Do Cardinals Summon Angels in the Catacombs?

Brief Overview

• The idea of cardinals summoning angels in the catacombs has no basis in Catholic teaching or historical practice.
• Catholic doctrine affirms the existence of angels as purely spiritual beings who serve as God’s messengers and our guardians.
• The Church teaches that the proper way to interact with angels is through prayer and veneration, not by commanding or summoning them.
• Historically, the Roman catacombs were used by early Christians primarily as burial sites and for memorial services for the martyrs.
• Attempting to conjure or summon spiritual beings is a form of divination, which is explicitly forbidden by the Catholic Church.
• Authentic Catholic spirituality emphasizes a relationship of supplication and cooperation with angels, respecting their role as God’s servants.

The Nature of Angels in Catholic Doctrine

The Catholic Church possesses a developed and consistent teaching on the nature and role of angels, grounded in Sacred Scripture and Tradition. The existence of these spiritual, non-corporeal beings is a truth of faith, as the Church has consistently taught throughout its history (CCC 328). Angels are understood to be purely spiritual creatures endowed with intelligence and will; they are personal and immortal beings who surpass in perfection all visible creation (CCC 330). Their primary purpose is to serve and glorify God without ceasing, acting as His messengers and servants in the great plan of salvation. They continuously behold the face of God in heaven, ready to carry out His commands and communicate His will to humanity. It is important to understand that they are created beings, not divine, and their power and knowledge are finite, though far superior to that of humans.

The name “angel” itself refers to their office or function as messengers, rather than their essential nature, which is spirit (CCC 329). They have been present since the dawn of creation and have played a significant role throughout salvation history, from closing the earthly paradise to announcing the birth of Jesus Christ (CCC 332). The entire life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of the angels, who assist in its mission on earth (CCC 334). They are Christ’s angels, created through Him and for Him, and they serve His saving plan for humanity. This understanding presents angels not as independent agents to be controlled, but as holy servants of the Most High, integrated completely into His divine providence and acting always in accordance with His will.

This established teaching forms the foundation for how Catholics should perceive these celestial beings. They are not forces to be harnessed or entities to be commanded at will by human beings, regardless of ecclesiastical rank. Their will is perfectly united with God’s will, and their actions are always in service to the divine plan for salvation. The splendor of their glory, as mentioned in the Catechism, is a reflection of God’s own glory, and it inspires awe and reverence. Any understanding of angels that deviates from their role as humble and obedient servants of God is inconsistent with Catholic faith. This core theological truth is essential for distinguishing authentic devotion from erroneous or dangerous spiritual practices that treat angels as mere instruments for human desires.

The Church also makes a crucial distinction between good angels, who chose to serve God, and fallen angels, or demons, who irrevocably rejected Him through an act of their free will (CCC 391). The latter group sinned through pride and envy, seeking their own glory apart from God and actively working to lead humanity away from Him. This reality underscores the necessity of approaching the spiritual world with caution and discernment, adhering strictly to the guidance provided by the Church. The existence of malevolent spiritual beings makes any attempt to summon or conjure spirits a spiritually perilous act, as one could be interacting with a deceptive entity rather than a holy angel of God. The Church’s teachings thus provide a safe and clear framework for a healthy relationship with the angelic world.

Ultimately, the Catholic understanding of angels is Christocentric, meaning it is centered on Jesus Christ. Angels are the servants and messengers of Christ, and their entire existence finds its purpose in serving Him and His plan for the salvation of humanity. They accompanied Him throughout His earthly life, from the Annunciation to His agony in the garden and His Resurrection. They continue to serve Him by assisting His Mystical Body, the Church, in its journey toward eternal life. This perspective firmly places angels within the economy of salvation governed by God’s love and wisdom, not within a framework of human power or manipulation. Their role is to lead us closer to God, not to fulfill our commands or provide esoteric knowledge.

