The term "Catholic guilt" is used to describe the feeling of remorse or conflict that can occur when a person who was raised as a Catholic has engaged in some type of behavior that their religious faith has declared wrong or sinful. Many issues and practices associated with sexuality are considered sinful by the Catholic faith, and may be the cause of Catholic guilt for either a practicing Catholic or a lapsed one. Examples of these practices include abortion, premarital sex, extramarital sex, masturbation, homosexuality, and using birth control. Other sources for Catholic guilt may include divorce, not going to church, and interfaith marriage.

People who were raised in the Catholic faith are given very clear messages about which types of behavior are acceptable and which are not. This is not to say that people raised in a different faith do not feel guilt about the kinds of choices they make about how they will behave. Still, somehow the phrase Catholic guilt has made its way into popular vernacular. Jewish guilt is another common phrase.

To attach the term "Catholic" to feeling guilty about one's choices could be considered a stereotype, and unfair to people of the Catholic faith. The truth is, such guilt can affect people of various groups, Catholic or otherwise. When a person does something they feel is wrong, they will feel remorse after the fact. These feelings are generally normal, given the circumstances. If a person lacks the ability to feel remorse after doing something they have been taught is wrong, then they may have some type of psychological problem that is more serious than guilt, whether it is Catholic guilt or not.

According to a study conducted in 2002, a link between Obsessive Compulsive behavior and religious faith was found. Scientists associated with the University of Parma asked priests, nuns, as well as members of Catholic congregations to make note of times when they experienced worry or recurring mental images. Interestingly enough, the people who reported having a stronger Catholic faith were more bothered by these kinds of symptoms.

Is it possible that Catholic guilt is really Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in disguise? Not really. The results of the study indicate that people who are most at risk of developing OCD are attracted to a life spent in service to others through religion. Someone with a strong religious faith is more likely to experience guilt, whether Catholic or otherwise, if they do something they have been taught is sinful.

Genetics of course also plays a factor in whether a person develops OCD. It makes sense that when a person with the predisposition for OCD is raised in a strict manner where the rules about what is right and what is wrong are very clearly emphasized, they would be more likely to experience guilt if they made choices that did not reflect what was considered acceptable according to their religious faith.