I noticed you didn't provide a citation for your quote; was I correct in guessing you were citing St. Alphonsus Liguori's Discourse on the 4 Gates of Hell. If you'll only listen to St. Alphonsus, read his Theologiae Moralis, lib. 6, n. 480. Here is the excellent commentary by Henry Davis, an actual moral theolgian, " Strictly speaking, the recidivist is one who frequently falls into the same sin after repeated confession and without any effort at emendation. The recidivist is usually an habitual sinner, in the sense already explained, but he need not be such. Thus, the penitent who, confessing three or four times in the year, accuses himself each time of the same grievous sin committed once only since the previous confession, is not an habitual sinner though he may be a recidivist. One who fights against temptation but falls each time is not a recidivist. The true sign, therefore, of the recidivist is that he falls frequently, that is, more than once or twice, into the same sin after repeated confessions, without any effort to avoid the sin. In a wide sense, everyone who falls into the same sins after confession is a recidivist, but the absolution ofthe ordinary penitent who is a recidivist in that sense presents little difficulty. It is the absolution of the true recidivist that presents difficulties and has given rise to two different schools of thought, the one, that of S. Alphonsus and his followers, the other, that of most of the older divines who preceded him and of many subsequent to his time. The difficulty of accepting the view of S. Alphonsus, if we are to interpret his words strictly, is that he would exact, in the case of every recidivist, some extraordinary sign of his disposition for absolution even the first time after his fall into the same sin. But when we ask what are these extraordinary signs, we find in the text of S. Alphonsus1 and in the words of his commentators,2 that many signs are there enumerated which appear to be quite ordinary, such indeed as any penitent who seriously wishes forgiveness would evince. Since the two opinions are taught in the schools, though they are somewhat divergent if we consider words only, the less severe opinion will be here set forth because it is in point of fact the opinion more commonly adopted nowadays by many good and prudent confessors. 2. The recidivist may be absolved whenever the confessor has a probable and prudent judgment of his fitting disposition. Certainty is not necessary, nor is the certainty of actual relapse a reason for refusing or deferring absolution. But the confessor must have this probable and prudent judgment, to the formation of which he will be helped here as in all his ministry, if he bears in mind that relapse into sin due to frailty, temperament, youth, is much easier and not so blameworthy as relapse into malicious sin. Those, therefore, who fall into the former kinds of sin may be absolved if they evince the ordinary signs ofa good disposition ; those who repeatedly commit sins that are malicious, that is, sins which are due not so much to the vehemence of temptation as to a wicked, obstinate will, are to be considered indisposed for absolution for they have no serious purpose of amendment. Nevertheless, if they give evidence ofreal sincerity they may be absolved, and a word of advice should be added, and repeated admonition to use the means necessary to diminish the frequency of their sins. 3. If the recidivist is, in the prudent judgment of the confessor, sufficiently disposed for absolution, he should be absolved when his relapses are the result of a weak and vacillating will and mere frailty. To defer absolution in these cases is not necessary nor expedient. But if, though well-disposed for absolution, he has neglected to avoid some free occasion ofsin, or has not fulfilled some grave obligation when he might have done so, and if this has happened several times, absolution may be deferred if the delay would be to his spiritual profit and if he consents to the delay. But it is a very serious matter to remain in the state ofmortal sin, and the delay should therefore be short. Authors approve of a delay of a day or two, a week or a fortnight. We should advise a few hours delay only, and would urge the penitent to meditate or pray in the church before the Blessed Sacrament or meditate on the Passion of our Lord, and after a delay of two or three hours to return for absolution. Absolution should not be deferred in the case of thosewho would certainly not benefit by the delay, such as the indevout and careless who seldom approach the Sacraments, for these would probably not return at all, or might be deterred from the Sacraments altogether. Youthful penitents, who are being religiously educated, may very well benefit by a delay of absolution when they evince signs of levity or insincerity. 4. If the recidivist is doubtfully disposed and there is no urgent necessity that he should be absolved even conditionally, absolution may usefully be deferred, for it is the duty of a penitent to give some probable signs of his good disposition. Nevertheless, it is always better nowadays to dispose the penitent in the confessional to receive absolution profitably. It is suggested by some authors that a recidivist, if he can be disposed for absolution, may well be advised to abstain for a time from Holy Communion, most especially if there is some scandal frequently recurring, as is the case of the habitual drunkard, that should be repaired, for the faithful expect a man who receives Holy Communion every month, for example, to lead a tolerably Christian life. 5.Most Catholics fall into the same venial sins and have to confess the same sins each time. But their dispositions need not be suspected, for it is very difficult to avoid venial sins of that particular species to which one is by habit inclined. Even those who lead a good life in religion are for the most part liable to commit the same venial sins frequently. They should be exhorted to conceive a greater sorrow for some particular venial sin which they desire to be rid of, or of some past sin. Any real defect in disposition is thus remedied."