"You shall not divine nor observe dreams." Leviticus xix, 26. https://drbo.org/chapter/03019.htm
(Protestant bible: "Do not practice divination or sorcery.")
"Go not aside after wizards, neither ask any thing of soothsayers, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God." Leviticus xix, 31. https://drbo.org/chapter/03019.htm
(Protestant bible: "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.)
"The soul that shall go aside after magicians, and soothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them, I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people." Leviticus xx, 6. https://drbo.org/chapter/03020.htm
(Protestant bible: "I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.")
"A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die: they shall stone them: their blood be upon them." Leviticus xx, 27. https://drbo.org/chapter/03020.htm
(Protestant bible: "A man or woman who is a medium or a spiritist among you, must be put to death.").
"When you have been brought into the land which the Lord your God shall give you, beware lest you have a mind to imitate the abominations of those nations. Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consults soothsayers, or observes dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard, nor charmer, nor any one that consults pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeks the truth from the dead. For the Lord abhors all these things, and for these abominations He will destroy them at your coming. You shall be perfect, and without spot before the Lord your God. These nations, whose land you shall possess, hearken to soothsayers and diviners: but you are otherwise instructed by the Lord your God."
Deuteronomy xviii, 9-14. https://drbo.org/chapter/05018.htm
(Protestant bible: "When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.")
"So Saul died for his sins, because he broke the commandment of the Lord, which He had commanded, and kept it not: and moreover consulted also a witch, and trusted not in the Lord: therefore He slew him, and transferred his kingdom to David the son of Isai." 1. Par. x, 13-14. https://drbo.org/chapter/13010.htm
"And when they shall say to you: Seek of pythons, and of diviners, who mutter in their enchantments: should not the people (of Israel) seek of their God, for the living of the dead?" Isaias viii, 19. https://drbo.org/chapter/27008.htm
(Protestant bible: "And when they say to you, 'Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God?").
UNLIKE WHAT HERETICS PRETEND, God prohibits the consultation of spirits, that is the fallen angels, and of souls of the dead; He thereby does not forbid praying to God's Angels, and to human souls that have been declared by His Church to have been accepted into Heaven on the the basis of the living authority that He has endowed His Church with, nor praying for the dead who have died in God's grace.
October 10, 2022. WhatsApp.
APPENDIX
Spiritualism, in the RADIO REPLIES by Frs. Leslie Rumble & Joseph Carry.
317. May Catholics assist at Spiritistic Seances?
No. In 1917, the Church decreed as follows: "It is not lawful to assist at Spiritistic Seances or manifestations whether with or without a medium, even though such meetings seem to be honest and religious." Spiritualism claims to be a new religion, and therefore meets with the same fate as all other religions invented by men since the time of Christ. The only true religion is that established by Christ, and in the form in which He established it. It is little use to call oneself a Christian, and reject the Church as Christ built it, accepting any form of religion men would like to substitute for it.
318. Is there any truth in the claims of Spiritualism?
There is truth in the claim that the soul is distinct from, and can survive the body. All men instinctively know this, and as they lose faith in Protestantism, this fundamental truth of reason remains. Many of them therefore turn to Spiritualism. Thus this new phase gains ground among non-Catholics. As a religious system Spiritualism is the outcome of human effort, and is in vogue among certain men for a time. But it is valueless as a religion in the sight of God. It will die out in due course, possibly to give place to some other extravagant form of religious excitement. Man is constitutionally religious, and if deprived of Catholic truth will grasp at anything for a time. But substitutes are bound to disappoint in the end.
319. Why precisely does your Church condemn Spiritualism?
The Catholic Church certainly believes in the existence of the spiritual world, of God, of good and evil created spirits, and in the continued existence of the souls of men. But the phenomena of Spiritualism are due at best to natural causes; at times to imposture; very often to evil spirits. Certainly any effects due to the influence of spirits are not due to the intervention of good spirits. The medium acts under uncanny and feverish excitement; the effects are evil only too often; and messages received, as well as the methods adopted, are openly blasphemous and immoral, and quite unworthy of God. God Himself says, "Neither let there be found among you . . . one that seeketh the truth from the dead." Deut. XVIII., 10-11.
