A Catholic Answer to Paranormal Questions

Do Catholics believe in the Paranormal?

The answer to this is emphatically: That depends.

The absolute core of our Faith as Catholics is the Supernatural.

God, as the creator of all things, is supernatural. He is “above” or “outside” of our created nature. When man was first put on earth, he was endowed with gifts that were beyond everything else in creation, even the angels. These gifts allowed him to partake in the perfection that was “natural” to God alone. His purpose and his destiny were divine.

God also made the angels, perfect creatures of pure spirit with infinite wisdom and an unending vision of their creator. We know that a number of them rebelled and were subsequently and permanently exiled from the presence of God. We know that God’s creation of the angels predates His creation of man, because it was a fallen angel who contributed to the fall of man. We know that angels have a hierarchy and are messengers, guards, guides, and attendants at the throne of God. We know the names of only three. (Everything else we may speak to about angels, and demons, though worthy, is purely theological speculation.)

Besides the supernatural gifts that enabled man, a purely rational creature by his nature, to participate in a God-like life, there were also “preternatural” gifts. These gifts elevated man to the highest “natural” perfection, beyond his very nature and equal to the created angels. From the Catholic Dictionary: “God exempted man from the inherent weakness of his nature … He made man immortal, impassible, free from concupiscence and ignorance, sinless, and lord of the earth.”

When man fell, he lost both the supernatural and preternatural gifts. Through the merits of a redeeming Christ though, and ONLY through the merits of a redeeming Christ, He has restored to man the supernatural gifts which we call grace, both sanctifying and actual, that will allow him to participate again in the inner life of the Blessed Trinity for which he was ultimately created. If he so chooses.

Now, how does any of this answer the question, “Do Catholics Believe in the Paranormal?”

Webster’s defines Paranormal as “not scientifically explainable” and “not understandable in terms of known scientific laws and phenomena.”

How much of the preceding is “explainable” or “understandable in terms of known scientific laws?” In this sense, a Catholic’s belief in the “paranormal” is essential. The stakes of his eternal life are set completely outside of the boundaries of “known scientific laws.” So: CAN we, as Catholics, believe in the paranormal?”

When it comes to the readily accepted examples of paranormal topics, the answer to this becomes fuzzy. Ghosts, UFO’s, Reincarnation, NDE’s, Bigfoot, ESP, Astrology, Tarot, Channeling, Astral Travel, Transcendental Meditation, Visions, Prophecies, Miraculous Cures, Charms, Curses, Crystals, Enneagrams, Labyrinths, etc. Most paranormal topics reach into the occult. The list goes on and on. Yes with caveats to a few, maybe to some, a definite no to others.

But how can the Church dictate what interests a person may or may not pursue? How can an interest in the paranormal hinder salvation?

Let’s focus first on things spiritual. Here’s what the Catechism has to say on just a few topics:

CCC2116 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. 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.

CCC2117 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.

“Rejected.” “Gravely Contrary.” “Condemned.” “Reprehensible.”

There’s no room for misinterpretations. They mean what they say. You can’t compare these things to bird-watching. A curiosity is one thing. A belief is another. And an obsession is quite something else. Without care, one easily leads to the next.

The Council of Trent, Rule #9 regarding Prohibited Books, states:

All books and writings dealing with geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, oneiromancy, chiromancy, necromancy, or with sortilege, mixing of poisons, augury, auspices, sorcery, magic arts, are absolutely repudiated. The bishops shall diligently see to it that books, treatises, catalogues determining destiny by astrology, which in the matter of future events, consequences, or fortuitous occurrences, or of actions that depend on the human will, attempt to affirm something as certain to take place, are not read or possessed.

(Sortilege and all of the “-ancy’s” listed are forms of divination.)

Pope John Paul II reminded us more gently in his Angelus of September 6th, 1998: “If we want to give good direction to our life, we must learn to discern its plan, by reading the mysterious “road signs” God puts in our daily history. For this purpose neither horoscopes nor fortune-telling is useful. What is needed is prayer, authentic prayer, which should always accompany a life decision made in conformity with God’s law.”

None of this means that future events CAN’T be foretold, though. Saint John of the Cross, a Doctor of the Church, writes about this in Ascent of Mount Carmel: ” … although visions and locutions which come from God are true, and in themselves are always certain, they are not always so with respect to ourselves. One reason is the defective way in which we understand them; and the other, the variety of their causes. In the first place, it is clear that they are not always as they seem, nor do they turn out as they appear to our manner of thinking. The reason for this is that, since God is vast and boundless, He is wont, in His prophecies, locutions and revelations, to employ ways, concepts and methods of seeing things which differ greatly from such purpose and method as can normally be understood by ourselves; and these are the truer and the more certain the less they seem so to us. This we constantly see in the Scriptures. To many of the ancients many prophecies and locutions of God came not to pass as they expected, because they understood them after their own manner, in the wrong way, and quite literally.”

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, one of the most prolific of Catholic visionaries, also made it clear that her prophecies meant nothing outside of what the Church taught: “In spiritual things, I never believe anything except what was revealed by God and proposed for my belief by the Catholic Church. What I saw in visions I never believed in this way.”

Even if a paranormal topic is deemed possible, or believable, or even credible, it doesn’t necessarily follow that a Catholic should devote any time or attention to it. (See Saul’s recourse to the witch of Endor.) Some things are harmless, but others are lethal; lethal not necessarily to your body, but to your soul. And the care of your soul of course falls under the domain of the loving Church. The Church is here to save souls, to ensure that every single one of God’s supernaturally adopted children attains the divine life. It’s mission number one – to make us saints.

It is incumbent upon every Catholic to heed the warnings of the Church and trust in Her wisdom - wisdom that speaks from divine revelation and two thousand years of careful thought. Obedience to Church authority on all matters spiritual is one of the virtues of heroic degree shared by every single saint in heaven. Yet, this obedience is not easy. As Father John Hardin writes: “It is so easy, relatively speaking, to practice obedience towards God as God because we realize after all God is Master of the universe; He is Master of me, what else can I do except obey. The trouble with obedience for most of us is when the one whom we are to obey is a very human, human being and we’re to believe that that terribly human being has the authority from God to either order me or at least direct me, when I may know perfectly well that my way is better.”

This is where it gets to the heart of the matter. With each topic, a Catholic is obliged to look at it in light of their Faith. Is it contrary to Church teaching to believe in it? To practice it? To promote it? And even if the answer to these questions is no, one must still ask one more basic question: Does it point man TO God or AWAY from Him?

Scripture is filled with warnings:

“Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

“Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim 4:1)

“For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim 4:3-5)

Finally, the Catechism succinctly sums up the Catholic view regarding otherworldly knowledge:

CCC2115 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 …

Catechisms, Councils, Popes, Saints, and Scripture all are in line on this and what they are unambiguously stating is: Leave it alone.

Our surety lies in the Sacraments and in prayer. Be humble, if God wants you to know the future or He truly has a message He desires to get out, have faith, He WILL take care of it.