make self-flagellation an automatic “no” for them. Even if you have a spiritual director, the spiritual director might still say “no”.

Members of religious orders, monasteries etc are more likely to have a spiritual director. Again, the spiritual director might tell them “no” or alternatively might give them permission and guidance for some very limited amount of self-flagellation. It’s my understanding that Pope John Paul II practiced it to some degree.

 

[on_the_hill]

Self-flagellation is counter-intuitive. If you are punishing yourself, doesn’t that mean that you want to punish yourself? And if you want to punish yourself, is that really a punishment?

Then I think of exercise. Exercise can be painful, but it’s also good for you. I’d rather lie in bed than get up and go for a run. Running can be painful. But the end result is, supposedly, long term good health.

On the other hand, “cutting,” has some kind of appeal for people with particular disorders. No one thinks that cutting is a good thing.

I’m going in circles with this.

 

[blackforest]

Try shooting yourself with a water gun - much more humane and ASPCA-endorsed.

 

[Socrates92]

I don’t understand the purpose of it. Wouldn’t it make just as much sense or more to just subject yourself to some form of grueling exercise or discomfort (ex: cold showers)? Assuming that you find the exercise/mortification difficult, the gains in self-mastery would be the same, but you’re not abusing your body which is supposed to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.

But then, many great saints practised self-flagellation, so who am I to criticize even if it makes no sense to me?

 

[Kindnessmatters]

It strikes me as goofy when we consider God has given us our bodies and other self destructive behaviours are recognized as sinful, such as glutony. If it is in God’s plan that we become martyrs, it will happen. If we seek it, on some level it becomes self gratification.

It is pretty uncomfortable and challenging just to avoid sin and seek virtue. There are likely positive things you need to do that you are neglecting (exercising, cleaning the house, visiting elderly relatives, dealing with a pile of paperwork). Challenge yourself to walk through the fatigue/pain/boredom of doing those things.

I find there is no end of things I should do but don’t want to, and sometimes praying for the fortitude to get through it helps. Now nearly 1 am, I have been cleaning and made great progress on long neglected projects. Soon I will go to bed and include thanks in my evening prayers for the fortitude and self control to do things I wanted done but didn’t want to do.