Chapter I: The Treatment of Penitents in Different Spiritual Conditions (3)

1. God sometimes permits scruples (_permissive_), withdrawing from just motives His supernatural light. If the trials thus proceed from God, they are, _per se_, useful, produce a profounder contrition, humility, and detachment from the world.

2. Scruples proceed from the devil also (_effective_), who has a peculiar skill in producing them by confusing the imagination with false shows and suggestions. He does not plague great sinners with scruples, because he is content to leave them in their state of presumption, and so cast them ever deeper and deeper into ruin. Nor are great saints troubled by him, because in them fear has been conquered by perfect love. It is only those who have begun to give themselves to God, and chiefly those who have abandoned great sins and entered upon the right road. His object is to perplex and hamper them in their spiritual progress, to plunge them into despair, or, at least, to disturb their interior peace. Scruples emanating from Satan must, therefore, be combated with all energy, _for they tend to evil_.

3. Scruples may also be traced to natural causes (_dispositive_), the individual having a keener and more sensitive perception of evil, or a wavering, unsettled judgment.

These natural causes are partly physical and partly moral: (_a_) Bodily constitution: a melancholy temperament may incline an otherwise sagacious man to suspicion, obstinacy and scrupulosity. Others who in consequence of a physical disposition are low-spirited, despondent, and timid, readily conceive an unreasonable fear of sin, and if they do not quickly banish this fear, they frequently fall a prey to scruples. (_b_) Nervousness and disease of the brain: the imagination becomes excited and perplexed, so that vivid conceptions of the imagination are not sufficiently distinguished from the judgments of reason. This affection may be hereditary, or it may arise from overwork, late hours, or immoderate fasting. (_c_) Dullness of mind, which cannot adequately distinguish real from seeming motives; but acuteness of intellect, if the judgment is not well balanced, may produce the same result. (_d_) Hidden pride and obstinacy of private judgment: a man subject to these moral defects becomes easily entangled in doubts and scruples. (_e_) Too great anxiety to avoid everything—I will not say in any way evil, for that we must avoid, but which has even the appearance of evil; thus is formed the habit of adopting the stricter and the speculatively more certain view, a proceeding which in practice does not by any means tend to the safer course.[926] (_f_) Intercourse with scrupulous people, reading books in which only the stricter opinions are advanced, confessing to a scrupulous confessor.[927]

III. The following considerations will show when the scruples proceed from God: (1) when they excite sincere detestation of sin; (2) when they do not last long and end in great calm of mind; (3) when they are called forth by hatred of sin.

Scruples may be recognized as proceeding from the evil one: (1) when they produce lukewarmness and despair of salvation; (2) when the scruples occur in connection with the holiest actions, especially where a man is otherwise not accustomed to be much troubled with them; (3) when a man detests only this or that kind of sin—others not so much; God detests all sin; (4) when a man yields to grave temptations while at the same time he is anxious about trifles.[928]

But when, without apparent reason, the heart becomes uneasy and the head affected, when a sudden tremor takes possession of the limbs and the mind is filled with scruples, we may justly assume that the latter proceed from natural causes, and this sign is the more certain if in all places and in all actions the penitent is molested by them.

IV. Scruples are _very pernicious_, causing perplexity and dejection of spirit, placing obstacles in the way of the soul’s progress towards virtue, closing the heart to the consolation of the Holy Ghost, producing dryness of spirit, aversion to prayer, and neglect of the ordinary duties. Scruples frequently undermine health, not seldom exposing the subject of them to the danger either of becoming insane or of falling into great sins of impurity, despair, blasphemy, or suicide.[929]