320. Has the Catholic Church ever been in communication with spirit beings from the next world?
In the history of the Catholic Church there are many accounts of messages received from the souls of the departed. The truth of these accounts is subject to the ordinary laws of historical criticism, and some accounts have certainly been proved doubtful. Others leave no room for prudent doubt. As a rule, God permits a soul only occasionally to communicate momentarily a warning, or a request for prayers, but nothing fantastical. Likewise, the messages are spontaneous, and not due to the curious efforts of people seeking the truth from the dead. The Church tests the messages received, or claimed as received, in order to discern whether good or evil spirits are responsible for the communication. (1) The message must in no way conflict with Catholic teaching or moral principles. Gal. I., 9. (2) The person who claims to have received such a communication must be characterized by sound common sense, and even be undesirous of such occurrences. (3) The effects of the message must be good, the recipient being moved to a holier life, and to nothing indecent, shameful, or contrary to Christian standards.
321. Spirits have told Spiritualists that we shall not see God face to face, and that we shall have only natural happiness in Heaven. Is there any truth in this?
The idea of merely natural happiness in Heaven is nonsense. The supreme happiness of Heaven is totally different from any happiness we know on earth. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . . what things God hath prepared for them that love Him." I. Cor. II., 9. An eternity of the things we know here, and of life as we experience it would soon become blank misery, and not Heaven at all. God Himself tells us that we shall see Him face to face, and it is better to believe the God who made us than the Spiritualist who would only unmake us as regards our rational nature.
1318. How does the Roman Catholic Church view Spiritualism?
On April 24th, 1917, the Holy See issued the following decree: "It is not lawful to assist at any spiritualistic meetings, conversations with spirits, or manifestations of spirits. It matters not whether a medium be present or not, nor whether the meeting seems to be above board and apparently conducted from motives of piety. A Catholic may not be present at such meetings even as an onlooker, let alone asking questions of departed spirits and listening to their supposed replies."
1319. How do you account for the supernatural powers of some spiritualistic mediums?
Some of the phenomena produced by spiritualistic mediums are due to dexterity and fraud; some to natural clairvoyant and telepathetic powers; some to the influence of evil spirits. None can be ascribed to good spirits. God does not work that way, nor do His good ministering angels.
1320. Do departed souls return to speak at spiritualistic meetings?
No. With God's special permission, and by His power, it would be possible for a departed soul to communicate with those still in this world. But I deny that this occurs at spiritualistic seances. Supposed communications from deceased people at such weird gatherings are due to fraud on the part of the mediums; or are only imaginary and due to mental suggestion imposed by a medium; or are created by some dupe's own excited and expectant psychological state; or due to impersonation, some evil spirit exerting its influence and pretending to be this or that departed personality. Not only the Catholic Church condemns spiritualism. No professing Christian should have anything to do with it and its occult practices.
1321. Catholics believe in the communications of the Saints.
We do not believe in any communication with the souls of departed human beings in any spiritualistic way. Those souls are not in a condition of life adapted to such communication with us in this world. If God wishes, He can by a miracle permit such communications, but that very rarely happens and is quite abnormal. The Communion of Saints means simply that we who belong to the same Christ as fellow members of Him can benefit by the merits of the Saints and by their intercession. Communication with them is by prayer on our part. We are certain that they enjoy the very Vision of God, in which Vision they are aware of our prayers to them. But souls which have not attained to the Vision of God have no normal medium by which they can be aware of our doings in this world.
1322. By not believing in spiritualism the Church discourages inquiries which could lead to the discovery of knowledge not possessed by herself.
The Church does not believe in spiritualism as a semi-religious cult. She does believe in the existence of a spirit-world. God Himself is a pure spirit. Angels are spirits. So, too, are departed souls, and likewise devils. But the Church does not rely on spiritualism to provide her with the truth she must teach to mankind. She has received that truth from Jesus Christ who commanded her to teach mankind all that He had taught her. In the natural order the Church encourages men to discover all that science can teach them. In the supernatural order, she remains strictly faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ. And she condemns spiritualism as a movement with all its works. If men want supernatural progress, let them seek to unite themselves with God by prayer and by the Sacraments of Christ, not with spirits by superstitious incantations in dark corners, moved rather by a morbid curiosity than by any desire to serve God and sanctify their souls. Baron Von Hugel rightly said, "One never gets any spiritual ideas out of spiritualism."
