A Topic of Moral Theology

The Scrupulous Conscience

The nature, causes, and remedies of scrupulosity, and rules for its direction.

Within this topic

Remedy The Office of the Confessor — in Penance and Confession

See also Causes and remedies of scruples — in The Scrupulous Conscience · The Lax Conscience — in Conscience · The Office of the Confessor — in Penance and Confession

Also asked about as…

overly anxious about sin · religious ocd · scruple · scrupulosity (ed.)

In the index as Conscience (Conscientia) · Scruples · Scruple · Scruple, scrupulous person · The scrupulous · A scrupulous conscience · Moral conscience · Scrupulousness · Confessor (Confessarius) · Doubt · Laxity · Confession · Conscience, moral, psychological · Disturbances · Remedies · Rules · Scrupulous person · Signs · The confessor in troublesome cases concerning venereal matter · Attention (Attentio) · Cicero, concerning sin · Confessor with respect to the scrupulous · Conscience, scrupulous · Damage

In the manuals

Summa of Moral Theology (Summa Theologiae Moralis)

Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology, On the Principles of Moral…, Book Fourth. On Conscience., Question First. On the Nat…, Article Third. On Scrupulous Conscience., nn. 213, 214, 215, 216 & 217 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)

A Manual of Moral Theology for English-Speaking Countries

Vol. I, Bk. II, Chapter V. The Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)

Manual of Moral Theology (Manuale Theologiae Moralis)

Vol. I, Bk. I, Tr. II, Diss. II, Pt. I, Sect. III, Ch. II, Art. II, § II. On Scrupulous Conscience, n. 240 — He has a scrupulous conscience who habitually, from an empty reason and with a certain anxiety, apprehends sin where there is no sin; these things will become clearer from what must be said about scruples. I. The notion … Read in context →

Moral Theology: A Complete Course (McHugh & Callan)

Vol. I, Pt. I, Q. IV, Art. 2. A Good Conscience, The Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 612 & 613 (7 passages — hover a number to read it)

Cases of Conscience, Proposed by Cardinal de Lugo, by Fr. Beniamino Elbel, by Fr. Ioannes Petrus Gury and by Other Authors, and Resolved (Casus conscientiae)

14. On Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 1, 2 & 3 (10 passages — hover a number to read it)

Institutions of Moral Theology (Institutiones Theologiae Moralis)

Vol. I, On Conscience, VI. On Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164 & 165 (8 passages — hover a number to read it)

Vol. I, On the Precept of Charity, IV. On Alms, n. 413 — Resolves: If someone rich and abundant, without any reasonable cause, were to repel all poor persons from himself, he is truly in a bad state. Nevertheless absolution is not easily to be denied to anyone, however rich, w… Read in context →

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)

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)

Compendium of Moral Theology of Fr. John Peter Gury, S.J., with the Notes of Antonio Ballerini, S.J.

Vol. I, Treatise On Conscience, Ch. III, Article I. On Scrupulous Conscience, nn. ¶1, ¶2, 44, 45, 46, 47 & 48 (41 passages — hover a number to read it)

Synopsis of Moral and Pastoral Theology

Vol. II, Fundamental Moral Theology…, On Conscience, nn. 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365 & 366 (8 passages — hover a number to read it)

A Handbook of Moral Theology (Koch–Preuss)

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)

Theologia Moralis: Principles — Responses — Counsels

Vol. I, Tr. IV, Tit. II, Article II: On Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385 & 386 (7 passages — hover a number to read it)

Institutiones Morales Alphonsianae

Vol. I, Part First: On the First P…, Tr. I, Chapter I: On True and Erroneous Conscience, nn. ¶4, ¶27 & ¶28 (3 passages — hover a number to read it)

Manuale Theologiae Moralis

Vol. I, Pt. I, Tract IV. On Conscience, Ch. IV, Article II. On Scrupulous Conscience, nn. 319, 320, 321, 322 & 323 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)

Theologia Moralis Sancti Alphonsi: Reduced into a Compendium

Vol. I, Treatise on Conscience, CHAPTER II: ON SCRUPULOUS AND LAX CONSCIENCE, nn. ¶38, ¶1, ¶39, ¶2, ¶40, ¶3, ¶41, ¶4, ¶42, ¶5, ¶43, ¶6 & ¶44 (13 passages — hover a number to read it)

Pastoral Questions

Ch. III, Question IV: Concerning the Scrupulous, nn. ¶2848, ¶2849, ¶2850, ¶2851, ¶2852, ¶2853, ¶2854, ¶2855, ¶2856 & ¶2857 (10 passages — hover a number to read it)

Summa Theologiae Moralis

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. 124, 127, 128, 129 & 130 (59 passages — hover a number to read it)

Compendium of Moral Theology

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)

Summa Summae S. Thomae (Billuart)

Billuart, Summa Summae, Tomus II. On the Prima Sec…, On Human Acts, On Conscience, On the scrupulous conscience, through various little questions, nn. 1–28 (28 passages)

Christian Theology, Dogmatic and Moral, in Compendium

Bk. II, Diss. I, Chapter VI — On the Scrupulous Conscience, nn. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX & X (10 passages — hover a number to read it)

Cases of Conscience for English-Speaking Countries, Volume I

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 Casuist: A Collection of Cases in Moral and Pastoral Theology

Vol. I, Case XI: Hysterical Scrupulousness of a Nun, nn. ¶1–¶16 (16 passages)

Vol. IV, Case LXVII: Scrupulosity, nn. ¶1, ¶2, ¶3, ¶4 & ¶5 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)

Vol. V, Case LX: Feigning Scrupulousness in Confession, nn. ¶1, ¶2 & ¶3 (3 passages — hover a number to read it)

Questions of Moral Theology

Slater, Questions, Scruples, nn. ¶719, ¶720, ¶721, ¶722, ¶723, ¶724, ¶725, ¶726, ¶728, ¶729, ¶730, ¶731, ¶732, ¶733, ¶735, ¶736, ¶737, ¶738, ¶739, ¶740, ¶741, ¶742, ¶744, ¶745, ¶746, ¶747, ¶749 & ¶750 (28 passages — hover a number to read it)

The True Spouse of Jesus Christ

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 Conscience — Bucceroni, Moral Enchiridion · Bucceroni, Moral Enchiridion (4th ed., 1905) · Coppens, Moral Philosophy · Slater, Religion & Human Interests — these works do not divide the matter as finely as we do here, so their treatment stands one heading up (ed.)