St. Alphonsus distinguishes three kinds of scruples, and theologians universally follow him in this division: (_a_) scruples concerning former confessions, the person being always uneasy about them, although they have been made properly and completely; this kind of scruple is not so difficult to overcome; (_b_) scruples concerning the consent to sinful thoughts about different matters; here the scruple as a rule comes after the action—these scruples may be a heavy burden; (_c_) scruples concerning all actions, or at least innumerable things about which other men do not at all trouble themselves. These are the worst scruples. The remedies which the confessor has to employ for the cure of scruples are the following: (1) He must find out if the penitent is scrupulous about everything, or only some things, and what is the cause of the scruples. (2) He must convince the penitent that, where sin is not evident, the safest course for him is obedience to his confessor; and that, on the other hand, it is very dangerous not to obey his confessor. (3) He must, therefore, ask the penitent if he has confidence in him, and if he will obey him even against his own judgment; the confessor must undertake to guide the penitent only after these questions have been answered in the affirmative, otherwise he must tell him plainly to apply to another confessor in whom he has confidence and whom he is willing to obey. If this is not done, the confessor’s pains would be simply thrown away. (4) The confessor in most cases ought to be kind to the scrupulous penitent, though severity is sometimes necessary, especially where obstinacy in private judgment is manifested, or when the penitent presses for repetition of a confession against the advice of the confessor. Under no pretext whatever, not even when tears are added, should the confessor allow this. This extreme severity is a kindness; but it should be tempered with gentleness. (5) To doubts, let the confessor answer _without hesitation_ and _without much questioning_, and interpret everything according to the more lenient view. He should, in most cases, give no reasons for his answers, lest the penitent might think that after all his scruples were not to be despised, and because the latter will weigh these reasons, and make them doubtful by opposing to them his futile objections. Nor should he listen to new doubts and scruples, but when he is morally certain that a scruple is in question, he should sometimes without listening to the penitent order him to lay aside all anxiety and quickly to receive holy communion. (6) He should give the penitent some general rules to follow; the more general and the easier the application of these rules and the more comprehensive of individual circumstances, the better they are.[930] Such general rules to be given to the penitent are the following: (1) He must be convinced that he really is scrupulous—but that scruples by no means lead to holiness; he should, therefore, firmly resolve to combat them. (2) He should pray with great humility, confidence, and resignation to the divine Will for light and peace of conscience. (3) He should cling to one and the same confessor in whose learning and goodness he trusts, and whom he must obey most strictly, as the representative of God. The confessor’s decisions must be regarded as final by the penitent. Never should the penitent seek a solution of his doubts elsewhere than from his confessor. He should abide with this decision even if doubts again arise. (4) He must accustom himself to consider God as infinitely good, and occupy himself with thoughts which awaken confidence in God, avoiding any which have the opposite effect. (5) He should flee idleness, so that the devil may always find him busy. He should avoid intercourse with scrupulous people, as also reading about things which excite scruples. (6) As soon as a scruple arises, he should banish it, and think of something else, as if it were a temptation to evil. He should not allow his mind to dwell upon his scruples by opposing reasons to them, but energetically lay aside all doubt. (7) He must not give way to a scruple by obeying its suggestions; on the contrary, he must act boldly in opposition to the scruple, and not fear that he will sin, even when his conscience does not seem to him to be very clear about the matter. For a scrupulous person it should suffice to know that he must despise his scruples, and that in spite of them, he may do any act of which he cannot say _positively at first sight_ that it is a sin; and that, in order to commit a mortal sin, it is necessary for him to be able to say at once, without hesitation and without examination, that the thing in question is forbidden under mortal sin. (8) Let him be assured that he is by no means obliged to confess his doubts; indeed, that this is not even useful and must be forbidden. _Doubtful sins_ a scrupulous person is _certainly_ not bound to confess. Speculative doubts the scrupulous person is not bound to regard; for what for others is a reasonable motive for investigation, is not so for the scrupulous. From this results:—

(1) For a scrupulous person an act which he does not recognize at once as a sin is not a sin; (2) he may do that which he sees other conscientious people do without scruple, even when it is contrary to his own judgment or his own opinion; (3) scruples are, for him, no reasonable ground for doing or for not doing an action, or for hesitating; and this applies to the doubt as to whether a scruple or a valid reason is in question.[931]

