by Giuseppe Monno
1. Who are the angels?
Angels are spiritual beings endowed with intelligence, will, and freedom. They were created by God to serve and worship Him.
2. What is the nature of angels?
Angels have a purely spiritual nature: they do not possess a material body and are not subject to matter.
3. Where are the angels?
They do not occupy space as bodies do; they are present and act wherever God wills, both in the visible world and in the spiritual realm.
4. Do angels die?
No. They are immortal, because they are purely spiritual.
5. Are angels omnipotent?
No. They are finite creatures: powerful, but always inferior to God and totally dependent on Him.
6. Are angels more intelligent than humans?
Yes. They know truth in an intuitive and immediate way, without relying on step-by-step reasoning as humans do.
7. Do angels have feelings?
They do not have bodily feelings, that is, those linked to the body and the senses, but they have a spiritual will capable of loving God and humans.
8. Can angels have children?
No. Being pure spirits, they cannot generate children: generation belongs to bodily beings and is the work of God.
9. Can angels sin?
The choices of angels are irrevocable: some, at the moment of their creation, rejected God and became demons; the others remained faithful and can no longer sin.
10. What is the mission of angels?
The mission of angels is to serve and worship God and to be His messengers. They assist and guide humans toward what is good (“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14).
11. Do angels pray?
Yes. Their life is an unceasing praise of God and an intercession for humans.
12. What are the angelic hierarchies?
Traditionally, three hierarchies are distinguished:
Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones;
Dominions, Virtues, and Powers;
Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
13. In what do the different angelic choirs differ?
They differ in their degree of closeness to God and in the tasks entrusted to them: some are more directly oriented toward the worship of God, others toward the governance of the universe, and others toward the service of humans.
14. Who are the archangels?
They are angels entrusted with particular missions in the history of salvation and in the communication of divine messages.
15. If angels do not have a body, how do they appear to humans?
Angels can manifest themselves to humans by assuming visible forms, in order to make their presence and mission perceptible.
16. Do angels have a mission toward every person?
Yes. God entrusts each angel with a particular mission; some are assigned to guard and guide every person: these are the guardian angels (“See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10).
17. What does the guardian angel do?
They protect, inspire toward what is good, sustain in faith, and guide toward God, without however taking away human freedom.
18. Do angels have names?
Yes, some angels are revealed in Sacred Scripture, such as Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The others exist, but their names have not been revealed.
19. May angels be prayed to?
Yes. Angels may be invoked and addressed in prayer as intercessors, but adoration is due to God alone.
20. Why do angels have wings in some visions?
Wings are a symbol: they indicate the readiness with which angels carry out the commands of God and their heavenly origin.