The Church’s Teaching on Interacting with Angels

The Catholic Church provides clear guidance on the proper way for the faithful to interact with angels, emphasizing a relationship of prayer, respect, and cooperation. The foundation of this interaction is veneration, not worship, which is reserved for God alone. Believers are encouraged to pray to the angels, especially their guardian angels, asking for their intercession and protection. This is an act of supplication, humbly requesting their assistance, not an act of summoning or commanding them, which would imply a position of authority over them that human beings do not possess. The practice of praying to one’s guardian angel is a long-standing tradition in the Church, which teaches that from infancy to death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care (CCC 336).

This relationship is beautifully integrated into the Church’s official prayer life, the liturgy. In the celebration of the Mass, the Church on earth joins with the angels in heaven to adore the thrice-holy God, particularly in the singing of the “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The liturgy also includes specific prayers that invoke the assistance of angels, such as in the funeral rite, where we ask that angels lead the deceased into paradise. This liturgical context demonstrates the correct disposition toward angels: we are their companions in worship and beneficiaries of their help, standing alongside them in praise of God. This communal and reverent approach stands in stark contrast to any private or secret ritual aimed at compelling an angel to appear or act.

The Catechism explicitly warns against all forms of divination, which includes attempting to conjure spirits or unveil the future through recourse to mediums or other occult practices (CCC 2116). These practices are seen as a desire for power over time and history, contradicting the honor and loving fear owed to God alone. Attempting to “summon” an angel falls squarely into this forbidden category. It presumes an authority that belongs to God, who alone commands the heavenly hosts. Such actions are not only contrary to the virtue of religion but also open a person to grave spiritual dangers, including deception by fallen angels who may appear as beings of light. The Church’s prohibition is therefore a protective measure, guiding the faithful away from harmful spiritual curiosity.

Furthermore, the Church encourages a relationship of friendship and familiarity with the holy angels. Saints throughout history have spoken of their close relationship with their guardian angels, conversing with them simply and trustfully as one would a dear friend or protector. Saint Padre Pio famously encouraged people to “Invoke your guardian angel that he will illuminate you and will guide you,” seeing this relationship as a gift from God to be utilized. This type of interaction is rooted in faith and love, seeking guidance and protection on the path to holiness. It is an act of turning to a helper given by God, not an attempt to force a spiritual encounter or gain supernatural power for personal ends.

Therefore, the authentic Catholic approach to angels is one of humble petition and grateful cooperation. We thank God for the gift of these powerful protectors and ask them to help us fulfill God’s will in our lives. We do not seek to control them, see them through extraordinary means, or demand their services. The focus remains on God, with the angels acting as His ministers who assist us on our way to salvation. This teaching ensures that our devotion to the angels remains rightly ordered, leading us closer to God rather than into the spiritually precarious territory of the occult. Any suggestion of cardinals or anyone else performing rituals to summon angels is a fundamental misunderstanding of this clear and consistent doctrine.

The Historical Purpose of the Roman Catacombs

The Roman catacombs hold a significant place in the history of the early Church, but their purpose was far more practical and sacred than the fictional narratives of esoteric rituals might suggest. Primarily, the catacombs were vast underground cemeteries created by Christian communities from the 2nd century onward. This practice was born of necessity and theological conviction; Roman law forbade burials within the city walls, and Christians, unlike their pagan neighbors who commonly practiced cremation, insisted on burial in imitation of Christ’s own entombment and in hope of the resurrection of the body. These subterranean galleries, therefore, were first and foremost resting places for the dead.

The catacombs were not, as is sometimes popularly believed, secret hiding places for regular worship during times of persecution. The Christian community in Rome was far too large to meet secretly in these narrow and dark passages for their weekly liturgical assemblies. Instead, their primary function remained funerary. However, they did become important sites for memorial services and commemorative feasts, especially on the anniversaries of the deaths of martyrs buried there. The faithful would gather near the tombs of these heroes of the faith to pray, celebrate the Eucharist, and honor their memory, seeing them as powerful intercessors in heaven. These gatherings were acts of veneration and remembrance, not mystical rites to contact the spiritual world.

