Article — Prümmer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis
Article I. On Perplexed Conscience
50
50 In the German language it is called: Das verwirrte Gewissen.
317. Notion. Perplexed conscience is that which fears sin on both sides, whether it does the act or omits it. For example, some fearful person, on whom the care of some sick person lies, thinks that he commits sin if on a feast day he does not assist at Mass; but on the other side he fears lest he gravely injure charity if he leaves the sick person alone at home and assists at Mass; or another example, which can happen rather often: a confessor fears to absolve a penitent, either because he is doubtfully disposed, or because he probably committed a reserved sin; but on the other side he fears lest the penitent, dismissed without absolution, will now neglect receiving the sacraments. - Therefore a man with a perplexed conscience is like a navigator between Scylla and Charybdis.
318. Rules to be observed. 1. If he who labors under a perplexed conscience can suspend the action and meanwhile consult wise men or books, he is certainly bound to this. The reason is that according to the first principle brought above concerning true conscience to be sought, each person is bound to apply serious solicitude toward having a right conscience and toward acting according to laws truly existing.
2. If the perplexed person is able neither to consult wise men or books nor to defer the action, as is accustomed to happen in the example brought above concerning the confessor, then he ought to choose that which seems less evil to him, having before his eyes that the stronger law prevails over the lesser law. Thus divine law prevails over human law.
3. If the perplexed person neither can consult wise men or books nor is able to discern which law in such a conflict is stronger, he is able freely to choose either part; for no one is bound to the impossible and no one necessarily sins. Nevertheless, if this perplexity has arisen from preceding fault, as for example if a confessor is not able to solve rightly some practical case because he previously neglected the study of moral Theology, then all those things hold which were said above concerning vincible and culpable ignorance.51
4. If perplexed conscience is at the same time joined with scrupulous conscience, as often happens, then the rules soon to be given concerning the scrupulous are to be applied.
51 Cf. n. 46.