Catholic Catechism – Angels and Demons (Nos. 328-336 and 391-395)

# The Catholic Catechism on Angels and Demons

## I. Angels (CCC 328-336)

### n. 328, The Existence of Angels

**Latin:** *Spiritualium creaturarum, quas Sacra Scriptura “angelos” appellat, exsistentia, est veritas fidei. Testimonium Scripturae tam est manifestum quam Traditionis unanimitas.*

**Portuguese:** A existência dos seres espirituais, não corporais, que a Sagrada Escritura chama habitualmente de «anjos», é uma verdade da fé. O testemunho das Escrituras é tão claro como a unanimidade da Tradição.

### n. 329, Who Are Angels?

St. Augustine says of them: *”Angel” designates the function, not the nature. If you seek the name of this nature, it is “spirit”; if you seek the function, it is “angel”: so it is, “spirit” by its very being; “angel” by its activity.* In all their being, angels are God’s servants and messengers.

### n. 330, Angels as Personal Beings

As purely spiritual creatures, they possess intelligence and will: they are personal beings and immortals, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory attests.

### n. 331, Angels of Christ

Christ is the center of the angelic world. His angels are: *”When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels…”* (Mt 25:31). They belong to him because they were created by him and for him: *”For through him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; all things were created through him and for him”* (Col 1:16).

### n. 332, Angels in the Old Testament

Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing from afar or near this salvation and fulfilling God’s design for its realization: they closed Paradise, protected Lot, saved Hagar and her son, stayed Abraham’s hand, communicated the Law through their mediation, guided the people of God, announced births and vocations, assisted the prophets…

## Angels in the New Testament and the Life of the Church

### Nos. 333-336 – Angels in the New Testament and Church Life

**Angels:**

– Announce the Incarnation (Lk 1:26-38)
– Present at the manger in Bethlehem (Lk 2:8-14)
– Serve Christ in the desert (Mt 4:11)
– Announce the Resurrection (Mt 28:5-7)
– Present at the Ascension (Act 1:10-11)
– Each believer has a guardian angel (CCC 336)

### No. 336 – Guardian Angel

> From childhood (cf. Mt 18:10) to death (cf. Lk 16:22), human life is surrounded by their protection and intercession. “Each faithful has a guardian angel, as protector and shepherd, to lead him to life” (St. Basil the Great, Eun. 3, 1: PG 29, 656B). Christian life participates, already from this life through faith, in the blessed communion of angels and men united with God.

## II. The Fall of Angels (CCC 391-395)

### No. 391 – Existence of Fallen Angels

> Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lies a seductive voice, opposed to God, who, out of envy, causes them to fall into death (cf. Prv 2:24). Scripture and Church Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called Satan or the devil (cf. Jn 8:44; Rev 12:9). The Church teaches that he was initially a good angel, created by God: “The devil and other demons were indeed created naturally good, but they themselves became evil” (Lateranense IV, 1215: DS 800).

### No. 392 – Irrevocable Choice of Angels

> Scripture speaks of the sin of these angels. This “fall” consisted in the free choice made by these spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and His Kingdom. We find a reflection of this rebellion in the words of the tempter to our first parents: “You will be like God” (Gn 3:5). The devil “was a liar from the beginning” (Jn 8:44), “the father of lies” (Jn 8:44).

### No. 393 – Irreversibility of the Fall

> The irrevocable nature of the choice of angels, and not a lack in God’s infinite mercy, is what makes the sin of angels unforgivable. “There is no repentance for them after the fall, as there is no repentance for men after death” (St. John Damascene, F.O. 2, 4: PG 94, 877C).

### No. 394 – Temptation by Satan

> Scripture bears witness to the disastrous influence of him whom Jesus calls “the murderer from the beginning” (Jn 8:44) and who also tried to divert Jesus from His mission received from His Father. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn 3:8).

### No. 395 – Limits of Satan’s Power

> However, Satan’s power is not infinite. He is a mere creature, powerful because he is pure spirit, but still a creature: he cannot prevent the building up of God’s Kingdom. Although Satan acts in the world out of hatred for God and His Kingdom in Jesus Christ, and his actions cause serious damage, both spiritual and indirect physical harm, to each individual and society, this action is permitted by divine Providence, which with strength and gentleness guides the history of man and the world. The permission given by God for Satan’s activity is a great mystery, but “we know that God works all things for good for those who love him” (Rom 8:28).

## III. Other mentions of the devil in the CCC

– **n. 414:** Satan and other demons are fallen angels who freely refused to serve God and His design. Their choice against God is definitive. They attempt to associate man with their revolt against God.
– **n. 538-540:** The temptation of Christ in the desert, victory over Satan
– **n. 1352:** The Eucharist as a battle against the Evil One
– **n. 1673:** Exorcism, when the Church publicly asks, with the authority of Jesus Christ, that a person or object be protected from the influence of the Evil One
– **n. 2851-2854:** «**Deliver us from evil**» in the Our Father prayer

## Synthesis of the Seven Fundamental Truths

– **The angels exist as personal, spiritual, free, and immortal beings.**
– **The angels were created by God, belong to Christ, and serve the Kingdom.**
– **Every faithful person has a guardian angel from birth until death.**
– **Demons are fallen angels who freely chose to reject God.**
– **The choice of the angels was irreversible; they cannot convert.**
– **Satan tempts man but does not have absolute power.**
– **Christ won over Satan on the Cross and in His Resurrection.**

## Additional Reading

– IV Council of Lateran 1215 (Firmiter) | CDF Faith and Demonology 1975 | Pope Paul VI Confrontation with the Devil (15 November 1972) | JP2 Catecheses 1986 | Leo XIII – Prayer to Saint Michael (1886) – Exorcism of Satan (1890)

## Also see:

– Our comprehensive guide on **Angelology in Catholic Theology**.