Dear Father Angelo,

I have read your reply regarding the other four angels whom the Holy Church has forbidden to name.

Here is the link: https://www.amicidomenicani.it/e-consentita-per-noi-.cattolici-la-devozione-e-preghiere-ai-quattro-arcangeli-della-chiesa-ortodossa/

I was already aware, in broad terms, of this issue and have always limited myself to the three names provided by Revelation: Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael.

The fact that there are seven angels in the presence of God would be a biblical fact, if taken literally.

So it should be certain that there are four other angels, but it is simply forbidden to give them names at the risk of falling into some magical practice, right?

This is always in accordance with a literal interpretation of the number seven.

I know that the subject of angels is very “slippery” and even dangerous, as demons were also angels and are now fallen angels.

Furthermore, ‘even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.’ (2Cor 11:1 4), so I understand that it is always necessary to exercise the virtue of Prudence.

I am very attached to the Angelic Crown, also known as the Rosary of St Michael: it is a very beautiful prayer through which God grants me many graces, especially if I recite it before Holy Mass.

Thanks to reciting the Angelic Crown before the Celebration, I receive the strength to overcome the scruples and fears with which the devil always tries to keep me away from Holy Communion.

In these cases, I am particularly fond of the fifth salutation (‘Through the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly choir of Powers, may the Lord protect our souls from the snares and temptations of the devil. Amen.’) and the seventh (“Through the intercession of St. Michael and the choir of Principalities, may God fill our souls with the spirit of true and sincere obedience. Amen.”), with which I ask God to help me not to fall into scruples and to give me the strength to obey my confessor.

Along with strength, I also obtain peace and great trust in God’s mercy.

I have found it extremely effective in fighting temptations against the Faith or against purity and in moments of spiritual dryness.

I also recently discovered that Blessed Carlo Acutis used to recite this beautiful prayer, so now when I recite it, I feel in communion not only with God, Mary Queen of Angels and all the angels, but also with the saints.

At the end of the Angelic Crown, four Our Fathers are recited in honour of St Michael, St Gabriel, St Raphael and the guardian angel.

But there is also a version in which ‘four Glorias in honour of the other four holy spirits who assist at the throne of God’ are added.

To tell the truth, the latter is the version I have always known, having learned it from my parents, who in turn learned it in a fairly well-known church where we were also consecrated to St Michael. Only recently did I learn that there is a version in which this last part is absent.

I also recite these four Glorias, because they are generically in honour of the four holy spirits, without giving them names, and in no way is it intended to give a magical or new age meaning to the recitation of these prayers, quite the contrary: in reciting them, I join spiritually in the continuous praise that the angels raise to God at the foot of His heavenly throne.

It therefore seems to me that I am not disobeying the prohibitions of the Church.

However, one can also do wrong in good faith! Therefore, to be on the safe side, I would like to ask you.

Is it permissible to do this? Or is it better to avoid reciting the four Glorias and limit oneself to the Our Fathers?

I pray for you that God may always grant you, under the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the protection of Mary Most Holy, the assistance of the angels in your ministry and service to the Truth.

Kind regards,

D.

Priest’s answer

Dear D.,

1. exegetes, or interpreters of Sacred Scripture, disagree on the identity of the seven spirits mentioned at the beginning of the Book of Revelation: “John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne” (Rev 1:4).

2. The Franciscan Angelo Lancellotti, for example, writes: ‘According to Jewish belief, which was then passed on to early Christian tradition, God is surrounded by seven superior angels (archangels) who are always in his presence (…). But here we should prefer the opinion of the Fathers, who see in this the Holy Spirit in the fullness (Seven) of his gifts.’

Later, commenting on Rev 5:7, which speaks of the Lamb ‘standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth,’ Father Lancellotti writes: “The seven eyes, which, identifying themselves with the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth, designate divine omniscience. It should be noted that this last sentence closely follows Zechariah 4:10, which says: “These seven facets are the eyes of the Lord that range over the whole earth.”.

Here Lancellotti seems to give a different or complementary interpretation to the previous one.

3. Alfred Wikenhauser, in his commentary on Revelation, writes: ‘One wonders whether the seven spirits are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit or the person of the Holy Spirit himself, or angels of the highest hierarchies.

Many Fathers consider the seven spirits to be the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, but following the example of St Augustine, many commentators believe that the expression refers to the person of the Holy Spirit as the source of many graces. The number seven, they say, is a symbol of unity that has multiple aspects. This interpretation is based mainly on the fact that the seven spirits are named between the Father and Christ, and are one of the sources from which grace and peace are to flow to the readers, which cannot be said of the angels.

It must be said, however, that in the greetings of the New Testament letters, the Father and the Son are always mentioned as dispensers of grace and peace, but never the Holy Spirit, so that the seven words ‘seven spirits’ could be a later addition.

Despite this undeniable difficulty, other commentators believe that the seven spirits are angels of the higher hierarchies, specifically the seven angels of the throne or archangels of late Jewish angelology, who are mentioned in Tobit 12:15. In Revelation, they are also identified with the angels of the seven bowls who stand before God (cf. Rev 8:2).

4. Commenting on “the seven spirits who stand before his throne” (Rev 1:4), the Dominican Marco Sales notes: “Some (St Justin, Dialogues, 87) think that this is a personification of the seven principal attributes of God; others (Bede, etc.) believe that it refers to the Holy Spirit and his seven gifts (Isaiah 11:2), and others more probably believe that it alludes to the seven principal angels who surround the throne of God (Tobit 12:15) and who are represented in chapter 4:5 by seven lamps and in chapter 5:6 by the seven horns of the Lamb, and to whom seven trumpets are given (8:2). The apostle wishes grace and peace from God and the seven angels, not because it can come from anyone other than God, but because the angels can request it from God for us and be ministers of it (Heb 1:14). 

Then he adds, as a good Dominican: “It is difficult to apply these words to the Holy Spirit. For he is not before the throne, but on the throne of God”.

5. That said, it is plausible that we can speak of seven superior angels who stand before the throne. It is not certain, but it is not impossible.

Since it is not certain, the Church proceeds with caution and forbids giving them names, but it does not forbid thinking about the presence of the seven angels and invoking them.

Therefore, in private devotion, one can express oneself as you do, deriving particular benefit from it.

Thank you for drawing attention to this possible interpretation and also for the very much appreciated good wishes at the end of your email.

I reciprocate the kind prayer you offered for me and, with my best wishes, I bless you.

Father Angelo

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