Silly supernatural questions

[KenLivengood]

My friend at work & I talk from time to time about religion. He is not catholic but asks a lot a questions. He asked me a couple questions today that I never thought of before, but now am curious about.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way to ask without sounding crazy!

1. What does the catholic church say about UFO’s or aliens?

The answer I gave was that I personally didn’t believe in them. But that I don’t think the church has ever said anything one way or the other. I gave my friend a few dogmas about creation, such as the universe being created from nothing. I also said that even if somewhere there was some sort of life, that man is still God’s ultimate creation because he was made in his image and given an immortal soul.

1. What does the catholic church say about ghosts?

My answer to his question was again, that I don’t think the church has said anything about it. He mentioned something about spirits who perhaps can’t rest. I personally don’t believe that kinda stuff, but I used it as an oppurtunity to talk about purgatory. That some people who will go to heaven, but still have some sort of attachment to sin that needs to be cleansed before entering heaven because God can’t have anything unpure with him. But I stressed to him that I doubt purgatory is ghosts walking around us.

I did tell him that those were just my answers, but that I honestly didn’t know for sure what the church has or hasn’t said. I’m sure this stuff has been asked before.

Were my answers appropriate?

Kenny

 

[marvin]

Hi Ken,

I’m not sure about UFO’s, but the Church doesn’t recognize the existence of ghosts as such, i.e restless spirits. Once we are dead, our souls are in Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, not walking around haunting places.

 

[thistle]

KenLivengood:

My friend at work & I talk from time to time about religion. He is not catholic but asks a lot a questions. He asked me a couple questions today that I never thought of before, but now am curious about.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way to ask without sounding crazy!

1. What does the catholic church say about UFO’s or aliens?

The answer I gave was that I personally didn’t believe in them. But that I don’t think the church has ever said anything one way or the other. I gave my friend a few dogmas about creation, such as the universe being created from nothing. I also said that even if somewhere there was some sort of life, that man is still God’s ultimate creation because he was made in his image and given an immortal soul.

1. What does the catholic church say about ghosts?

My answer to his question was again, that I don’t think the church has said anything about it. He mentioned something about spirits who perhaps can’t rest. I personally don’t believe that kinda stuff, but I used it as an oppurtunity to talk about purgatory. That some people who will go to heaven, but still have some sort of attachment to sin that needs to be cleansed before entering heaven because God can’t have anything unpure with him. But I stressed to him that I doubt purgatory is ghosts walking around us.

I did tell him that those were just my answers, but that I honestly didn’t know for sure what the church has or hasn’t said. I’m sure this stuff has been asked before.

Were my answers appropriate?

Kenny

I’ll leave the aliens for someone else to answer but I would think the Church would be open to life elsewhere.

As for ghosts it depends what you mean. If you mean lost souls wandering around with unfinished business this does not exist. When someone dies their soul is immediately judged (The Particular Judgement) and they are either immediately condemned and go to Hell or are saved and go to Heaven (most likely via Purgatory). For reasons unknown to us God sometimes allows us a glimpse of a soul in Purgatory but there is no communication or souls wandering around on earth.

 

[richbansha]

KenLivengood:

1. What does the catholic church say about UFO’s or aliens?

I remember reading in Vatican II something to the effect that they may or may not exist, but neither is of any significance to the Church on Earth.

1. What does the catholic church say about ghosts?

We don’t believe in the garden variety spooks, but in extrordinary cases (i.e. when Saul went to a witch to conjure Samuel) God will permit us to see and hear departed souls, as long as it suits his purposes.

 

[Sean_O_L]

From: http://jloughnan.tripod.com/annals.htm

PARANORMAL PHENOMENA - 13 Articles from April 1993 - Oct. 1994 by Dr. L. Rumble, M.S.C.
Dr. Rumble’s famous series first appeared in “ANNALS” in 1958. He died on Nov. 11, 1975. Many of his books are still being reprinted!
To obtain copies of these articles phone or fax the numbers or e-mail “Annals Australasia” as shown below"

Spiritism Seances and Mediums - #1 April/May 1993

The Case of the Dead Boy’s Return - #2 June 1993

The Note in the Coat Pocket - #3 July 1993

The Case of the Soldier’s Ghost - #4 August 1993

The Case of the Indian Tribe - #5 September 1993

You’ll Remember Nothing of This - #6 October 1993

The Curious Case of Maria Talarico - #7 Jan./February 1994

The Bishop and the Archduke - #8 April/May 1994

Who Wrote on the Slate? - #9 June 1994

Can Some People Read Minds? - #10 July 1994

Hypnotist’s Marionette - #11 August 1994

The Clarivoyant and the Thief - #12 September 1994

Kissed By A Ghost - #13 October 1994

Here follow three files from the above:

jloughnan.tripod.com/talarico.htm

jloughnan.tripod.com/ghost.htm

jloughnan.tripod.com/deadboy.htm