Angels
Video Resources
What are Angels?
What are angels, what do they do, and what are they not?
Exorcism
Why evil is sad rather than exciting.
Concepts
In Catholic theology, angels are immortal, non-corporeal (purely spiritual) beings created by God with intelligence and free will, serving as messengers and servants of the Divine Plan. They possess no physical bodies but can assume human appearance. They act as guardians for humanity, while those who rejected God are known as demons.
Key Aspects of Catholic Angelology:
Nature: Angels are spiritual, personal creatures that surpass visible creation in perfection. They do not have bodies, though they can appear to possess them.
Purpose: They exist to worship God, behold His face, and serve as messengers, often guiding or protecting humans.
Types & Hierarchy: While Scripture mentions various types (seraphim, cherubim, archangels), the Church explicitly recognizes three Archangels by name: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
Guardian Angels: The Church teaches that every human is entrusted to the care of a guardian angel from life until death, providing watchful care and intercession.
Demons: These are angels who, out of pride, freely chose to reject God at the beginning of creation.
Veneration: While saints and angels can be venerated and asked for intercession, only God is worshipped.
Angels are a "truth of faith" and appear throughout scripture, from the creation of the world to the end times.
Questions & Answers
Angels are spiritual beings created by God who do not have physical bodies.
Psalm 8:6 says that God made humans slightly lower than the angels, because angels are purely spiritual while humans have bodies.
It comes from the Greek angelos, meaning “messenger” or “one who is sent.”
It describes their job, not their nature. Their role is to serve as intermediaries between God and humanity.
No. Angels are created beings of their own kind; humans do not become angels after death.
They possess free will, intelligence, and immortality, and they can take on physical appearances when needed.
The Seraphim and Cherubim are highest. Seraphim focus on worship and praise of God. Cherubim guard and protect, such as guarding the Tree of Life in Genesis.
Michael: spiritual warfare and protection. Gabriel: messenger who announced Jesus’ birth to Mary. Raphael: healing and guidance, appearing in the Book of Tobit.
Guardian angels protect, strengthen, guide, intercede for us, and help us make good choices. Catholics believe each person receives one at the beginning of life.
Lucifer rejected serving God, and one‑third of the angels followed him, becoming demons. They are not equal to God, and Christians believe they can be commanded to leave in Jesus’ name.