The Watchtower Society, the Bible, and Johannes Greber
©2026 Victor R. Claveau, MJ Introduction: A Brief Biography of Johannes Greber Johannes Greber (1876–1944) was a German-born Catholic priest whose life took a dramatic and troubling turn from orthodox Christianity into the realm of spiritism. Ordained to the priesthood in the early twentieth century, Greber initially served faithfully within the Church. However, during his […]
Superstition
Superstition is a vice opposed to religion. It offers divine worship to whom it should not, or it offers divine worship to God in an unworthy manner. The name superstition comes from the Latin superstes, which means “a survivor.” It suggests that what are called superstitions are survivors or “holdovers” from the false pre-Christian religions known […]
Spiritism
Spiritism is a modern from of pagan necromancy condemned by the Law of Moses. “There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or […]
Question: John Edward claimed to be able to contact the dead on his TV program, Crossing Over; how did he do it? Now, there is a new television program called Medium, is this a program that Catholics should watch? Does the Catholic Church allow a Catholic to attend a spiritistic séance or to become a Medium? Isn’t spiritism invaluable in supplying us with proof of immortality?
Answer: The answer to the first question is simple, he didn’t. John Edward claims to have had a “psychic” ability since an early age. What he actually does is called “cold reading.” A cold reading is the “sleight of tongue” procedure that fast-talking artists or so-called “Readers” use (as opposed to a “warm reading”, where the Reader […]
Does the Catholic Church allow a Catholic to attend a spiritistic séance or to become a Medium? Isn’t spiritism invaluable in supplying us with proof of immortality?
Victor R. Claveau, MJ It is important to understand that the Catholic Church forbids Catholics to have anything to do with Spiritism, which she condemns as a destructive superstition. The Holy See has issued at least five decrees (1840, 1847, 1856, 1898, 1917) forbidding Catholics “to be present at spiritistic conversations or manifestations of any […]
The Ouija Board
The following article is excerpted from The New Black Magic and the Truth about the Ouija-board by Rev. J. Godfrey Raupert, O.P. The recent revival of spiritistic practices in all parts of the world is leading increasing numbers of persons to try experiments with the ouija-board—a simple and seemingly harmless contrivance, by means of which […]
What is Spiritism?
Victor R, Claveau, MJ In one form or other spiritism is at least as old as the scriptural story of Saul and the Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:3-25); but in its present phase it dates from a little more than one hundred and fifty years ago and had its origin in America. In 1848, In […]
Superstition and Credulity
D. G. M. Jackson, M.A. Foreword The account of superstitions given in this booklet is derived almost wholly from a short work of the late Rev. Herbert Thurston, S.J., “Superstition,” published in 1933 by the Centenary Press, in the “Standpoints” series. The writer wishes to make due acknowledgment of his indebtedness to the learned author. […]
The Watchtower Society, The Bible, and Johannes Greber
©2025 Victor R. Claveau, MJ Spiritism consists in attempts to communicate with the spirits of the dead, or with other spirits, usually by the use of mediums and séances. There is no positive proof that a spiritist or magician has been able to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Houdini, who was the greatest […]