Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
hearing the dead	Cesar	Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius, John Edwards is a well known psychic who claims that he can receive communications from some people who have died. They communicate in symbols, mental images, and feelings. He then communicates what he receives to living people and together they try to decipher the meaning that the deceased is trying to communicate. Mr. Edwards is a practicing Catholic who claims to pray the rosary before each reading. I understand the Church's teaching concerning "divinization" in general, but what about this specific situation that I describe. Is this possible, and if so, is there any potential harm to it? I have seen him in practice, on his television program, and his claims seem credible. Cesar
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Cesar: Divination, conjuring the dead, communicating with the dead, being a medium between the dead and the living is all condemned by the Bible and the Church. It is an abomination to God. No person who does this, especially exploiting people's vulnerabilities and thereby encouraging people to participate in the activities of Satan, can be called a Catholic in good standing. It is a grave sin what Mr. Edwards is doing and he cannot pretend to be any kind of Christian when he does what he does. Here is an excerpt from the Catechism: Divination and magic 2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. 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. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility. 2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. (Deut 18:10; Jer 29:8). Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone. 2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity. This sort of thing is VERY dangerous. It can lead a person into demonization and even into full possession. At the very least it is an activity that separates one from fellowship with God. As far as Mr. Edwards "gift", the gift is not from God. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

hearing the dead

Cesar

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius,

John Edwards is a well known psychic who claims that he can receive communications from some people who have died. They communicate in symbols, mental images, and feelings. He then communicates what he receives to living people and together they try to decipher the meaning that the deceased is trying to communicate. Mr. Edwards is a practicing Catholic who claims to pray the rosary before each reading. I understand the Church's teaching concerning "divinization" in general, but what about this specific situation that I describe. Is this possible, and if so, is there any potential harm to it? I have seen him in practice, on his television program, and his claims seem credible.

Cesar

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Cesar:

Divination, conjuring the dead, communicating with the dead, being a medium between the dead and the living is all condemned by the Bible and the Church. It is an abomination to God.

No person who does this, especially exploiting people's vulnerabilities and thereby encouraging people to participate in the activities of Satan, can be called a Catholic in good standing. It is a grave sin what Mr. Edwards is doing and he cannot pretend to be any kind of Christian when he does what he does.

Here is an excerpt from the Catechism:

Divination and magic
2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. 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. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. (Deut 18:10; Jer 29:8). Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

This sort of thing is VERY dangerous. It can lead a person into demonization and even into full possession. At the very least it is an activity that separates one from fellowship with God.

As far as Mr. Edwards "gift", the gift is not from God.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.