Curious question. Could the Devil (Satan) repent?

[steve-b]

I’m curious. Is it possible? Could Jesus’s death cover his sins?

This gets into an old POV that was declared anathema, by an ecumenical council in the 6th century

“In any case, the doctrine was formally condemned in the first of the famous anathemas pronounced at the Council of Constantinople in 543: Ei tis ten teratode apokatastasis presbeuei anathema esto [See, also, Justinian, Liber adversus Originem, anathemas 7 and 9.] The doctrine was thenceforth looked on as heterodox by the Church.”

From:
Apokatastasis = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01599a.htm

 

[Teek]

I’m curious. Is it possible? Could Jesus’s death cover his sins?

Could? YES! (See hymn below.) And he could have excluded Mary from his plans. And he could have made people with tentacles instead of fingers. But he didn’t do those things.

In this case, he definitely has the power to save them all. However, he gave the angels free will to choose and consequences to their choices. His plan, by necessity, excludes all the alternatives to his plan, even if they are possible.

St. Thomas Aquinas “Adoro Te Devote”

Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine, me immundum munda tuo sanguine; cuius una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican;
Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what thy bosom ran—
Blood whereof a single drop has power to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

http://www.chantcd.com/lyrics/godhead_here_hiding.htm

 

[2towers]

He knew God with angelic knowledge and was fully aware of what his definitive rejection of God would mean and all the consequences of this rejection yet went ahead with it anyway

I had not heard that Satan was aware of what the consequences were going to be ahead of time. I am quite sure he knew there were going to be consequences, he might have been able to even predict the nature of some of the consequences, but I have to wonder if he knew all of them to their end. And… after the final judgement they [the demons] are going to get it even worse.

I save any sympathy I have however for the damned. I hope that doesn’t bother God any. I don’t see how it could get much worse for them, but if you believe Thomas and other Saints, there are levels in hell, just as there are in Heaven.

It is said that those in purgatory would rather stay there than go back to earth and try again. Their place in heaven is assured. Ours are not. We face temptation every day, at least I do. I pray every day that our Lord will give me the graces I need, not to ever turn my back on him. I pray that my love for God, his magnificent Son, and our Holy Mother grows every day. I don’t worry about God’s mercy, I worry about my own sinful nature.

I liked everything you said.

 

[BornInMarch]

Even if he could, it is a mute point because he would not.

 

[crownofswords]

No. As an angelic being he has full knowledge of the consequences of his actions. He was highest of the seraphim (which are the highest ranked angels). He experienced the Beatific Vision and because he was the greatest of God’s creation, he understood God to a greater degree than any other being (at the time). Despite truly understanding God’s goodness, he decided that he wanted none of it.

It was because He understood pure goodness (God) and rejected, it that he cannot repent. Humans are different. Even the most enlightened human (grace-filled human), with the exception of the Blessed Mother, has an extremely limited understanding of God. Our lack of knowledge and tendency to sin is what makes the forgiveness of sins possible.

 

[JamalChristophr]

I think it’s debated whether or not the angels experienced the beatific vision before the choice.

Anyways, I’ve heard Tom Aquinas is the one to ask on this sort of thing. From what I know, it’s the nature of their intellect that seems to exclude “changing there mind” about things like we humans do. Our intellects are quite dim compared to those angelic beings.