The art and inscriptions found within the catacombs provide a clear window into the faith of the early Christians. The walls are adorned with symbols like the fish, the anchor, and the Good Shepherd, along with scenes from the Bible that emphasize salvation and resurrection. These artistic expressions were affirmations of faith and hope in eternal life, intended to comfort the grieving and inspire the living. The focus was on Christ’s victory over death and the promise of heaven for those who died in faith. There is no historical or archaeological evidence whatsoever to suggest that the catacombs were used for rituals aimed at summoning angels or any other spiritual beings.

The use of the catacombs for burial began to decline after Christianity was legalized in the 4th century, and by the 5th century, above-ground cemeteries became the norm. For a time, the catacombs continued to be important destinations for pilgrims who wished to venerate the tombs of the martyrs. Eventually, after suffering damage from invasions and having the relics of the most important saints moved to churches within the city for safety, the entrances to the catacombs were lost and they were largely forgotten for centuries. Their rediscovery centuries later sparked immense interest, but also gave rise to romanticized and inaccurate myths about their original purpose.

In reality, the history of the catacombs speaks to a faith centered on community, remembrance, and the hope of the resurrection. They were practical solutions to the challenge of burying the dead and sacred spaces where the communion of saints felt tangible. The early Christians went there to be physically close to the remains of their loved ones and the martyrs, entrusting them to God’s care and asking for their prayers. This historical context directly refutes any notion of cardinals or early Church leaders performing secretive ceremonies to summon angels. The true activities within the catacombs were grounded in core Christian beliefs about death, burial, and eternal life.

Distinguishing Prayer from Summoning

In Catholic thought, there exists a profound and non-negotiable distinction between prayer and summoning, especially concerning spiritual beings like angels. Prayer is an act of “raising up of the mind and heart to God” or the requesting of good things from God. When directed toward angels and saints, it is a humble request for their intercession; we ask them to pray for us and with us to God, who alone is the source of all grace and power. This act acknowledges our place as creatures and their role as fellow servants within God’s loving providence. Prayer is rooted in humility, faith, and trust in God’s will, recognizing that we do not command the spiritual world but rather appeal to it for assistance on our journey of faith.

Summoning, on the other hand, is an act of command or conjuration. It is an attempt to compel a spiritual being to appear or to do one’s bidding, implying a position of authority and power over that entity. This is the realm of magic and sorcery, practices the Church has condemned since its inception (CCC 2117). Such actions are a grave offense against the First Commandment because they seek to tame occult powers and place them at one’s service, rather than submitting to the will of God. The intention behind summoning is often a desire for control, hidden knowledge, or supernatural power, which directly opposes the Christian disposition of entrusting oneself to Divine Providence.

The Catechism is unequivocal in its rejection of any practice that seeks to “unveil” the future or communicate with the dead through conjuring (CCC 2116). This prohibition logically extends to any attempt to summon holy angels. While God may, in His providence, permit an angel to appear to someone, this is always at His initiative and for His purposes, never because a human has successfully forced the encounter through a ritual or formula. To attempt such a thing is to step outside the bounds of faith and into a dangerous spiritual territory where deception by fallen spirits is a real possibility. The fallen angel, Satan, is a deceiver who can appear as an angel of light to lead souls astray.

Authentic Christian spirituality, as expressed in the lives of the saints, shows a relationship with angels marked by reverence and piety, not command. The saints spoke with their angels, but this communication was an extension of their life of prayer and their intimacy with God. They never provided instructions or formulas for others to replicate these experiences by force. Their interactions were gifts of grace, not achievements of technique. This highlights the core difference; prayer is a receptive act of faith, while summoning is an assertive act of will aimed at control. The former builds a relationship with God and His heavenly court, while the latter attempts to manipulate the spiritual for personal ends.

Therefore, the premise of cardinals, the highest-ranking clergy after the Pope, engaging in the summoning of angels is a contradiction of fundamental Catholic principles. It confuses the sacred act of prayer with the forbidden practice of conjuration. The Church teaches its leaders and all the faithful to approach the angelic realm with profound respect, seeking their help through humble prayer and living a life that is open to God’s will. The correct path is one of intercession, not invocation in the magical sense. This distinction is critical for maintaining a spiritually healthy and theologically sound relationship with the unseen world of spirits, ensuring that faith remains centered on God and not on the acquisition of supernatural power.