Question Four: On Vain Observance and Magic

S. Th. II-II, q. 96.

785. Vain observance and its various species. - Vain observance (ijdel of bijgeloovig gebruik) is defined: the employment of a thing for some effect, for obtaining which it has power neither from its own nature nor from divine or ecclesiastical institution (a. 2).

A. One kind is done without express invocation of a demon, and this is threefold: a) the notorious art or art of acquiring science without labor (not of hidden things), through inspection of certain figures or the utterance of certain words or other things of this sort, for example, fasts and prayers, by taking a potion or bolus; b) the art of healings or of healing or preventing diseases of men and animals by empty remedies; c) observance of events foreboding fortunate or unfortunate things, as if they were signs of future things. Moreover it differs from divination by intrinsic end, because divination is directly and principally ordered to knowledge of hidden things; but observance to directing one's own acts by employing vain things, and thus to an external effect, for example, to attaining favorable things or avoiding unfavorable things, to obtaining health or science by an infused mode.

B. Another kind is more often done with express invocation of a demon, and this is a) magic (tooverij), or the art of working marvels by the help of a demon, for display or for another advantage, one's own or another's, namely, the art of changing bodies or displaying marvelous effects; or b) malefice (hekserij), or the art of doing harm through his intervention; which is amatory (or philtre), by which carnal loves or hatreds are excited, and poisonous, by which diseases or other harms are inflicted upon a person or fortunes (a. 1-3).

786. Vain observance is a sin of superstition, for a reason similar to divination.

It is proved: Certain causes produce an effect by natural physical efficiency, as medicine produces health; certain signs are instituted by God which are valid for producing supernatural effects, namely, the sacraments; certain signs from the institution of the Church obtain a certain virtue, namely, sacramentals. Now to apply natural causes to their effects, or to use signs instituted by God or by the Church is not superstitious. But when someone employs means which do not have the aforesaid efficacy for natural effects, or signification and virtue from God or the Church for certain natural or supernatural effects, he tacitly invokes the help of a demon.

For if, for obtaining effects, things are employed which naturally do not seem able to cause such effects, it follows that they are not employed for producing these effects as causes, but only as signs. But not as signs instituted by God or the Church. Therefore as signs to be employed, from an express or tacit pact, by another intelligent being, which is nothing other than a demon. "Whence," says St. Thomas, a. 1, "it remains that they are superfluous signs and consequently pertain to certain pacts of significations entered into with a demon."

The various modes both of divination and of vain observance differ in physical and material species; but, according to many, they are of only one moral species, under the account of superstition, namely, of invocation of a demon; whence they are not to be explained in confession. But if a demon is expressly invoked, often there will be other sins against faith, religion, justice, for example, heresy, idolatry or adoration of a demon, apostasy, blasphemy, sacrilege, luxury, harm to one's neighbor, on account of which express invocation rather often must be accused.

787. Vain observance is a mortal sin from its whole genus, in the same way as divination, because the least invocation of a demon is per se a grave injury to God. But in practice it is often excused from mortal sin by a certain imperfection of the act:

1. Because of ignorance in a physical or religious matter, by which they unduly attribute natural or supernatural power to certain things.

This happens especially easily from credulity toward those things which they have received by tradition or by the authority of elders, and also sometimes if in a chance case a congruous event has been present, because they falsely infer that it proceeds from the virtue of things.

2. Because of inconsiderate fear or vain hope, by which they indulge in observances without giving certain faith to them.

Thus one who in illness, trying all remedies, also uses some inept means; one who, undertaking a great business, for calming his soul avoids an unlucky number or day; one who transfers a journey to the following day because he is terrified by an atrocious dream, is often excused from grave sin.

788. Corollary. - In doubt whether some cause is proportioned to producing an effect, if by a truly probable conjecture the effect can be attributed to a natural cause, it is not illicit to employ it, at least if a protestation, at least implicit, is made against the devil; but if the effect seems rather to be supernatural, the intervention of God is not to be presumed but must be proved, and with that proof lacking, the cause must be left aside as superstitious or involving danger of superstition. Thus St. Alphonsus, Th. M., l. III, n. 20.

Vain observance is chiefly recognized from three things:

1. chiefly from the insufficiency of the cause for producing the effect, for example, a brief prayer for health;

2. from the addition of a false or vain circumstance, as if necessarily required, as if a whipping ought to be done at a certain hour, time, hand; if unknown names are employed; if hairs are cut from the neck for recovering health;

3. from the infallibility which is attributed to means in no way infallible.

789. Observations. - 1. Formerly it was doubted whether hypnotism is vain observance; concerning which we have already said: the facts which per se pertain to hypnotism are natural (n. 347); those which sometimes accompany it are altogether marvelous, similar to the facts of Spiritism; whence concerning them the same holds as n. 780, under 5 and 6.

2. The use of sacred things for certain effects is licit and pious if it is done in reverence for God, and the agent clings to no vain circumstance, nor attributes to the sacred thing another or more certain effect than it has; otherwise it will be illicit, as containing superfluous worship, or sacrilege, or tempting of God, or even and chiefly vain observance. In particular:

a) To observe a certain number of prayers, days, etc., is licit on account of mystical signification or indulgences and privileges attached to it; but not if the effect of the work is attributed precisely to such a number.

b) To use certain formulas of praying or pious exercises because they are approved by the Church, or have a holy author, or procure devotion better, is licit; but not to expect efficacy from the words of the prayer rather than from their sense or from our affection, nor to place trust in inept little prayers containing fabulous sayings or deeds of Christ or of the saints, or empty names.

c) To hang divine words or relics, pious medals, Agnus Deis around the neck for reverence is licit, but not if hope is had in the mode of writing or tying, or in a vain circumstance, for example, that they be carried in such a box, for so many days, with such an herb, or if they contain something false.

d) By the use of sacred things it is licit to expect the effect for which they have been instituted; but not to turn them to a use for which they are not destined, nor to attribute to them some infallible power which they do not have (a. 4).

3. The use of a divining rod from hazel wood (coudrier) or willow for detecting waters or certain metals cannot be condemned per se: for the motion of this rod is quite easily explained from some unconscious influence of water or metals through magnetic or electric force; or from a motion which the user unconsciously impresses upon it, because he suspects the presence of water or metal, or is endowed with special sensibility for perceiving their presence. Unless, however, vain and superstitious circumstances accede, or it is employed for detecting any things whatsoever, for example, a thief, a murderer, a treasure.

4. Concerning removing a malefice it should be noted: against malefices remedies are given, both supernatural, such as trust in God, prayer, fasting, the sign of the cross, exorcism, invocation of the names of Jesus and Mary, blessed water, relics; and natural, such as the use of medicines against an introduced disease, destruction of a magical sign by a licit means; nevertheless it is not licit to destroy the sign by another malefice. Hence it is never licit to ask a sorcerer to remove a malefice by a malefice; sometimes it is licit to ask that it be removed by him who can do it in a licit mode, although in fact he is going to remove it by another malefice.

5. Let preachers neither teach unknown superstitions, nor that they are diabolical, but rather that they are empty.

6. Diviners and magicians are to be admonished, says St. Alphonsus, l. c., n. 21, that they are held to abjure and dissolve an express pact or commerce with a demon, to burn all instruments of the art, and to repair harms inflicted.