“Ask a Priest: Is It Wrong to Turn to a Medium?”

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Q: Is it a mortal sin to see a medium? Would God forgive me? I’m not at peace with the death of my mother. -P.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: The short answers are: 1) yes, it could be a mortal sin, and 2) yes, God is always willing to forgive when there is a spirit of repentance.

The Catechism warns about recourse to mediums and other things dealing with the occult or spiritism. It is worth quoting a few numbers here, which appear under the header “Divination and magic”:

2115. God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116. All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117. All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others — even if this were for the sake of restoring their health — are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity. [end quoted material]

If you have gone to a medium, it would be good to stop immediately and permanently, and to go to confession.

Then you might consider taking advantage of the prayers and other helps offered by the Church. The best thing you can do for your deceased mom is to pray for her, to have Masses offered for her, to offer up sacrifices for the repose of her soul. If you feel a need for an intermediary, you might try turning to the Blessed Virgin Mary or a favorite saint.

Part of the hope we have as Christians is that someday we might be reunited with our loved ones. Death is not the last word. The resurrection awaits all of us.

If we stay close to Jesus, then someday we can rise again and be with him — and with our loved ones who have persevered in their love for Christ — for all eternity.

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One Comment
  1. Please do not go to any medium or fortune teller. I made that horrible error years ago. They might tell you some truths to make you feel comfortable but they will also present you with lies and false information. All evil steals it steals time it steals your trust it steals. What they tell you will not be a message from your own mother but could be something evil and false. Mediums sometimes think they are doing good they think they have a powerful gift and some deep inside know that they are doing wrong. Please if you have money to go to a medium give that money to a charity that your mum might have supported or if your mum died of illness give that money to a charity that deals with helping people with that illness.
    The heartache and confusion you will get from going to these people will be much more than that what you have now. As even if they tell you what you want to hear it means that it makes that person go back to that medium again until that medium ruins that persons life or others around that person.

    I was told a man was for me and that he had fallen for me and sure enough he did seem to love me, but in the end he was doing bad and was dating someone else at the same time he was flirting with me and he had left his wife for that other girl (I did not know that at the time!) luckily I never dated him. as he was making out that I was to wait for him till after I finished college as he was my teacher yet I found out he was dating another student who was his student and she was very very young compared to him. So as you see this hurt me so much so the teller had told me lies, evil knew that the longer I believed that he was decent the more hurt I would be subjected too. Years of my life were ruined. Evil had stolen time from me time wasted on being in love with a man who hides behind a facade of looking like a good person.I was also told that a cat I was fond of from where I used to live was now dead. I was upset. In fact that little cat although old lived for many years and I thinking that he had died was robbed of anytime of being able to visit him as I never visited my old neighbourhood thinking my little friend was gone. I was told he was dead in 2014 he actually lived (he was old) untill 2019. I was robbed yet again of time that I could have spent with my dear friend.

    I prayed to God for forgiveness and I hope that my reply to you will help deter you ever going to them please don’t. I ask you not to do it at all. Even once is bad. If you have been then do as the priest asks of you and never do it again.

    By going to a medium you are turning away from God’s love, and seeking the information which can be that given by means of evil. There is nothing and I mean nothing good in mediumship. There is nothing and I mean it NOTHING of God in mediumship there is nothing holy or from God in mediumship. As mediumship is pure evil and I know that it is. These mediums connect to evil spirits.

    It is known that God loves, he will love you and love your mum. He is our creator. You love you mum a lot please pray for her to rest in peace and pray for her to be in God’s loving and tender care that is the most beautiful and loving thing that you can do for your mum now. There is a heaven and we all know that. You must be patient and take the time to grieve your mum, you cannot grieve if being tricked by a medium. It is horrible to think that when we are at our weakest that evil pounces on us or tempts us. Be strong.

    Take the time to grieve, buy your mum’s favourite flowers and put them on her resting place. Buy a few extra to keep in your home. Or listen to her favourite music. Pray and talk to God and our dear Our Lady who will help you if only you ask them too. Keep centred and strong and never ever go to mediums. You will find peace if you pray, but remember this peace may come soon or it might take a while. You must be patient with yourself. Tell God you are sad, tell God that you hurt tell Our Lord Jesus and his Our Lady tell them when you pray ask for them to help comfort you. If you cry cry to God for he is the Father and he loves you turn to him (not a medium). Be patient, and in time God will answer your prayers as he does everyones prayers, he answers them in his own timing and in his own way.

    I am so sorry to read that your mum has passed and I am upset to read how it has affected you. My heart goes out to you. Keep your mum’s photo beside your bed to help comfort you keep her in your mind and in your heart. God is the one you must turn to (not a medium). Only in God the Father can you find the peace that you seek. Be patient and ask God to walk with you, he will walk with you through bad times, he will walk with you through the hurt, fear and loss. he is always there let him walk with you now.

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