what are the catholic church's teachings on ghosts?

Question

Do they believe they exist? What stage of the after death process are ghosts in according to catholicism?

Answer 1

To the best of my knowledge the Catholic Church has no official position on ghosts. The doctrine of heaven and hell would seem to negate any reason for ghosts to be the souls of dead people.

However paranormal phenomena seems to exist. These phenomena may come from sources other than the souls of people in heaven, hell, or purgatory. We simply do not know.

The Church is very suspicious of people who claim to talk to dead people.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Hi Liam,

A very good question.

To my knowledge, and being Catholic, there is no official stance on spirits. However, most Catholic priests DO believe in spirits. How do I know this? Well, our organization (Penn State University Paranormal Research Society) works with priests on a regular basis. Each Roman Catholic Diocese is supposed to have a trained exorcist or someone who specializes in the spiritual. I have spoken to many priests, however, who have also assisted in human/spiritual hauntings (non-demon).

There are many priests, bishops and cardinals who believe in spirits. Then, just as some have pointed out in other comments, there are many who believe that there are only demons.

Some of the head exorcists in the Vatican also believe in the difference between human and demonic hauntings.

Many people claim that the Bible does not support the belief in spirits, but the Witch of Endor is a prime example of the living interacting with the dead, when the witch raised the dead at the request of the king, even though this very kind forbade witchcraft. Witchcraft or not, the spirit raised was definitely spirit and not demonic.

now your second question is a little funky. Catholics believe (or believed, if you prefer) in purgatory, where spirits go as an in-betweener of Earth and Judgement.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

well considering they came up with the idea of the Holy Ghost, saying ghosts r wrong would b a bit hypocritical, eh?
i don't know what their interpretation of ghosts r, as i'm not a catholic.
sorry.
but the Bible is quite clear about life after death, there isn't 1!
the dead feel, hear & know NOTHING.
dead means THE END.
& the body returns 2 the Earth, whence we came.
ashes 2 ashes & dust 2 dust.

Answer 4

You will not find anything about Ghosts in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We can, however, deduce the following from what the church does teach. It does teach angelic spirits (either good or evil)can and have appeared to men. Also human souls (either good or evil) have appeared to men. All of these appearances are made with the permission of God. Spirits, either angelic or human, cannot just make their appearance whenever they wish.

Answer 5

I personally saw 2 of them in a friend's house, many times !!!
The Catholic priest was eventually asked to bless the house and it worked.. . to a degree !! He was scared, because it was obvious that something was present . He came back a couple years later and did it again. .. this time it worked fully . I could type for hours on all the experiences that happened in that house .

Answer 6

Catholic Priests are always talking about this - Holy Ghost, so they must think they are real. Apparently, this invisible ghost is the be all, and end all, of creation.

Answer 7

I was taught that good catholics should avoid all superstitions, and that includes ghosts.

Which doesn't explain why so many of the saints' stories, and all of the alleged miracles, are fictional (unless it does).

Answer 8

no they do not believe that "ghosts" as you are descirbing exist - you granny or granpa floating around. they do believe in the demonic posessions.

Answer 9

if thay have trouble thay can get the ghostbusters in if the is somthing strange