ANGELOLOGY

AWESOME BEINGS!

CCC #328: “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith.”

Created by God before human beings were created

CCC # 327: “...the Fourth Lateran Council affirms that God ‘from the beginning of time made at once out of nothing both orders of creatures the spiritual and the corporeal, that is, the angelic and the earthly, and then the human creature...’”

Angels are spirits who function as messengers.

9 CHOIRS/RANKS
IN
3 HIERARCHIES/ORDERS

LOWEST ORDER/HIERARCHY

• Angels - protect humans, bring less important messages
• Archangels - mediate important messages between God and humans
• Principalities - govern the general welfare of nations & the common good

MIDDLE ORDER/HIERARCHY

• Powers - protect the operation of the cosmos
• Virtues - confer the causes of energy, responsible for the highest powers: gravitational pull of orbits & the burning of suns & stars
• Dominions - organizes/decrees what should be done by lower angels

HIGHEST ORDER/HIERARCHY

• Thrones - contemplate the goodness of God as reflected in divine judgments
• Cherubims - consider God’s goodness applied to creation (Providence)
• Seraphim - “burning” with the love of God as they consider God’s goodness as goal of all creatures

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• Seraphims
• Cherubims
• Thrones
• Powers
• Virtues
• Dominions
• Principalities
• Archangels
• Angels

Ranked according to perfection and gradated in terms of: purity of activity, illumination of knowledge and power and jurisdiction.

Celestial hierarchy is given to us by Pseudo-Dionysius and Early Patristics; not a dogma but theological opinion.

The higher the rank, the more intelligent.

What do angels know?

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• Morning knowledge - beatific vision; infused by God; clear as the morning
• Evening knowledge - given by God

How do angels communicate?

Do angels have gender?

Do angels multiply?

Can angels fall in love with humans?

Angels have intellect & will.

ANGELS HAVE NAMES

DIRECTORY ON POPULAR PIETY AND LITURGY # 217:

“...The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.”

How many angels are there?

Immortal

Can humans become angels?

Guardian Angels

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• Psalm 34:7 “The angel of Yahweh pitches camp round those who fear him and keeps them safe.”

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• Psalm 91:11 “He will put you in his angel’s charge to guard you wherever you go.”

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• Matthew 18:10 “See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.”

3 Archangels

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• Michael - Who is like God
• Gabriel - Strength of God
• Raphael - God heals

MICHAEL

“Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth...”
Revelation 12:4

“And now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels, but they were defeated and driven out of heaven.”
Revelation 12:7-8

“The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him.”
Revelation 12:9

“Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ...”
Revelation 12:10

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