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Question

Dear Father, 

In my family, we have a tradition – which my parents call “novena” – that dictates that we ask a Saint for a more or less important event to have success. If some signs appear – such as lights that turn on or cars that pass during the night – the event will happen. Otherwise, it won’t. 

I’m 25 years old and I hope not to be pretentious, but I know Holy Scripture and the Church’s Magisterium quite well. Obviously, I don’t know them perfectly. But I have a solid basis, unlike most of catholic people – to me, the Bible and the Church’s teaching are an actual truth to be defended no matter what. I often argue with my parents, even seriously, trying to explain to them that the so-called “novena” is similar to divinations which God condemns in the Deuteronomy. That’s because with their “novena”, they want to predict the future, by knowing in advance if that event is going to happen depending on the signs.  

I feel obliged to rebuke them. I do it for them, but above all for God, to defend His Truths. And to me, the “novena” is divination. They say they do it in good faith. I reply that this tradition is divination and that good faith doesn’t exist with God: if He forbids it, He does it. You can’t avoid it because there are no half-truths in God. Now, I’m asking you for advice. I’m ready to change my mind, if this tradition is approved (even if I doubt it).

Moreover, I’ve always been against those practises and I’ll explain why. According to me, if God (or the Saint consulted or God by the Saints) gives signs about events that will or won’t happen, worshippers can feel to be better than others because they can communicate to Saints in order to receive signs. And that’s what would make them near to arrogance, even if they don’t realize it.   

In the end, I will ask if stubborn heretics – people who are at the same time generous and kind – may risk eternal damnation. I refer to people who deny several dogmas, even fundamental ones (Trinity or Assumption of the Virgin Mary). I refer to people who don’t believe in the Church and in their possibility to forgive sins because of religious ignorance, because of private revelations condemned by the Church and/or because of sins committed by the Church nowadays. They can’t understand that you have to distinguish between the Church’s impeccability and its infallibility. In my family, there are some examples of people like that so I need to know how to behave.   

Looking for your satisfying answer, as usual. 

Kind regards, 

Alessandro   

Priest’s Answer

Dear Alessandro, 

  1. To your first question, I’ll answer that we are talking about pure superstition. And it is a superstitious tradition linked to divination. It is against faith in Divine Providence and the devil frequently interferes, because thanks to his kind of intelligence he can foresee such things. So, you are right to stay away from it. Catholic Catechism states: “Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it.” (CCC 2115).
  2. You say they don’t see something bad in it. But what do they do when those “signs” are negative? They turn to other practises to avoid evil. And in doing so, they fall into unfounded fears and connections to who inspires all those superstitions. It is not so sage entrusting our common enemy and avoiding Divine Providence.
  3. Concerning what you can do, give a nice testimony of your Christian life. Keep in grace in order to make everyone understand how much God’s words in James’ letter are true: “So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4,7-8).
  4. To your second question about being heretic in good faith or for ignorance, I will answer as follows. Many times some dogmas are denied because of our moral conduct, which is not spotless. We can’t forget that mortal sin clouds our souls, or even blinds them. Especially impurity sins cause cecituto mentis (conscience blindness). Thus, our personal sins cloud our minds more than sins caused by some Church men – because the Church itself is Saint, it’s Jesus Christ’s Spouse.  
     
  5. It is obvious that sins committed by Church people are particularly dreadful and regrettable, because shepherds have to “be an example to the flock” (1 Pt 5,3) – as Saint Peter said. And if they aren’t examples because of particularly serious sins, they should stand aside. We can think: why don’t they do it? Why don’t they stand aside? Exactly for the reason I told you: because sin clouds conscience and makes them think that depraved and ignominious things they do are not so immoral. And in doing so, the Christ Church’s nature is more and more spoiled even if it should be the image of God’s holiness.
  6. Going back to your question about people who are mistaken because of ignorance and good faith that may be rescued, I’ll say as follows. If they aren’t mistaken because of conscience blindness caused by reprehensible moral conduct, we can hope for their salvation because “To those who do what lies within them God denies not grace.”  (“facientibus quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam”).

I will remember you to the Lord and I bless you. 

Fr Angelo 

Translated by Giulia Leo