Expert: Griff Ruby - 1/18/2011

Question
1. Is it proper for Catholics to patronize Feng-shui?
2. Does a person commit a sin in practicing or using Feng-shui in their life?
3. Does Feng-shui affect religion in itself?
4. Can we say that Catholics who practice Feng Shui doesn’t have a strong faith with God?
5. Does the church have a stand about Feng-shui?
6. What will be the disadvantage to Catholic believers who are practicing Feng Shui?
7. Can we say that a Feng Shui master is a Buddhist or there is a possibility that he possess a different religion?
8. Why is it that though Philippines is a catholic country, Fengshui is still widely practiced?
9. Can we say that the reason why many believers practice Feng Shui is because they are not aware about the doctrine of Catholic?
10. Is it possible for a Catholic believer who is practicing Feng Shui covert his religion to Buddhism?

Answer
I must admit that I know rather little of the details of Feng-shui.  From what little I can tell you about it I hope you can gauge the degree to which anything I would have to say about it has any weight.  From what little I have gathered, it appears to have originated in China, or at least somewhere in the Far East Asiatic culture, and seems to be somewhat independent of their Buddhism which of course is a religion imported from India.
From my perspective it would seem that Feng-Shui would be roughly equivalent to Yoga or certain martial arts in an emphasis on mystic "energies" and the like.  So perhaps the 10 questions you ask about it could equally be asked about Yoga or the martial arts with pretty much the same result.
Clearly, any religious or "spiritual" background behind it would have to be wrong and superstitious, though perhaps some of the practical ideas, if seen and practiced purely in the sense of creating a useful and pleasant living or working space, might be considered acceptable if detached from their false religious basis.
Sadly, one often finds particular cultures that attempt a marriage of Catholicism with some local superstition, be it Santería, "Saint Death," or the widespread practice of Feng-shui in the Philippines.  The Church of course could never rightly authorize such bastardizations of the Faith, though local representatives may have at times been pressured into tolerating it.
So to sum up with short answers:
1)  No.  Though as I pointed out, the aesthetics of it might be acceptable if practiced in a neutral sense devoid of any superstitious reference.
2)  Yes, apart from the possible exception already mentioned.
3)  It does have a religious basis, and as such and to that extent is incompatible with Faith.
4)  A person could feel subjectively as if they have a strong faith in God, and perhaps even be willing to suffer much for the Gospel, but such Faith would at least be in danger of some distortion from the false religious roots of Feng-shui.  That need not diminish one's zeal, but they could result in having a zeal which is not according to knowledge.
5)  I am unaware of any specific response of the Church to Feng-shui, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
6)  Their Faith could either be weak or compromised in some manner, and that would invite other sins and worldliness.
7)  Buddhism originated in India, but not Feng-shui, so clearly the two are separate, and often occur separately.
8)  I have already discussed situations such as that found in the Philippines.
9)  The fact is that a great deal of disordered activities occur because individuals are not rooted, or even aware in many cases, of Catholic doctrine.
10  Feng-shui could at least quite easily provide a bridge out of Faith and into who-knows-what, to the soul's detriment.
And that is all I have to give on this, hope this helps, God bless!