Q & A - Angels



There are a lot of misconceptions out there about angels & I've wanted to do a post for a while now to clear some up. So, I thought a question & answer post would be the best way to go. I may ruffle some feathers with this post, but these are factual answers from Catholic teaching on angels.

1) Do angels actually exist & how do we know? Yes. Angels are mentioned in the Bible (32 out of 46 Old Testament books & over 158 times in the New Testament), appear in teachings of the Church from many saints, & many apparitions of angels have been documented.

2) What are angels? First off, the term "angel" refers to their office (what they do) & "spirit" is the term that refers to their nature. Thus, angels are spiritual beings created by God. They have no physical bodies & are not male or female. 

3) What do angels do? There are nine levels of angels divided into three sections called triads. 

  • Triad 1 includes Seraphim, Cherubim, & Thrones. These are the angels closest to God, adoring & singing His praises.
  • Triad 2 includes Dominions, Virtues, & Thrones. This level manages human affairs in fulfillment of God's universal plan.
  • Triad 3 includes Principalities, Archangels, & Angels. These are the angels who take care of us, including the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael. Our guardian angels are also in this triad.
4) What is a guardian angel? A guardian angel has been assigned to each of us. There are seven tasks of our guardian angels, according to "The Guardian Angels - Our Heavenly Companions" (a small booklet).
  • Preserve our bodies & souls from unknown dangers
  • Defense against evil spirit temptations
  • Inspire our holy thoughts & deeds
  • Warn of spiritual dangers & admonish our sins
  • Join our prayers offered to God
  • Defend us at death from those final spiritual attacks
  • Console our souls in Purgatory & guide us to Heaven once cleansed

5) Can I give my guardian angel a name? No, & I found numerous articles stating why we should not. One of those reasons is that when we name something, we are claiming an authority over it. By naming our guardian angel, we would be saying that we're above them & that goes against any teaching on their existence & reason for being. 

(For more information on this subject, you can follow these two links: Aletia article &  The Catholic Company article)

6) Is Lucifer (Satan, the Devil) an angel? Yes, Lucifer is an angel. He rejected God &, along with his own followers, was cast out of Heaven by St. Michael. He continues to tempt us & draw us away from God, therefore, the Prayer to St. Michael is one which should be frequently recited. Many churches have returned to the practice of praying it at the end of each Mass. 



7) Do we become angels when we die? Now, this may upset many people, but the answer is no. Often, when a loved one passes away, you'll hear someone say, "Heaven has gained another angel" or that "they've gotten their angel wings". I'm sorry, but those comments are incorrect. We are not like Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life."

We do not become angels when we die. Angels are spiritual beings with no bodies. They have existed long before we humans were created by God. It is generally believed that the number of angels has remained the same since that time. Our goal, as humans, is to become saints in Heaven.

For more information are our Catholic teaching on this subject, you can read this Catholic Digest article.

8) Where can I learn more about angels? In addition to the articles I linked above, there are many resources, including the following:

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