Without agreeing with all the points in detail, Father, I’d agree with the sentiment of your article the other week about nowhere being perfect. But I think that probably the more “professional” trad groups that base themselves on St Thomas in their formation will be generally the best. But it will be “swings and roundabouts”, and in a situation like ours, one man's “reasonable concern about the crisis” might be another man's scruple, depending on the view of the priest.
I think it is very important to recognize that scruples can be a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder which is a serious anxiety disorder. Furthermore, if someone has OCD it is important to learn whether it is the primary mental illness or is secondary to another disorder. (There is usually co-morbidity with mental illness.) Treatments that work with one co-morbidity might make the condition dangerously worse with a different co-morbidity.
With OCD it might appear the person has had a psychotic break. Did he or she? Maybe not because if the anxiety is severe enough the person might have something close to one, or might have a psychosis that looks like OCD.
Finally, although there might be demonic possession, there may not be. A traditional priest over 20 years ago, who often quoted Father Doyle about spiritual matters, recommended to me regarding a family member with scruples that the person see a psychiatrist. And this was from a traditional priest who pointed out he was often told by psychiatrists that very often confession does a patient far more good than psychotherapy.
I agree with your point about OCD, which can be treated effectively, it seems, with CBT. For that reason, I'm a bit sceptical about comments like "very often confession does a patient far more good than psychotherapy." Maybe that's right. But if there is a real health problem here, it's like suggesting a cancer patient go to confession. A good thing to do, but not necessarily what will help the problem at hand.
Which congregation of priests in 2026 would you trust to not lead a scrupulous soul into laxity or modernism or worse scruples?
Without agreeing with all the points in detail, Father, I’d agree with the sentiment of your article the other week about nowhere being perfect. But I think that probably the more “professional” trad groups that base themselves on St Thomas in their formation will be generally the best. But it will be “swings and roundabouts”, and in a situation like ours, one man's “reasonable concern about the crisis” might be another man's scruple, depending on the view of the priest.
Thanks
How about you, Father, what do you think?
I think SSPX is very good at a balanced approach
I think it is very important to recognize that scruples can be a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder which is a serious anxiety disorder. Furthermore, if someone has OCD it is important to learn whether it is the primary mental illness or is secondary to another disorder. (There is usually co-morbidity with mental illness.) Treatments that work with one co-morbidity might make the condition dangerously worse with a different co-morbidity.
With OCD it might appear the person has had a psychotic break. Did he or she? Maybe not because if the anxiety is severe enough the person might have something close to one, or might have a psychosis that looks like OCD.
Finally, although there might be demonic possession, there may not be. A traditional priest over 20 years ago, who often quoted Father Doyle about spiritual matters, recommended to me regarding a family member with scruples that the person see a psychiatrist. And this was from a traditional priest who pointed out he was often told by psychiatrists that very often confession does a patient far more good than psychotherapy.
I agree with your point about OCD, which can be treated effectively, it seems, with CBT. For that reason, I'm a bit sceptical about comments like "very often confession does a patient far more good than psychotherapy." Maybe that's right. But if there is a real health problem here, it's like suggesting a cancer patient go to confession. A good thing to do, but not necessarily what will help the problem at hand.