On Recent Magic

¹ In this treatise on superstition there is presupposed what is demonstrated in dogmatic theology, namely that the demon not only of his own accord and spontaneously, even if he is not called, exercises a malign influence upon human affairs and harms men in various ways, but also, when called by men either explicitly or implicitly, produces various effects, as if by a pact entered into with them, as is established from the history of Job and of the magicians in Egypt. Although the common persuasion concerning the existence and influence of witches, which was spreading especially in Germany in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, must be rejected as vain and false and mourned as a most unhappy error, nevertheless it cannot be denied that there have existed, and even now can exist, wicked men who by the help of the demon manifest hidden things and effect unusual works. What in antiquity they strove to obtain through various divinations and observances, that today they strive to seek out through turning tables and spiritism; the name is different, the thing is the same.

¹ Cf. Fr. Spee, Cautio criminalis; Janssen-Pastor, Geschichte des deutschen Volkes, Freiburg: Herder, 1894, VIII, pp. 494-694; I. Diefenbach, Der Hexenwahn, Mainz: Kirchheim, 1886; Stohr-Kannamuller, Handbuch der Pastoralmedizin, Freiburg: Herder, 1900, p. 425.

167. On turning tables. 1. All agree that consultation of tables, even if questions are proposed concerning merely indifferent matters, for example concerning the age of a determinate person, is altogether illicit, although it is done only for the sake of experiment: for it is manifest commerce with the demon, and indeed also superstitious divination, because by the very recourse to the demon some worship is exhibited to him.

2. Concerning simple rotation without consultation there is a twofold opinion, of which the one permits it, because it is not established that the rotation cannot be accomplished by natural powers; but the other prohibits it, because it is accomplished by preternatural powers and therefore is superstitious and diabolical: for consultation is for the most part joined with the rotation; but this consultation is diabolical; therefore also the rotation. Moreover they narrate that the rotation is impeded whenever a blessed thing is placed on the table.

3. Therefore in practice simple rotation, with a protestation against the influence of the demon premised, can of itself be permitted: for since it is doubtful whether the effect of the rotation is produced by natural or preternatural powers, it must rather be attributed to natural powers; indeed it is very probable that it is produced merely by electric or magnetic powers of nature.

a. From the fact that consultation of the table is for the most part joined with its rotation, it is indeed gathered that there is an easy passage from one to the other, because the demon uses a natural experiment in order to induce to superstition; but from the fact that consultation is diabolical, it does not follow that rotation, which is distinct from it and independent, is likewise to be attributed to the demon. The things which are added concerning blessed things are said by others, with experience as witness, to be false.

b. Nevertheless, the faithful are to be kept away from experiments of this kind, even if they are produced by the powers of nature, unless there is question of investigating the powers of nature, because the matter is not without danger. For it is explored that the demon gladly mingles himself with these things and impels to illicit divination.

168. Animal magnetism properly signifies the power which they thought to be in living bodies, similar to the magnetic power of the mineral magnet. Then it signifies the new art of curing diverse diseases by the help of animal magnetism. This medical art, from its inventor Franz Mesmer (+1815), is also called Mesmerism. In the course of time animal magnetism degenerated into a diabolical superstition. There is no reason why moral theology should speak more accurately about animal magnetism: for insofar as it is a medical art, hypnotism has succeeded into its place, concerning which there will be speech below; and insofar as it is a new superstition, it is now called spiritism.¹

Animal magnetism, insofar as it is a means of curing diseases under certain conditions and with due cautions, can be licitly employed;² but to degenerate magnetism are referred several responses of the Holy Office, by which the use of magnetism is said to be illicit, because through it a certain new genus of superstition is brought in from magnetic phenomena.³

¹ Cf. Kirchenlexikon, 2nd ed., "Magnetismus"; Gopfert, I, n. 390 ff.

² Holy Office, June 23, 1840; July 28, 1847.

