Good morning.

I am writing to ask your opinion on the subject of ‘angel therapy’. I stumbled upon a treatise on angels on Amazon, and it reminded me of things related to connecting with angels.

So I went and read two books on the subject: ‘Connecting with Angels’ by Joy Martina and ‘Angel Therapy’ by Doreen Virtue.

What struck me most was not so much the invocation of angels, which seems to me to be a good and right thing to do, but the fact that, in addition to normal verbal or mental dialogue, special cards can be used to connect with them.

Now, I know that fortune telling is contrary to Catholic doctrine, so I noticed a contradiction: how is it possible to use fortune telling to invoke angels and archangels? There is also a specific deck of cards for invoking the Archangel Michael, who, as we know, is the ‘princeps militiae caelestis’ and therefore the number one enemy of the legions of hell. How is it possible that, in order to invoke him, we use something that, according to a Franciscan friend of mine, is inspired “from below”?

I have not found any information on the internet regarding the Church’s official position, so I am writing to you (…) For this reason, one must be in the right spirit to participate in the Eucharist and receive the sacraments. However, I have not been to confession for three years.

I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards.

Answer from the Priest

Dear friend,

1. In certain circles today, it is fashionable to talk about angels.

But the concept that many people have of angels is completely different from that of the Catholic Christian faith.

According to Christian belief, angels have the task of guiding us to God. They also guide us in our temporal affairs so that they may be accomplished according to God’s will and in reference to God.

2. According to Catholic theology, angels have four functions:

They are mediators of divine inspiration,

they present our prayers to God,

they defend us from the attacks of the devil,

they help us to carry out our tasks, especially if they are useful for our eternal salvation.

3. Everything that the angel does is always in reference to holiness and eternal life.

Saint Thomas A. writes: “A man in the state of the present life is, as it were, on a road (via) by which he ought to travel to heaven (ad patriam). On this road many dangers threaten a man, both from within and from without—this according to Psalm 141:4 “In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me.” And so just as guardians are provided for men who are walking along an unsafe road, so a guardian angel is assigned to each man for as long as he is a wayfarer (viator). But once he reaches the end of the road, he will no longer have a guardian angel. Instead, he will have either an angel to reign with him in heaven or a demon to punish him in hell.”(Summa theologiae, I, 113, 4).

4. The conception that many people today have of angels is not Christian because it does

not derive from Divine Revelation, that is, from what God has said, but from what they

have learned from films, certain television programmes, and advertising.

Angels, in fact, are beings with whom one can come into contact through certain

techniques, such as automatic writing, whereby one believes one is receiving messages

from angels, or through the use of cards.

These are seriously superstitious practices and constitute mortal sin because, in addition

to depriving one of God’s grace, they directly or indirectly bring one into contact with the

devil and make one subject to him.

These techniques, which seek to subject spiritual beings to one’s own whims, also fall

under the sin that in moral theology is called tempting God. One tempts God in the sense

that one seeks to know one’s own future or what one must do by means that God forbids,

because we do not place ourselves under the influence of demons.

Therefore, instead of putting us in contact with angels, these practices always have the

opposite effect, putting us in contact with demons.

5. Without realising it, these people are returning to pagan mythology, that is, to demons.

What St Paul wrote in chapter I of his Letter to the Romans also applies to them:

 “ As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.

While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.” (Rom.1:20-23).

6. Instead of corruptible men, birds, quadrupeds and reptiles, St Paul would say today

that they have exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the image of angels

invented by human imagination, which do not exist and which play into the hands of the

one who is by definition a liar and the father of lies. “When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44)

7. Therefore, stay away from these things. Do not be dazzled by titles such as those you

mentioned to me.

Rather, trust in the Christian faith of the angels. The protection of Saint Raphael, which

means “medicine of God”, is much more sanctifying and useful than those you mentioned

to me. Trust also in that sacrament of Christian healing called confession. Go to

confession soon. You will receive great benefit from it.

I wish you all the best, I bless you and I remember you in my prayers.

Father Angelo

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