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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
St. Hildegard and crystals	Catherine	Saturday, December 1, 2012
Question: My question is: should I listen to the teachings of St. Hildegard? She says crystals have healing properties and the crystal mimics the trinity. It is possible that God made something good, and the evil ones use it for bad? Why is it that witches and satanists are into the crystals? Can I use them for good? What do they use them for?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Catherine: Much of the information about St. Hildegard are apocryphal. Be sure of your sources. The New Agers and feminists have latched onto St Hildegard as their "patron saint" and thus have misinterpreted and adulterated information about her. I would not trust any New Age source, or any Catholic source that is into the New Age. See the Catholic Encyclopedia about her for a bio. We must also remember that even a Saint and Doctor of the Church is not infallible and can teach things that are incorrect. St Hildegard was a child of her time, a time that had little knowledge of medicine, outside of folk remedies, herbal remedies and such. She did contribute a lot of good information about healing properties of various plants and herbs, but there is no healing value in crystals. The Church has spoken about things like crystals. The 2003 Vatican Document "Jesus Christ The Bearer Of The Water Of Life: A Christian reflection on the New Age" says: "Advertising connected with New Age covers a wide range of practices as acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic, kinesiology, homeopathy, iridology, massage and various kinds of “bodywork” (such as orgonomy, Feldenkrais, reflexology, Rolfing, polarity massage, therapeutic touch etc.), meditation and visualisation, nutritional therapies, psychic healing, various kinds of herbal medicine, healing by crystals, metals, music or colours, reincarnation therapies and, finally, twelve-step programmes and self-help groups." "Crystals: are reckoned to vibrate at significant frequencies. Hence they are useful in self-transformation. They are used in various therapies and in meditation, visualisation, 'astral travel' or as lucky charms. From the outside looking in, they have no intrinsic power, but are simply beautiful." There is no medicinal value to crystals. Do not attempt to use them in such a way. Since so-called crystal therapy is superstition at best and demonic delusion at worst, one would risk demonic intrusion to use crystals for medicinal purposes or any other healing purpose. Witches and the like are into crystals because they have been duped by Satan to think crystals have power. As the Vatican said, "...they have no intrinsic power, but are simply beautiful." Merry Christmas. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

St. Hildegard and crystals

Catherine

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Question:

My question is: should I listen to the teachings of St. Hildegard? She says crystals have healing properties and the crystal mimics the trinity. It is possible that God made something good, and the evil ones use it for bad? Why is it that witches and satanists are into the crystals? Can I use them for good? What do they use them for?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Catherine:

Much of the information about St. Hildegard are apocryphal. Be sure of your sources. The New Agers and feminists have latched onto St Hildegard as their "patron saint" and thus have misinterpreted and adulterated information about her. I would not trust any New Age source, or any Catholic source that is into the New Age.

See the Catholic Encyclopedia about her for a bio.

We must also remember that even a Saint and Doctor of the Church is not infallible and can teach things that are incorrect. St Hildegard was a child of her time, a time that had little knowledge of medicine, outside of folk remedies, herbal remedies and such. She did contribute a lot of good information about healing properties of various plants and herbs, but there is no healing value in crystals.

The Church has spoken about things like crystals. The 2003 Vatican Document "Jesus Christ The Bearer Of The Water Of Life: A Christian reflection on the New Age" says:

"Advertising connected with New Age covers a wide range of practices as acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic, kinesiology, homeopathy, iridology, massage and various kinds of “bodywork” (such as orgonomy, Feldenkrais, reflexology, Rolfing, polarity massage, therapeutic touch etc.), meditation and visualisation, nutritional therapies, psychic healing, various kinds of herbal medicine, healing by crystals, metals, music or colours, reincarnation therapies and, finally, twelve-step programmes and self-help groups."

"Crystals: are reckoned to vibrate at significant frequencies. Hence they are useful in self-transformation. They are used in various therapies and in meditation, visualisation, 'astral travel' or as lucky charms. From the outside looking in, they have no intrinsic power, but are simply beautiful."

There is no medicinal value to crystals. Do not attempt to use them in such a way. Since so-called crystal therapy is superstition at best and demonic delusion at worst, one would risk demonic intrusion to use crystals for medicinal purposes or any other healing purpose.

Witches and the like are into crystals because they have been duped by Satan to think crystals have power.

As the Vatican said, "...they have no intrinsic power, but are simply beautiful."

Merry Christmas.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum