Christian Angelology §3: The Apostasy of the Angels — Demons

§3: The Apostasy of a Number of the Angels

SECTION 3 THE APOSTASY OF A NUMBER OF THE ANGELS

Article 1: The Fallen Angels or Demons

THE FALLEN ANGELS OR DEMONS i. The Existence of Evil Spirits. — The Fall of the Angels was unlike that of man. The human race apostatized as a whole, because all men were virtually contained in Adam and consequently all contracted original sin through him. The fallen Angels sinned as individuals, each of his own accord, and thereby rendered themselves guilty of actual sin. The existence of evil spirits is an obvious inference from the revealed truth that a portion of the angelic host, who were all originally created in the state of sanctifying grace, rebelled against God and were cast into hell. Diabolus et alii daemones a Deo quidem naturd creati sunt boni, sed ipsi per se facti sunt mali says the Fourth Council of the Lateran.1 Our Lord Himself says: “I saw Satan like lightning f all1 Caput ” Firmiter,” quoted by Denzinger-Bannwart, Enchiridion, ru 428. 340 ing from heaven.” 2 St. John in the Apocalypse gives a graphic description of his fall: “Cauda eius [scil. draconis] trahebat tertiam partem stellarum coeli et misit eas in terram… . Draco … proiectus est in terram et angeli eius cum illo missi sunt — And his tail drew the third part of* the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth… . And the dragon … was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”8 On the strength of this text certain mystically inclined theologians estimated the proportion of the fallen angels to those that remained faithful as 1:3. Whether this estimate be correct or no, we may safely assume that the number of the faithful Angels exceeded those who fell away. The Bible consistently distinguishes between the ” Devil,” or ” Satan,” in the singular, and ” demons,” in the plural number. Satan is described as the seducer, the demons as his victims. While the latter are designated by the indefinite terms ” demons ” (daemones, 8atftov€5, 8ai/o’wa), or “unclean spirits” (spiritus impuri s. nequam, irvtviiaTa aKdOapra rj 7rovrjpias), their leader, ” the prince of demons,” * is called by the proper name of ” Satan ” (aardv or ouravas, JDfr, i. e., an adversary) or ” Devil ” (diabolus, 8w£/?oAos, i. e., slanderer or accuser, from StajSaAActv, to traduce), and by such quasi2 Luke X, 18. Cfr. John VIII, 4 Matth. IX, 34: ” prince ps dae44. moniorum.” 8Apoc. XII, 4. proper names as Asmodeus,5 Azazel,8 Beelzebub7 and Belial.8 The name Lucifer does not occur in the Bible.9 Nor is there any Scriptural warrant for speaking of ” devils ” in the plural number. There is but one Devil, though there are many demons or evil spirits. It is the teaching of Holy Scripture that the kingdom of Christ is opposed by a kingdom of evil ruled by the prince of this world, who is the father of lies, Leviathan or the “great dragon … that old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world.” 10 From the psychological point of view it is a reasonable assumption that the apostasy of the Angels was instigated by one of their own number, most likely by the one who ranked highest both in natural and supernatural endowment,11 and that consequently the kingdom of evil originated at the very summit of creation and thence spread over heaven and earth. What was the nature of the sin committed by the fallen angels? Fathers and theologians quite generally hold that it was pride; but they are not agreed as to its underlying motive. Some think the pride of the fallen angels was inspired by envy because of the great things which God had in store for the human race (elevation to the state of grace, the Hypostatic Union, Mary the Queen of Angels, and so forth). Others believe the inordinate desire of these angels to be like God prompted them to rise in mutiny against their Sovereign.12 5 Tob. Ill, 8. 12 Hence the name of Michael 6 Lev. XVI, io. 600 7 Luke XI, 15 if passim. ” * * Q™ « «* Deusf) On 82 Cor. VI, 15. the cuIt and fea8t °* St. Michael, 9 Cfr. Petavhis, De Angelis, III, cfr- F- G- Holweck in the Pastoral11 Among Christians he is pop- trine of .the Fal1 of th« ****** the lOApoc. XII, 9blatt, St. Louis, July 19 10. For a more detailed account of the doc* ularly known as ” Lucifer.” student is referred to Suarez, De Angelis, VII, 10 sqq.

2. The Punishment of the Fallen Angels.— It is an article of faith that the fallen angels in punishment for their crime were forthwith shorn of grace and cast into hell, where they have no hope of redemption. Sacred Scripture teaches this expressly. Cfr. 2 Pet. II, 4: “Deus angelis peccantibus non pepercit, sed rudentibus inferni detractos in tartarum tradidit cruciandos — God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes, to the lower hell, unto torments.” Epistle of St. Jude 6: “Angelos vero, qui non servaverunt suum principatum, sed dereliquerunt suum domicilium, in indicium magni diei vinculis aeternis sub caligine reservavit — And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.” The phrase “reserved unto the judgment of the great day” does not mean that the evil spirits have any chance of redemption, but merely indicates that their punishment will not be complete till after the Last Judgment, when they shall cease to harass men. The much-discussed theory that a time will come when all free creatures, demons and lost souls included, shall share in the grace of salvation (diro#caTaoracw Trdvrwv),13 was rejected as heis Latin, restitutio in integrum. and was taught among others by This doctrine originated with Origen St. Gregory of Nyssa. See the retical in the first of the famous anathemas pronounced at the Council of Constantinople, A. D. 543. Christ Himself implicitly condemned it when He spoke of the final judgment: “Discedite a me, maledicti, in ignem aeternum, qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius — Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.” 14 It is the almost unanimous opinion of theologians 15 that, unlike man, the fallen angels were granted no time for repentance.

Article 2: The Demons in Their Relation to the Human Race

THE DEMONS IN THEIR RELATION TO THE HUMAN RACE While the good Angels are placed as guardians over men in order to help them to attain their temporal and eternal salvation, the Devil, who “was a murderer from the beginning,” 1 by way of punishment for original sin, exercises a “reign of death” (imperium mortis) over the human race. This “reign of death” manifests itself in three ways.

1. Temptation to Sin. — There are two species of temptation, known by the Scholastic names of tentatio probationis and tentatio seducarticle ” Apocatastasis ” by P. Batiffol in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. I. 14 Matth. XXV, 41. ib Salmeron is one of the very few exceptions, ljohn VIII, 44. tionis. The tentatio probationis aims at proving the will, while the tentatio seductionis has for its ultimate object the ruin of the soul. It is quite plain that God cannot seduce men.2 When He “tempts” a man, He simply “tries his faith/5 as in the case of Adam and Abraham; which is quite compatible with His infinite holiness. Satan and his demons, on the contrary, continually strive by lies and false pretences to seduce men to commit sin and thereby to incur eternal damnation. John VIII, 44: “llle homicida erat ab initio et in veritate non stetit, quia non est Veritas in eo; quum loquitur mendacium, ex propriis loquitur, quia mendax est et pater eius — He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.” “As a roaring lion,” says St. Peter, “[the Devil] goeth about, seeking whom he may devour.” 3 Whether the demons have a hand in all the temptations to which men are subject, is a problem regarding which the Fathers and theologians do not agree. What renders its solution difficult is the circumstance that, as Suarez has rightly pointed out, the underlying question is not one of power, but of fact. St. Thomas takes middle ground. He attributes all temptations to the in2 Cfr. the Epistle of St. James, I, ter diabolus tatnquam leo rugiens 3. circuit, quaerens quern devoret.” 3 1 Pet. V, 8: ” Adversarius ves23 direct influence of the Devil. ” Diabolus/’ he says, ” est causa omnium peccatorum nostrorum, quia instigavit primum hominem ad peccandum, ex cuius peccato consecuta est in toto genere humano quaedam pronitas ad omnia peccata. Et per hunc modum intelligenda sunt verba Damasceni et Dionysii. Directe autem dicitur esse aliquid causa alicuius, quod operatur directe ad Mud; et hoc modo diabolus non est causa omnis peccatu Non enim omnia peccata committuntur diabolo instigante; sed quaedam ex libertate arbitrii et carnis corruptione” *

2. Demoniacal Possession. — God in His infinite wisdom occasionally permits demons to take possession of the human body. Ascetic theology distinguishes three species of demoniacal possession: (i) Circumsession, (2) obsession, and (3) possession in the strict sense of the term. Demoniacal possession, even in its highest stage, must not be conceived as analogous to the Hypostatic Union, or the indwelling of in the souls of the just. It is no more than the relation of one who moves to him who is moved. We know that demoniacal possession is possible from Sacred Scripture and Tradition. Both in the Gospels and the Acts Christ and His Apostles are frequently described as expelling evil spirits from persons possessed by them (daemoniaci, «*pyov/Acvoi). It is a blasphemous reflection upon the truthfulness and sanctity 4 5”. Theol., 1a, qu. 114, art. 3. und ihre Gegenmittel, 3rd ed., FreiCfr. Fr. Hense, Die Versuchungen burg 1902. of the Godman to assume, as some modern Rationalists do,5 that Christ simply played the role of a physician or magnetic healer to accommodate Himself to the superstitions of the Jews. The Church placed herself squarely upon the ground taken by her Founder when she adopted various exorcisms into her liturgy and even established a special ordo of exorcists.6 Cases of diabolical possession were frequent in the Apostolic age and for a long time thereafter.7 The Church still recognizes the possibility of demoniacal possession in her Pontifical. The indications of demoniacal possession are: “Ignota lingua loqui pluribus verbis vel loquentem intelligere; distantia et occulta patefacere; vires supra aetatis seu conditionis naturam ostendere, et id genus alia/9 Under the present discipline no exorcism may be performed without the express mandate of the Bishop. This rule is intended to prevent mistakes and abuses, such as have occurred in the past and are likely to occur again. We know that in the Middle Ages epilepsy, impotence, and other diseases were frequently ascribed to demoniacal influence, and no 5 Cfr. Barker Stevens, The Theology of the New Testament, pp. 76 sqq., Edinburgh 1901. 6 Ordination to the office of exorcist is the second of the four minor orders of the Western Church. Cfr. our dogmatic treatise on the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the article ” Exorcist” by P. J. Toner in Vol. V of the Catholic Encyclopedia, 7 Irenaeus, Adv. Haer., II, 32, 4; Tertullian, Apol. c. 23. Cfr. Alexander, Demonic Possession in the New Testament, London 1902. attention was paid to the fact that people who believe they are possessed by an evil spirit are often merely insane.8