³ Holy Office, April 21, 1841; July 30, 1856. These responses can be compared in Ballerini-Palmieri, II, n. 366 ff.

169. On spiritism.¹ First of all the system of spiritism must be distinguished from the phenomena of spiritism. The system of spiritism, which is a religious system plainly opposed to the Catholic religion and which the sect of spiritists professes, does not pertain to moral theology; but concerning the phenomena of spiritism the question is asked whether they can licitly be produced.

1. Spiritism (as it is considered here) is the art of communicating with spirits and, by their help, of knowing hidden things. Revelations of hidden things do not proceed immediately from the spirits themselves, but for the most part depend on persons who are called "media" or mediators, spiritistische Medien. These media, while the spirits use them to manifest their revelations, are occupied by artificial sleep or hypnosis.

2. Spiritistic phenomena are numbered as many and diverse, but especially revelations of diverse things, which for the most part are manifested to men by the help of media; sometimes also, with no visible person intervening, writing appears on a board or paper; indeed sometimes the evoked spirits themselves appear and respond to proposed questions, and when they are interrogated concerning their name, they affirm that they are now angels, now saints, but most often souls of the dead. Among these phenomena is found also what is called clairvoyance (Hellsehen): a spiritistic medium reads books of an unknown language, even if he has never learned letters; he discourses about things which otherwise he utterly ignores; he knows hidden things and even the secrets of the heart; he indicates the diseases of the sick and their remedies, etc.

There are those who say that spiritistic phenomena are nothing but fabulous inventions. It cannot be denied that spiritistic phenomena in many particular cases must be attributed either to frauds and deceptions, or to the art and dexterity of spiritists, or finally to the imagination of the media; but the same would be affirmed imprudently concerning all experiments. It is certain that many spiritists and their media are persuaded that they evoke spirits and really have commerce with them.

¹ W. Schneider, Der neuere Geisterglaube, 2nd ed., Paderborn: Schoningh, 1885; C. Gutberlet, Der Spiritismus, Cologne: Bachem, 1882; J. E. Wieser, Der Spiritismus und das Christentum, Innsbruck: Rauch, 1881.

170. Whether it is licit. Spiritistic phenomena are to be attributed to the demon; wherefore spiritism is nothing other than most foul magic, and in species superstitious necromancy. For spiritistic phenomena must be attributed not to a natural cause, but to a preternatural and intellectual cause; but this cause is nothing except an evil spirit: for God, the angels, and the saints do not cooperate with vanities and impieties of this kind; but the souls of the dead can neither licitly nor effectively be evoked by men; therefore nothing remains except that they be attributed to the demon, with whom spiritists enter into impious commerce. These things are confirmed from the responses themselves given by the spirits, which contain many vain and foolish things, indeed also things impious and contrary to the Catholic faith.

a. Therefore it is never licit to undertake spiritistic experiments, wherefore the Holy Office declares the use of spiritism illicit, even if every convention with the demon is excluded and commerce is instituted only with a good spirit: for by a protestation of this kind commerce with the demon cannot be removed, since it is contained in the very consultation of spirits.¹

b. It is not licit to serve as a medium in spiritistic experiments. For although spiritists think that they invoke not evil but good spirits, nevertheless in reality they invoke none but evil ones and exercise true magic. It is scarcely credible that subjectively they are excused from the exercise of sinful magic because of good faith; certainly it will happen only rarely.

c. It is not licit to be present at spiritistic experiments as a spectator, because of scandal and cooperation, even if approval of spiritism is excluded. Yet if someone from mere curiosity is present once or twice at experiments of this kind, with grave scandal excluded, he does not sin gravely; and if it is morally established that the spiritist is only a fraudulent deceiver, with scandal excluded, it is licit to be present at the spectacle.

¹ Holy Office, March 30, 1898. To this place must also be referred the responses by which animal magnetism is prohibited (n. 168).