1323. The Bible speaks of visions received by men, and of voices heard prompting to a certain course of action.
The Bible records that such things happened at times to certain people. But it does not say that they will happen to all. If you came to me to say that you had received a vision of some departed person, you would not convince me by producing documentary proof that St. Paul had a vision whilst on the way to Damascus. His vision would not prove yours; and I would certainly not take your mere word for it
1324. Why do you doubt visions today, or treat them as being of the devil or as due to insanity, or a temporary delusion?
The presumption is against God's departure from His ordinary ways. And the giving of visions is not God's ordinary way of acting. Therefore I would take it for granted that a supposed vision would be due, not to God, but to some physiological or psychological cause, or to the influence of some evil spirit. Certainly all such causes would have to be positively disproved before I would go on to consider this vision in a supernatural light. That is ordinary prudence, from which the Christian religion dispenses no one. If a case were submitted to me, I would first weigh very carefully all the natural qualities of the person concerned. Is he neurotic, nervous hysterical? Or is he of a calm, well-balanced temperament, and in good bodily health? Is he normal mentally, or endowed with an extravagant imagination? I would weigh well his virtue. Is he utterly sincere and humble, or eaten up with pride and given to vanity, boasting, and untruthfulness? Then I would examine the nature of his vision, and ask myself whether it in any way conflicted with the doctrines of Christian Faith already revealed by God; or whether it was in strict accordance with Christian holiness and moral decency. I would note also its effects upon himself—good, or bad. The Catholic Church has laid down many such tests. She does no deny the possibility of such things; but she does deny the right of any man to accept them as from God with blind credulity.
1325. The Bible prophesies that such things will be.
The Bible does not say that such things will occur always to everybody. Nor are they at all necessary. Visions do not make the recipient of them any better or holier. God may grant visions at times to the Saints because they are Saints. But they are not Saints because they have visions. They are Saints because they avoid sin as a very plague, and courageously practise Christian virtue. It is virtue and goodness that matter, not visions.
1326. The Bible should at least dispose you to accept spirit manifestations claimed by spiritualism.
That is not so. The evidence produced by spiritualists has nothing like the value of the evidence of Sacred Scripture. I do not deny that, at times, spirit-beings may be responsible for some of the manifestations at spiritualistic seances. But, if they are, they are not good, but evil spirits. God has given His complete revelation through Christ. Also, since good spirits are in perfect accordance with the will of God, they could not be sent by Him to reveal the contradictory and often blasphemous doctrines claimed by spiritualists to come from the spirit-world. Moreover, if Scripture has any authority, we must obey its precepts. What are they? "Let there not be found among you anyone that seeketh the truth from the dead." Deut. XVIII., 10. In Lev. XX., God absolutely condemns the man or woman who claims to have a "divining spirit"—not a very comforting reflection for the modern medium. The Prophet Isaiah (VIII., 19) says, "When they shall say to you: Seek of people with a prophesying spirit and of diviners who mutter in their enchantments, should not the people seek of their God instead of seeking comfort for the living from the dead?"
1327. I John, IV., 1, tells us to "try the spirits, if they be of God."
St. John is not referring to spiritual beings of another world than this. He is speaking of impulses and inclinations which come into our minds, and which can lead to disaster if people insist on following private judgment. He also refers to the spirit of other people's teachings. Immediately he makes this clear. "Believe not every spirit," he says, "for many prophets have gone out into the world." I Jn. IV., 1. We must try the spirit of these teachings to see if they be in conformity with the true doctrine revealed by Christ. How are we to know that true doctrine? If every man is to decide for himself what that true doctrine is, we are back in chaos again. Christ knew this, and took the precaution of establishing the Catholic Church, promising to preserve it from error till the end of time. If any doctrine contradicts the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church, it is false.
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