Topics › The Scrupulous Conscience › Scrupulosity

A Topic of Moral Theology

Scrupulosity

The conscience that exaggerates obligation and fears sin where there is none, and how it is treated.

The works themselves ask 9 questions under this heading — see them together with their answers.

In the index as Conscience · Scruples · Laxity · Scruple · Scrupulousness · SCRUPLES: What are real scruples and how they are hurtful · CONFESSION: utility of frequent confession · Disturbances · OBEDIENCE, the good that it brings us · SIN: we can and should avoid all venial sins that are plainly voluntary · The Scrupulous · CONFESSOR: need and choice of a director · Confession · Confessor · Damage · Doubt · EXAMPLE: we should profit by the good example and give it to others · Exorcism · Narrow · Obsession · Pharisees · Principles · Prudence of the confessor · Remedies

In the manuals

Read the manuals side by side → — each work's whole treatment in its own column

Moral Theology: A Complete Course (McHugh & Callan)

John A. McHugh, O.P., and Charles J. Callan, O.P. — 22 passages

Vol. I, Pt. I, Q. IV, Art. 2. A Good Conscience, Scrupulosity, nn. 614–635 (22 passages)

Commentaries on the Nature of Moral Theology, on Conscience and Probabilism, on the Fourth Precept, and on the Sixth and Ninth Precepts of the Decalogue (Commentarii)

Gennaro Bucceroni, S.J. — 15 passages

Bucceroni, Commentaries (1910), Second Commentary: On Cons…, VII. On Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181 & 182 (15 passages — hover a number to read it)

A Handbook of Moral Theology (Koch–Preuss)

Antony Koch; adapted and edited by Arthur Preuss — 10 passages

Vol. I, Its Subject, Norm, and Object, Morality, Its Subject, Norm, and Object, Ch. III, Section 4: A Scrupulous Conscience, nn. ¶1, ¶2, ¶3, ¶4, ¶5, ¶6, ¶7, ¶8, ¶9 & ¶10 (10 passages — hover a number to read it)

Pastoral Questions

Benedict H. Merkelbach, O.P. — 15 passages

Ch. III, Question IV: Concerning the Scrupulous, nn. ¶2830, ¶2831, ¶2832, ¶2833, ¶2834, ¶2848, ¶2849, ¶2850, ¶2851, ¶2852, ¶2853, ¶2854, ¶2855, ¶2856 & ¶2857 (15 passages — hover a number to read it)

Summa Theologiae Moralis

Benedict Henry Merkelbach, O.P. — 48 passages

Vol. II, Special Moral Theology: On…, Treatise: On the Cardinal …, Second Part: On the Virtue…, Ch. III, Single Question: On the Sp…, Article III: On Narrow and Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 127, 128, 129 & 130 (48 passages — hover a number to read it)

Compendium of Moral Theology

Aloysius Sabetti, S.J., and Timothy Barrett, S.J. — 7 passages

Vol. I, Tr. II, Chapter III. On Scrupulous and Lax Conscience, nn. 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 & 43 (7 passages — hover a number to read it)

Cases of Conscience for English-Speaking Countries, Volume I

Thomas Slater, S.J. — 9 passages

Slater, Cases I, Conscience, Case 8. A Scrupulous Penitent, nn. ¶1, ¶2, ¶3, ¶4, ¶5, ¶6, ¶7, ¶8 & ¶9 (9 passages — hover a number to read it)

The True Spouse of Jesus Christ

St. Alphonsus de Liguori — 6 passages

Chapter XVIII: The Frequentation of the Sacraments, nn. ¶2394, ¶2395, ¶2399, ¶2401, ¶2408 & ¶2409 (6 passages — hover a number to read it)

Treated under the broader heading The Scrupulous Conscience — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology · Slater, Manual of Moral Theology · Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology · Bucceroni, Cases of Conscience · Bucceroni, Institutions of Moral Theology · Gury-Ballerini, Compendium of Moral Theology (8th ed., 1884) · Tanquerey · Vermeersch, Theologia Moralis · Marc, Institutiones Morales · Prümmer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis · Konings, Theologia Moralis · Billuart, Summa Summae · Concina, Compendium · The Casuist and 1 more — these works do not divide the matter as finely as we do here, so their treatment stands one heading up (ed.)