With regard to different kinds of scruples Reuter gives the following good rules:—

1. He who is troubled with doubts _as to whether he has consented to interior temptations_, and is otherwise conscientious, may regulate his conduct according to the following principles: (_a_) He is never to believe that he has consented to a mortal sin if he does not positively know that he fully recognized the gravity of the sin, and fully consented to it. (_b_) If the person tempted is seized with fear, abhors the object of the temptation as he considers it more closely and remains determined not to offend God, he has not completely consented. This applies to non-scrupulous persons also; and theologians maintain that he who has a God-fearing conscience, and is not accustomed to consent to sin with full attention, may believe, in a case of doubt, that consent has not been complete, for _ex communiter contingentibus fit prudens præsumptio_. (_c_) Nor may we conclude that he has fully consented because the temptation lasted a long time, or because the sensual excitement was violent, for this is material and involuntary, and sometimes appears more considerable than it really was.

2. If the penitent is tempted against _faith_, or against _hope_, let him ignore the temptation, turn his mind to other things, especially to God, but let him not be perplexed by trying to awaken a positive act of these virtues. And if he thinks that he has had blasphemous thoughts, let him proceed in the same manner, despising them, and disbelieving that he has consented to them, although he may have felt a certain pleasure in these thoughts and emotions; indeed, the devil can create in the imagination a certain semblance of consent, while the individual himself and his will are far removed from the criminal act. When the soul has been calmed it is always useful to make an act of the love of God.

3. If the temptation refers to conditional events in the future, for instance, “what would you do if you were obliged either to sin or to endure this or that evil?” let him turn away energetically from such thoughts, not answering directly or positively but rather indirectly, “I will not offend God now; and should I ever be so situated, the grace of God will help me to do His will.” With this answer let him calm himself, and not rashly entangle himself in difficulties, lest he suffer the punishment of presumption, like the Apostle Peter.

4. If, _when looking at perfectly innocent things, impure images and emotions_ arise, let him look at them boldly if they are objects and pictures (for example, holy pictures), modestly and transiently if human beings; let him act as other conscientious men do in these things and despise the emotions or thoughts. He should proceed in the same manner if these things happen when he is saying certain prayers; let him not omit the prayers on this account, but devoutly proceed with them.

5. The _Divine Office_ may be a source of scruples. The penitent may doubt whether he had the intention of reciting it; this scruple is ridiculous, for the very fact of his saying it shows that the intention is there. He may doubt that he has recited it properly, having mutilated words, or been voluntarily distracted; in this case he should not repeat anything at all, for since he honestly wished to perform his duty, it is to be presumed that he did it properly. While he is saying his Office he must not stop, but proceed according to previous intention without hesitation, without straining the mind, without hurry, without anxiety. As the requisite attention is not prevented by any action which, of its nature, is consistent with interior attention, the person should not be troubled if he has done such an action, unless it were of a kind which conscientious men would, during prayer, be careful to avoid. After the completion of the Office, an anxious person should repeat nothing, even if he fears that he has said it badly. If he is very scrupulous, and requires too much time for saying his Office, his Superior or confessor can fix a certain time in which conscientious clerics are accustomed to say it conveniently, and if, after devoting this time to it, he has not quite finished it, he shall omit the part still remaining. Indeed, according to the same author, and Gobat, whom St. Alphonsus quotes (in approval of his opinion), the Office could even be absolutely _forbidden_ to such a person till it could be assumed that he was able to recite it without such worry; for grave inconvenience releases from obedience to the commandments of the Church.[932]

