Expert: Padraig Caughey - 4/29/2009

Question
I am currently in the process of joining the Catholic Church after having been a Protestant. So Im curious about the Church's view of psychics. I know that consulting psychics is forbidden in Scripture and in the teaching of the Catholic Church.  While I was a Protestant the minister of my church told me that those who do recieve information from the dead (when its not a fraud) are being decieved by demons. I imagine that many cases do involve demons.  However, I came across a story in the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 28:3-25. Im sure you've read it, its about Saul visiting a medium and actually calling up the spirit of the Prophet Samuel. The text gives no indication that it was a demon who was pretending to be Samuel. In fact the spirit of Samuel seems to scold Saul for disturbing him and going against God's command not to call up spirits. So, theoretically, I suppose in some case the dead can be called up? I know were not supposed to try though. Its just hard to know how to understand all the stories people tell about losing a loved one or spouse and then the spirit comes and comforts them. Do you think all things like this are tricks of the Devil?  Thank you!

Answer
Congratulations on joining the Church, Dusty!! A great blessing for you and yours.

The Church and scripture both forbid the active seeking out of correspondence with the dead {Necromancy}

The reason why this is so is that its a bit like leaving the front door of your house open, when you do so you never know who or what is going to wander in to live with you. Its a protection from attack by demons.

However were Church tradition differs from your Minister is in teaching on Purgatory in that souls very often enter a purification period before entering heaven. So that often souls return to ask for prayers and also to comfort relatives and friends after a recent bereavement especially in cases were there is a real need for comfort.

My own personal believe is that there are other occasions were the 'Door can open' or 'half open' naturally and with no harm. People who pray a lot, people from more simple cultures and societies, folks who appear to have some genetic or neural composition that facilitates this, or just folks who happen to have an open mind.

My mother used to say, 'Its not the dead we should fear, its the living  and I think this is true. we have nothing to fear from those who ask who prayers or simply come to comfort us. Saint Teresa of Avila was fond of saying, 'I do not fear the devil, but I very much fear those who fear the devil'. This sounds to me common sensed.

In regards to the effect of the supernatural I think its mostly commonsense. But I think your Minister was mistaken to write all off as demons.

I think Protestantism tends to be a religion very much of the head and Catholicsm heads more to the heart and so is more open in its way of looking at such things.

True attacks by the devil are a different kettle of fish and must be fought. But As Saint Teresa implies the victory has already been won by Christ.

If you get a chance read up on the life of Padre Pio, it will teach you a lot on all this.

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