CATHOLIC WORD BOOK - Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council

abbis and their traditions, as well as those
of the Pharisees, had a lasting influence on
Judaism following the destruction of
Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Scruple: A morbid, unreasonable fear and
anxiety that one’s actions are sinful when
they are not, or more seriously sinful than
they actually are. Compulsive scrupulosity
is quite different from the transient
scrupulosity of persons of tender or highly
sensitive conscience, or of persons with
faulty moral judgment.
Seal of Confession: The obligation of
secrecy which must be observed regarding
knowledge of things learned in connection
with the confession of sin in the sacrament
of penance. The seal covers matters whose
revelation would make the sacrament
burdensome. Confessors are prohibited,
under penalty of excommunication, from
making any direct revelation of
confessional matter; this prohibition
holds, outside of confession, even with
respect to the person who made the
confession unless the person releases the
priest from the obligation. Persons other
than confessors are obliged to maintain
secrecy, but not under penalty of
excommunication. General, non specific
discussion of confessional matter does not
violate the seal.
Secularism: A school of thought, a spirit
and manner of action which ignores and/or
repudiates the validity or influence of
supernatural religion with respect to
individual and social life.
See: Another name for diocese or
archdiocese.
Seminary: A house of study and formation
for men, called seminarians, preparing for
the priesthood. Traditional seminaries date
from the Council of Trent in the middle of
the 16th century; before that time,
candidates for the priesthood were
variously trained in monastic schools,
universities under church auspices, and in
less formal ways.
Sermon on the Mount: A compilation of
sayings of Our Lord in the form of an
extended discourse in Matthew’s Gospel
(5:1 to 7:27) and, in a shorter discourse, in
Luke (6:17 49). The passage in Matthew,
called the “Constitution of the New Law,”
summarizes the living spirit of believers in
Christ and members of the kingdom of
God. Beginning with the Beatitudes and
including the Lord’s Prayer, it covers the
perfect justice of the New Law, the
fulfillment of the Old Law in the New Law
of Christ, and the integrity of internal
attitude and external conduct with respect
to love of God and neighbor, justice,
chastity, truth, trust and confidence in God.
Seven Last Words of Christ: The Seven Last
Words of Christ on the Cross were: (1)
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what
they are doing.” (Lk 23:34); (2) To the
penitent thief: “I assure you: today you will be
with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:24); (3) To
Mary and his Apostle John: “Woman, behold
thy son! … Behold your mother.” (Jn 19:26);
(4) “Eli Eli, lama sabacthani [“My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?”] (Mt 27:46;
cf. Mk 15:34); (5) “I thirst.” (Jn 19:28); (6)
“It is finished.” (Jn 19:30); (7) “Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit.”(Lk 23:46).
Shrine, Crowned: A shrine approved by the
Holy See as a place of pilgrimage. The
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