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PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGY
manner that has led to convulsive religious-ethical
emotionalism’, as Schulte says. It may be desirable to impose c certain
religious restraints, however unsatisfactory “such a prescription
may seem to the sufferer.
Schulte says that he sometimes finds it necessary to tell these
people that they do not need to make confession. Others he
allows to confess only very seldom. He is of the opinion that
scrupulous people should not be allowed to prepare themselves
confessor should either ask definite questions to gain iniormation
about their state and their activities since the previous
confession or prepare specially for each one a ‘confession mirror’ to
direct their self-examination.
If the scrupulous is to receive a penance it must be a very
easy one. For example, he must not be given meditation or
selfexamination unless very clear limits are set to the matters with
which he may occupy himself. Scrupulosity, like some other
psychic illnesses, is a serious hindrance to devotion and silent
prayer.
V. Lehodey! says in this connection that scrupulosity binds
the mind and diverts the attention from God. It fills the heart
with heavy thoughts, becomes an obstacle to faith and love, and
weakens the will.
This masterly teacher of prayer and meditation asks: ‘What
sort of prayer will a person pray who suffers from scruples?
Instead of worshipping or invoking God such a person is
occupied with examining his conscience. Instead of giving
thanks he searches his motives. He does not seek forgiveness; he
is altogether too busy going through his register of guilt. He
does not accept forgiveness; instead he devotes himself to an
unhealthy self-analysis. Scrupulosity is not repentence, it is
only worry; false mental worry. It is not sensitiveness of
conscience, but self-preoccupation. It is therefore necessary that we
counteract scrupulosity, and we should discourage all topics in
meditation that can nourish a fear which has already been
allowed to grow altogether too freely in the inmost being.’
The psychic state we meet in the scrupulous is closely
related to some of those we intend to discuss under the
1 The Ways of Mental Prayer, Dublin, 1930.
98
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