In light (or should I say darkness) of the recent news coming out of Harvard University regarding their Satanic Black Mass that is to occur on May 12, I found it fitting to discuss what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches on superstition, idolatry, divination/magic, irreligion, atheism, agnosticism, and graven images.

The Anchoress, Elizabeth Scalia, has done an excellent job of investigative work at keeping us all up-to-date regarding the events of this darkness; I would encourage you to check out her blog posts here. I would also encourage you to read the blog – God and the Machine, written by Thomas L. McDonald. His post titled, Real Satanists Don’t Send Press Releases, helps us understand the difference between Satanists of the past and this new distorted form birthed from non-believers as well as the origin of black masses.

If you are seeking more than what my fellow and much more popular fellow bloggers are providing, I would also encourage you to read the book, An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the chief exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. He systematically approaches the subject with exquisite detail and precision. It’s an excellent book and one that should be on your list of books to read.

Now that I have given you that introduction, let’s read what the Catechism has to say on the subject –

CCC 2134: The first commandment summons man to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him above all else.

CCC 2135: “You shall worship the Lord your God” (Mt 4:10). Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to the first commandment.

CCC 2138: Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic.

CCC 2139: Tempting God in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony are sins of irreligion forbidden by the first commandment.

CCC 2140: Since it rejects or denies the existence of God, atheism is a sin against the first commandment.

CCC 2141: The veneration of sacred images is based on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. It is not contrary to the first commandment.

These paragraphs come from Section Three – Life in Christ; Section Two – The Ten Commandments; Article 1 – The First Commandment; Parts III and IV. For a more extensive reading of the above paragraphs, I suggest you read CCC 2110-2132.

To fully understand what the Catholic Church teaches on superstition, idolatry, and divination/magic, I highly suggest you read CCC 2111-2117, focusing in on CCC 2111, 2115-2117. These paragraphs explain that even practices that we think are “entertaining” are tied in to the subject at hand.

To conclude today’s Quick Lessons from the Catechism, I give you the words of the Apostle to the Gentiles, St. Paul, who says in Ephesians 6:10-13,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary keep us strong and safe. Amen.