Topic: Communion of Saints
Question:
Can you explain what the Catholic Church means by Communion of Saints. As a Protestant I have a difficulty with the idea of their intercession.
Answer:
Here's a way of phrasing your question in the form of a "Common Protestant Objection" to the Catholic teaching of the Communion of Saints: Objection: How can you say that saints can hear the prayers of men? That would imply that they can read our hearts and minds, which only God can do, as shown by the following scriptures:
[Speaking to God] "For thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men." (1 Kings 8:39) "Then all the churches will know that I am He that searches the heart and mind." (Rev 2:23) Catholic Answer: (1) Yes, God and God alone knows the minds and hearts of men perfectly and absolutely, because God is omniscient and knows everything that can be known. The saints in heaven do not have this ability.
But the same thing can be said of any attribute of God (i.e. God alone loves perfectly and absolutely. God alone reasons perfectly and absolutely). We can still love and reason in a more limited way because God gives us the ability to do many things that He does. We do them by participation in His Divine life, by His grace. On this earth, God gives some people the ability to read hearts (such as St. John Vianney knowing peoples' sins in the confessional). This is sometimes identified as a the charismatic gift of Word of Knowledge or Discernment of Spirits. There are clear examples of this with the Apostles in the New Testament:
"When Simon saw that the Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, 'Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said to him, 'May your money perish with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of God with money. You have no share or lot in this matter, for your heart is not upright before God. Repent of this wickedness of your and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your intention may be forgiven. For I see that you are filled with bitter gall and are in the bonds of iniquity.'" (Acts 8:18-23)
St. Peter has knowledge of Simon's heart and intention, which could only come by a special grace of God. There are other examples of this gift in use when St. Peter addresses Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11).
From the scriptures, we have clear evidence that God grants to some Christians on earth specific knowledge of the thoughts and intentions of others.
(2) Does God grant knowledge of earthly events for those who are in heaven? Yes. "When the earth broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. They cried out in a loud voice, "How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" Each of them were given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer..." (Revelation 6:9-11)
Here we see the martyrs asking God to avenge their deaths. They are, therefore, aware that their deaths have not been avenged yet, so the martyrs in heaven have concern for and knowledge of events taking place on the earth. Another example from Revelation where
"Rejoice over her, you heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets; for God has avenged you on her." (Revelation 18:20)
(3) Does God grant knowledge of some attitudes of the heart to those who are in heaven? Yes.
"Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." (Luke 15:7)
"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)
Repentance is an attitude of the heart, and these texts explicitly mentions that the angels have (present tense) knowledge of this repentance. Also, implicitly the saints in heaven would have similar knowledge, since they share in the "joy of heaven" and are in communion with the angels, side by side with them in heaven. Could you imagine the angels having a secret party in heaven which the saints are not invited to? That's what would have to happen in order to keep the saints from knowing that the lost sinner had been found!
(4) Does God grant knowledge of prayers that we make to those who are in heaven? Yes.
"Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders sat, dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads." (Revelation 4:4)
"When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones." (Revelation 5:8)
These twenty-four elders represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles (12 + 12 = 24, Church of the Old and New Covenants). They have received crowns as their heavenly reward (1Pet 5:4 - "you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade") They are sitting on thrones, as Jesus promised the twelve Apostles (Matthew 19:28 - "Jesus said to them, "...when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"). They are clearly human beings who have died, not angels (angels aren't called elders in scripture).
These elders present to God the prayers of the "holy ones" (Christians on earth), so they must have some knowledge of these prayers.
(5) So exactly how much knowledge do the saints in heaven have? [Your specific question]
"Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)
Those who are in heaven are made like Christ, sharing in His divine life, by "seeing him as he is" - this is called the "beatific vision". So any knowledge that the saints in heaven have of things on earth is communicated to them by way of this "beatific vision" - seeing God face to face.
"At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known." (1 Cor 13:12)
St. Thomas deals with this question in the Summa, Part I, Q89: Of the Knowledge of the Separated Soul. A "separated soul" is a soul that is separated from its body, whether in heaven, purgatory, or hell. I'll summarize his conclusions:
(a) They know by means of species (appearances) received from the influence of the Divine light. (art 1, reply obj 3)
(b) They have perfect knowledge of other "separated souls", because they are of an equal nature. This means they can communicate with other separated souls, not that they know all of their thoughts/knowledge (i.e. The rich man in hell sees Lazarus and Abraham in Luke 16:23). (art 2)
(c) They have imperfect knowledge of the angels, because they are of a higher nature. (art 2)
(d) They have knowledge of all natural things (the essences of things lower than human beings, like animals, plants, rocks, etc.), but in a general and confused matter. Angels have perfect knowledge of these things. (art 3)
(e) They retain their intellectual knowledge of their life on earth. Lazarus says to the rich man, "Remember that you received good things in your lifetime..." in Luke 16:25. (art 5 & 6)
(f) They do not have any _natural_ knowledge of events presently happening on earth (cases (a) through (e) are natural knowledge), but they can gain knowledge of the affairs of the living by angels and demons, or even by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. (art 8, rep obj 2)
So exactly what does God reveal to the saints??? Unfortunately, Aquinas doesn't get more specific than that (at least not in the Summa). I would add the following speculative thoughts.
The Catechism says this of the saints: "[The saints] contemplate God, praise Him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were 'put in charge of many things.' (Matt 25:21) Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan." (CCC 2683) It would naturally follow that God gives the saints the knowledge that they need to do their job of intercession. By means of the beatific vision God would reveal the following to a given saint in heaven: (a) All of the prayers that are made to that saint, requests for his/her intercession. (Rev 5:8) (b) Acts of honor and devotion made to that saint. (perhaps not all of these, but certainly some) (c) The results/fruits of that saint's prayers of intercession. (again perhaps not all of them) (d) Events on earth that would be of interest to that saint or fall under their patronage. (Rev 6:9-11, 18:20) (e) Under special circumstances, God would allows the saints to speak to people on earth (locutions), or appear to them (visions, apparitions). (Luke 9:31)
(6) Objection: What about all the prayers that come in from all over the planet? A saint would have to be all-powerful like God to deal with it all.
Answer: It doesn't take infinite power to hear even all the prayers from earth. There might be a lot of prayers, but it is a countable, finite number of prayers from a finite number of people. So it only takes a finite ability to hear them all. Furthermore, the saints in heaven are living in eternity, so it isn't as if they don't have "enough time" to hear them all. Even here on earth technology enhances our natural abilities, and enables us to talk to many people at once. How much more can God enhance our natural abilities in heaven: "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard [nor has it] entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Cor 2:9)
To sum up: The Catholic church clearly does not teach that saints have unlimited knowledge of our hearts and minds, or of future events, etc. Only God has this omniscience, as the Scriptures clearly teach. But God does reveal some things to the saints, so they might be in communion with us and bring our prayers before God.
I hope this helps some. Happy apologetics!
Fr. Terry Donahue
December 12, 2001