Why do demons attack some saints, but seem to leave others alone?

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Demons? Seriously!? My sole experience with demons is playing Dungeons & Dragons.

But on a more serious note, going through the Catholic school system in Canada (I just finished high school) I have always been told (by priests, among others) that demons, witches, etc. are a load of superstitious nonsense.

But it seems that outside of Canada plenty of Catholics do not think that this is superstitious nonsense - to a point where such beliefs, even if they are in the minority, are not fringe. Is there an “official” position of the Church on this? How common are these beliefs?

I find it difficult to take them seriously but I know a lot of people do.
 
stacie said:
I have always been told (by priests, among others) that demons, witches, etc. are a load of superstitious nonsense.
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If you mean demons as in horned, goat-like monsters that breathe fire, or witches that fly around on broomsticks, then yes, that is superstitious nonsense.

Demons as spiritual creatures opposed to God is a theological doctrine and an official teaching of the Catholic Church. See the catechism, paragraphs 391–395.

Catholics I’ve met in Canada (including priests) who are orthodox accept and teach the existence of demons. So it depends on your personal circle of acquaintances, I suppose. I did not grow up Catholic and attended public school. Your experience is an example of the poor state of catechesis in our country.
 
stacie said:
But it seems that outside of Canada plenty of Catholics do not think that this is superstitious nonsense
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Please avoid such generalizations. I am Canadian and it sounds like you have not been properly catechized. FYI Satan tempted our Lord in the desert, he surely will tempt us. Also at Baptism, candidates are asked: Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?
 
stacie said:
Is there an “official” position of the Church on this? How common are these beliefs?
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Yes there is an official position of the Church on this. The Church thought it such an important topic that the Church’s basic stance is laid out in the Catechism # 391-395. Repeatedly, the Church has rejected that demons are simply allegorical or superstitious beliefs. The Church firmly affirms that they are, in fact, angels who have fallen from grace in a direct act of will.

This is believed by the vast majority of Catholics around the world. I have only really encountered the rejection of the demonic among Catholics raised in Western European cultures (including former British colonies).
stacie said:
I find it difficult to take them seriously but I know a lot of people do.
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How is it difficult to take this position seriously? The existence of the demonic is explicitly stated in the Bible. Demons actually speak more lines of dialogue than St. Joseph in the Gospels. By casting doubt on the truth of one portion of the Bible, doubt is cast on the fact that it is divinely inspired.
 
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Wordof said:
Fr. John Harden teaches against . the catholic charismatic. Teaches against Pentecost ism. and mystics.
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Again, the Vatican supports the Catholic Charismatic Revival, which I would note does not include all the same features and practices as Pentecostalism.

If you want to debate whether the Vatican is correct in its position, then please start a new thread, as such a discussion (and all the business about what Fr. Hardon believed etc) is off topic for this one. Thanks.
 
Thank you for explaining this, CRM_Brother.

@Stacie , this thread is discussing well-documented incidents that happened to canonized saints of the Church. CRM_Brother has clarified the official Church teaching for you.

If you have some further issue with believing these things occurred, I would also ask that you please start a new thread. This is not a thread to debate whether these phenomena actually happened to the saints in question.

(I withdrew part of my post that was actually more of a topic for another thread, as I don’t want to go off topic myself while telling others not to.)
 
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I have no scholarly contribution.

But considering your question, my thoughts go to the ‘goods’ that God can bring from every evil. And how diverse He has made His creation, in the special ‘goods’ each individual creature reflects when cooperating with God’s will in choosing them, and the inverse privations each individual could choose instead. And how the paths of being shaped into these unique creations, involve different sorts of trials and ‘fires’.

And one of the key goods that is served by the Church declaring ‘saints’ in the first place is their example to the faithful.

Their example to a diverse faithful.

So if, among the larger body of the faithful, God allows it to be the case that demons are experienced tangibly by some, and hidden from the sight of others, it follows as reasonable to me that God would be pleased for the Church to highlight and make public the example through saints of how to conduct oneself if tangibly attacked, and also how to conduct oneself if never tangibly attacked (and therefore, as others have pointed out, more subtly attacked through metaphysical doubts).

Just my thoughts on the matter. Others may put it better.

But basically, I’m suggesting that demons openly attack some people (in the direct sense you mean), and only indirectly attack others, for the simple reason that the creation is diverse and God allows that His creatures grow in different virtues and into different eternal ‘characters’, as it were, by different trials and fires (and He can protect each of us from any trial or demonic attack that is not the right ‘fit’ for us). The Church just happens to later recognize and declare saints from across the spectrum of such diversity of experience, and this serves a positive good for other faithful whose experiences are themselves diverse and not uniform.
 
