Why doesn't the Holy See help people with scrupulousity

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Francisco_Fernando

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Hey guys. I want to ask why doesn’t the Holy See help people with scrupulousity? Why doesn’t the catechism try to include mortal or venial sins? Why do parishes pick up the slack by making their own examination of consciences? I have not seen a moral theology book that was properly annotated by another work by a saint. These books were from Traditional Catholic Sources.
 
I disagree that the Church does not help with scrupulosity. Priests in confession and on Catholic Answers Forums have done a lot for my scrupulosity to improve.
 
I have not seen priests in the apologetics section give an extended answer or give a theological argument say why a certain sin is not sinful.
 
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I don’t know the answers to your questions but two books that helped my scrupulosity were Understanding Scrupulosity by Fr. Santa and Scruples and Sainthood by Trent Beattie.
 
Are you saying that scrupulosity is sinful?

Actually it is more like a compulsive thing and it is not a sin …
 
Francisco_Fernando said:
I have not seen priests in the apologetics section give an extended answer or give a theological argument say why a certain sin is not sinful.
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By definition, a “sin” IS “sinful”. Perhaps what you meant to say is that you would like the Church to say what actions are sinful.

The Church will say which actions are “grave”. But “grave” does not equate to “sinful”. “Grave” equates to “serious matter”.

The Church can’t say what actions are mortally sinful, because this isn’t the same for each person. Remember, there are three components to be met for a mortally sinful act to occur. If the three components aren’t met, then there is no sin. Yes, one person could kill another person, and it wouldn’t be a sin if the three components aren’t met.

Sin is very subjective. That is why it is always recommended to meet with a priest if one is having difficulty discerning if their own behavior(s) is sinful.

ETA: To avoid confusion about me, I need to be clear in stating I don’t believe in the Church’s concept of sin. However, my explanation in this post is provided courtesy of my Catholic education.
 
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The Chirch teaches that certain acts are contrary to moral law, or sinful.

It also teaches which are serious, or grave, matter.

It also teaches the criteria for a person’s being guilty of mortal sin:
  1. grave matter
  2. full knowledge
  3. full consent
Say a women’s husband is on a ship which sinks. All are presumed lost, and eventually she remarries.

Then her husband returns.

Objectively she has committed adultery; however, she did not have full knowledge, so she is not guilty of the sin.

If you are scrupulous, you need to find a good priest who can help you and go to him for Confession, because scrupulous people tend to think they are guilty of mortal sin even when they are not.

It is like the spiritual form of feeling like your hands are dirty and in need of washing over and over again.

Do not worry now about sin; focus on working on your scrupulosity with both a priest and a therapist.
 
It is not surprising to me that this exists. With so many “rules” in the church it would seem relatively easy to fall this way. The near constant need to be in a state of grace for when death comes unexpectedly can be difficult for many. It is one teaching I haven’t clarified for myself as yet. If a person is absolved, and has an impure thought just before being hit by a bus, will this delay their entrance to heaven? I prefer to think not. (My opinion. We are imperfect and as such, will always be not in a state of perfect grace. God understands this since he made us.)
Dominus vobiscum
 
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Francisco_Fernando said:
I was talking about mortal sin.
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You are asking, then, why you haven’t seen any priests posting on these threads here at CAF, giving a list of venial sins and a separate list of mortal sins. Is that your question? In that case, I suggest you take a look at @Annie’s post #8 or 9 on this thread. Classifying sins in the way you suggest isn’t such a simple and straightforward task as you seem to believe:
Annie said:
It also teaches the criteria for a person’s being guilty of mortal sin:
  1. grave matter
  2. full knowledge
  3. full consent
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Each individual case requires careful analysis in the light of each of these three criteria.
 
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Scrupulosity is an anxiety disorder.

Did Jesus say, “Go out and heal the scrupulous”? No, he said, “Go out and baptize”.

Why do some people think that a church is really a social service organization?
 
You still seem not to understand that those with this type of problem are scrupulous and need not only the attention of a good priest but also, as a general rule, a therapist.

This preoccupation with whether one has sinned and at what level is a manifestation of a psychological problem in the person. It is not a problem with Church teaching or the manner or matter of Church teaching.
 
Francisco_Fernando said:
Why do parishes pick up the slack by making their own examination of consciences?
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Not sure I understand, I’ve rarely seen a parish compile their own EoC, they usually make available one from a trusted source.

One year my priest told me to use 1 Corinthians chapter 13 as my examine. That was life changing.

Bishops’ Conferences publish examinations of conscience

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...entals/penance/examinations-of-conscience.cfm

SA is a well known support for those suffering from scrupulosity

https://scrupulousanonymous.org/
 
Scrupulosity isn’t much of a problem anymore, because by and large, people have lost their sense of sin, and above all, their sense that some sins are so serious (objectively grave matter, sufficient reflection, full consent of the will) that they could rupture one’s relationship with Almighty God and deprive the soul of sanctifying grace. The problem these days is not of scrupulosity, but of what could be called (for want of a better term), the lack of scrupulosity. If people had a finely honed sense of sin, they would constantly be on guard to ensure that they do not commit these sins. Nowadays, though, the reality of sin in people’s actual lives is sorely lacking. Many people engage in premarital sex, practice contraception, live together outside of marriage, and so on, and don’t give it a second thought. There are far more sins than just sins of the flesh, but as Our Lady of Fatima said, more souls go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason.

All this said, scrupulosity remains a serious problem for some people. This can only be resolved by humble submission to a good, faithful, orthodox confessor, and where necessary, psychological counseling to address the obsessive-compulsive aspect of scrupulosity.
 
As someone who used to be scrupulous, I can say that the Holy See does a lot to help those who are scrupulous. My confessors at my Parish wonderfully helped me to deal with scrupulosity. The Church has always made clear that not all sins are mortal.

God bless
 
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