3. Black Magic. — By black magic0 theologians understand the power of producing superhuman effects without the cooperation of God or the blessed Angels. If any such power really exists, it must certainly be attributed to the influence of evil spirits.10 The possibility of human intercourse with Satan cannot be denied in view of the many instances recorded, or assumed as true, in the New Testament. The medieval witch-baiters sinned grievously by exaggerating the power of the Devil, by neglecting the most elementary principles of sound psychology, and by proceeding with unpardonable carelessness and inhuman cruelty in the trial of persons accused of witchcraft. No period of the world’s history is characterized by so many insane superstitions and such a radical want of common sense as the terrible time during which thousands of supposed witches were tried, tortured, and executed for practicing sorcery.11 Of course, the theological principle that there are 8 Cfr. Heyne, Vber Besessenheitswahn bei geistigen Erkrankungssustanden, Paderborn 1904; W. H. Kent, art. ” Demoniacs ” in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. IV. ©“White magic” is a natural art, based on an extraordinary facility of doing things. 10 On the pagan oracles and the false prophets of whom the Fathers so frequently speak, cfr. Palmieri, De Deo Creante, pp. 483 sqq. 11 Cfr. J. Janssen, Geschichte des deutschen Volkes, Vol. VIII, Freiburg 1895 (English ed. by A. M. Christie, Vol. XVI.) DEMONIACAL POSSESSION 349 demons and that they have power to injure man in body and soul, is no more disproved by these medieval excesses than by the all too ready credence which in our own time thousands of well-meaning Catholics gave to the bogus revelations of Leo Taxil and his fictitious Diana Vaughan.12 Readings: — St Anselm, De Casu Diaboli. — *St. Thomas, Quaest. Disp., De Daemonibus. — M. Psellus, De Daemonum Operatione (reprinted in Migne, P. G., CXXII, 819 sqq.). — J M. Platina, De Angelis et Daemonibus, Bononiae 1740. — M. Gerbert, Daemonurgia Theologice Expensa, Friburgi 1776. — W. Schneider, Der neuere Geisterglaube, 2nd ed., Paderborn 1885. — Leistle, Die Besessenheit mit besonderer Berucksichtigung der Lehre der V’dter, Dillingen 1887. — *M. Hagen, Der Teufel itn Lichte der Glaubensquellen, Freiburg 1899. — Duhm, Die bosen Geister im Alten Testament, 1904. — S. J. Hunter, Outlines of Dogmatic Theology, Vol II, pp. 302 sqq. — R. O’Kennedy, The Holy Angels, pp. 39 sqq., 120 sqq., London 1887. — Spirago-Garke, The Catechism Explained, 8th ed., pp. 147 sqq. — Delaporte-Sadlier, The Devil: Does He Exist? And What Does He Dot New York 1904. — N. Paulus, Hexenwahn und Hexenprozess, vornehmlich im 16. Jahrhundert, Freiburg 1910. — W. H. Kent, articles “Devil” and “Demon” in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. IV. — M. J. O’Donnell, art. « Possession,” ibid., Vol. XII. — J. P. Arendzen, art. ” Occult Arts,” ibid., Vol. XI. — Habert, La Magie, Paris 1908. — R. Polz, Das Verhdltnis Christi zu den Damonen, Innsbruck 1907. — J. G. Raupert, Modern Spiritism, London 1904. — Idem, The Supreme Problem, London 191 1. — A. V. Miller, The Dangers of Modern Spiritualism, London 1908. l2Cfr. H. Gruber, S. J., Leo T axil’s Palladismus-Roman, 3 vols., Berlin 1897-8.