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As a fellow Canadian (who grew up non-Catholic and attended public school), hear hear!

Thank God for good catechesis from apostolates like Catholic Answers that helped me organize my understanding on the way in.

And Thank God my local Catholic friend group is practicing and orthodox in belief, so we can all encourage and accompany each other ever closer to Him, and at least be rooted in a little oasis of orthodoxy in between going out and evangelizing to others in what are often barren or thorny conditions.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
However, I was just reading about how St. Paul of the Cross was regularly physically attacked by demons, who tried to dissuade him from his priestly vocation or just interfere with his activities.
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A little bit off topic but can I ask which book or where did you read about him?
Because I have been trying to find some longer biography or simmilar but I only found Flowers of Passion (letters) and some short articles. Is there any book to buy or read online?
 
Maybe it has to do with the person’s state in life.

Padre Pio had the kind of “job” where demon attacks wouldn’t hurt anybody else, but may be a source of inspiration.

As opposed to St Gianna Molla, who was a pediatrician and a mom. Demon attacks would have seriously impaired her ability to chase her toddlers around and treat patients.
 
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I was slain in the Spirit once.

I was new to the Charismatic Movement and didn’t stay in it for long, and I lined up for the blessing.

I was first in line and had never seen this phenomenon. I just thought it was a blessing.

So he prays over me and I have a sensation of a downward pressure on my shoulders.
It wasn’t a magic trick, and I was able to stay on my feet (ie I could “fight it”).
The person behind me (who apparently was supposed to catch me) told me to just relax.
I did, and down I went.

However, I must say, I wasn’t in a particularly spiritual place in my faith walk at the time. I simply don’t know why I fell, I certainly didn’t “earn” it.

I chalk it up to being a sign.
 
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I asked a friend who is studying theology and philosophy at a Catholic university - he went through the same Catholic school system as I did, just a couple of years ahead. (I will be starting at the same place in September.)

He told me - based on what he was taught - that from strictly theological perspective, demonic possession is as much of a thing as miracles.

However, just like vast majority of the claims of the miraculous are bogus, vast majority of the claims of the demonic are bogus. One of his teachers apparently has been approached multiple times by parents who thought their kid needed an exorcism - but it always turned out to be either something stupid, like the kid spending too much time playing Dungeons & Dragons - or a bona fide case of mental illness (often on the part of the parent).

He opined that I misinterpreted the view “for any supposed demonic possession, its safe to bet that it really isn’t” as “its not a thing”.

This, I think, makes sense.
 
stacie said:
One of his teachers apparently has been approached multiple times by parents who thought their kid needed an exorcism - but it always turned out to be either something stupid, like the kid spending too much time playing Dungeons & Dragons
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This sort of thing is a hallmark of some Protestant churches. Some churches will be sending a church group over to exorcise a kid every time he talks back to his parent or listens to a “forbidden” record or whatever. They assume behavioral problems are caused by demons. The Catholic Church doesn’t do that (thank God).
 
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Even Jesus was tempted by the devil. He steadfastly said “NO!” to him.
 
A few things come to mind, that may or may not be correct.
  • That a Saint or person who follows Gods teaching may not have the Spiritual Gifting to identify certain preternatural events ie: sight, smell, hearing or touch. Hence it is not reported.
  • A Saint and those that follows Gods calling and teachings who have the Spiritual gifting identify the preternatural influence on them is then able to pray for resolution. With no need to report to superiors.
  • Some Saints and those who follow Gods calling and teachings and who have been given the Spiritual Gifting to identify the preternatural in order to pray for the soul of a person and situation. This may result in a backlash from the evil one.
  • Saint Pio who had well documented preternatural experience had extraordinary discernment for souls in danger as was able to direct them in the right direction of the exorcist. He also could discern if they would be liberated or not. Hence his experiences.
  • If it is a spiritual calling to save or rescue souls from danger then this alone would attract preternatural backlash attacks and sinful temptations from the evil one.
  • It is Gods will that some Saints and those that follow Gods teachings will experience an open spiritual war from the evil one, as it is known that the evil one would prefer to wage a hidden and silent spiritual war. Therefore God permits this open war to show everyone the reality of the evil one and hell.
  • For some, Saints and those that follow the Lords teachings, God allows a period of preternatural experiences from the evil one to allow spiritual growth in that person.
  • For some it is God’s calling that they are Victim Souls, therefor there is a open spiritual battle going on for all to see. Therefore God permits this open war to show everyone the reality of the evil one and hell.
Hopefully they all make sense, it has been a mentally taxing day today so hopefully it doesn’t sound gobbledygook. I do hope this helps in some way. Pax Christi
 
You look familiar. How’s the weather in Arizona?

@camoderator, I’m out of flags.
 
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