73. Converts.

As it is not every belief that saves, but only the true faith taught by Christ, the zealous priest will be anxious to contribute, as much as he is able, to the conversion of heretics. He will, therefore, in continued prayer, implore for them the light of grace, that they may recognize their error and seek the truth; he will, when occasion presents itself, exhort them to avoid sin, “because error does not produce sins, but sins produce error,” and “darkness does not comprehend the light.” He will also, in a judicious manner, encourage them to attend our religious services, to hear sermons, to read books in which the Catholic doctrine is exposed and explained; he will not object to friendly intercourse with them, in order to lead them gradually to a recognition of their errors, as they begin to doubt of the truth of their teachings, and salutary scruples arise in them. When a heretic wishes to accept the Catholic faith and be instructed, he should: I. Be received with great love and kindness and be asked discreetly why he wishes to change his religion and embrace the Catholic faith. Whatever motive he assigns, caution is necessary,—because there are designing people who, under the cloak of piety, seek, not the salvation of their souls, nor the truth, but temporal advantages, such as marriage, sustenance, etc., and, having obtained these, live bad lives, and return to their old vices, as examples both amongst Jews and heretics teach us. He has, therefore, to be taught that, in returning to the true Church, he must seek simply and solely the kingdom of God, and the salvation of his soul. If, however, he should say that he is poor and deprived of the means of sustenance, he should not be promised assistance till there is proof of his good intentions. But, in order that the priest may not be deceived, he should, if he does not already know the man sufficiently, examine him by various questions at different times, and only when he finds him sincere, recommend him to others. The priest should not show familiarity, nor do or say anything in private intercourse, which he would regret if the catechumen should, perchance, return to heresy.

Moreover, he should endeavor to acquire the confidence of the convert, so that the latter may gladly unfold to him all his errors, doubts, and wounds.

The convert must be admonished to attach great importance to the business of his conversion, as upon it depends his eternal salvation; he should, therefore, often and fervently pray for its happy issue, and perform good works; the priest himself should also most zealously pray and induce others to pray for him.

II. Having convinced himself of the good dispositions and steadfastness of the convert, the priest should readily offer to supply him with the necessary instruction, or, if he is really prevented from doing so, provide for his instruction at the hands of some other reliable person.

In the matter of the instruction the following points must be observed:—

1. First of all it must be ascertained if the convert is a material or a formal heretic. He is a formal heretic if he has knowingly and voluntarily adhered to any error against the truth of the Catholic faith, after that truth had been adequately exposed to him, and he had recognized it as truth. A material heretic is one who professes error through ignorance, or in consequence of perverse instruction or education. Perhaps most of the non-Catholics of the lower classes belong to the latter kind; seeing that, from childhood, they have been reared in every prejudice and calumny against our religion. But when reasonable doubts arise in them, they are bound to investigate, to pray for divine light, to search for the truth, and as soon as they recognize it to adopt it. Otherwise they become formal heretics, because they adhere with obstinacy to error.

2. Then we must investigate to what extent the convert has been instructed in the tenets of his sect, and what doubts trouble him with regard to the Catholic doctrine. For there are mainly two classes of heretics who become converts; the first consists of simple uneducated people, who require sound instruction in Christian truth, but who should be informed of points of controversy with great caution, in order that they may not learn new errors and hence new doubts. The other class is formed of educated people whom one must instruct especially on all points of divergence, so that their doubts are dispelled.

3. But as faith must be the rational and invincible assent to all revealed truths, the credibility of our dogmas must first be demonstrated to the heretic; and these are to be accepted if the Catholic Church alone is the true Church of Christ. He should, therefore, be taught that the true faith is necessary to salvation, and that there is only _one_ true religion, and only _one_ Church of Christ, as the true religion must come from God, and God who is truth itself cannot reveal what is self-contradictory. He should then be shown that the true Church of Christ must have definite marks which distinguish her from every false sect, and that these marks of the true Church of Christ are only possessed by the Catholic Church. After this we may expose particular doctrines, especially those articles in which Catholics differ from heretics, namely: the Sacraments, the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, purgatory, veneration of the saints, the infallibility of the Pope.

III. When the convert has been (according to his intelligence) fully instructed, he must be prepared for the reception of Baptism, if he be not baptized, of the Sacrament of Penance, and holy communion, and for a profession of faith. As converts generally dread confession, the priest must endeavor to remove their fear by reminding them of the seal of confession, the peace of mind following upon a good confession, and by lessening the difficulties of the examination of conscience. The manner of making a good preparation and thanksgiving for holy communion should be well explained. Finally, give him a formula of confession of faith in his native language, and explain it to him.

IV. Not till the priest is satisfied as to the convert’s knowledge and constancy should he receive him into the communion of the Church. _The reception itself_ may take place in three different ways, according to the circumstances of the convert:—

1. If he has not been baptized, or if the nullity of his Baptism is certain, Baptism is administered to him _absolutely_; but then no abjuration of heresy on the part of the convert takes place, nor is absolution given to him, because the Sacrament of Regeneration cleanses from all sins.

2. If Baptism has to be repeated _sub conditione_, the _abjuratio hæresis_, or the _professio fidei_ takes place in the vernacular, then Baptism is administered _sub conditione_, after which the convert confesses and receives absolution _sub conditione_.

3. If the Baptism which the convert formerly received is regarded as valid, he abjures his heresy by pronouncing the profession of faith, and is then absolved from the ecclesiastical censures.[933]

An _abjuratio hæresis_ is not to be demanded from children who have not arrived at the age of puberty, _i.e._ about their fourteenth year; nor is absolution from the censures to be administered, as they have not incurred any; they need only make the _professio fidei catholicæ_ before they are admitted to the Sacraments. For these young converts the Symbol of the Apostles seems to suffice. But from such as have passed this age, a formal abjuration of the sect to which they have hitherto belonged is to be demanded.[934] Although a _material_ heretic can be absolved by every confessor _pro foro interno_, it is more advisable and safer to procure from the bishop the _facultas absolvendi ab hæresi_, as there are difficulties in the matter, and the confessor may easily be deceived in his judgment. This faculty is always to be requested _pro foro externo_. If, at his conversion, a heretic must be baptized, his admission to the Church belongs to the right of the _parochus loci_. The bishop must be consulted as to the repetition of Baptism _sub conditione_.

V. After his reception into the bosom of the Church the convert, if his former Baptism was valid, or if he was rebaptized _sub conditione_, must make a complete confession of the sins of his former life. Let the confessor treat him with all charity, assist him with questions, being careful, however, not to institute a rigid examination. The confessor may ask him if he has uttered blasphemies or insults against the Catholic Church, or induced others to do so; if he has entertained doubts concerning his religion and how long he despised or neglected the truth. If the penitent has committed many grave sins, the confessor must be careful not to reprove him severely or harshly, rather praise his good disposition in confessing them, exhort him kindly but earnestly, henceforth to lead a truly Christian and good life. No great penance should be imposed at first, so as not to dispirit the penitent. Finally, the confessor administers absolution, _absolute_ or _sub conditione_, according as Baptism was either not repeated or was again administered _sub conditione_.

If a non-Catholic in the hour of death wishes to embrace the Catholic faith, he must make the _professio fidei_ before two witnesses, at least with regard to the doctrines which must be believed _necessitate medii et præcepti_. To avoid difficulties later this act should be taken down in writing, and the document signed. After which the dying person may be prepared by acts of faith, hope, and charity, contrition, and purpose of amendment; he should then confess; absolution from excommunication and from sin should be given him; after this the viaticum and Extreme Unction.

But if the dying person shows no disposition to accept the Catholic faith, the priest should seek to gain his confidence, and then gradually approach the question of his salvation. Let the priest endeavor first to awaken in the dying man an act of faith in all that God has revealed, especially in all that must be believed _necessitate medii_, then an act of hope, of perfect contrition, and resignation. In such a case it is not prudent to ask the man bluntly to join the true Church, for fear of exposing him to a great temptation. In order, however, to be able to administer to him the conditional absolution, he should be induced to acknowledge himself a sinner before God, and, having elicited contrition, to declare also that he wished to be assisted as much as possible by the services of the priest the better to obtain eternal life.[935] Absolution _sub conditione_ can then be administered to the dying man, by secretly pronouncing the form of words, without making the sign of the cross.