Spiritual Communication Can Be Real

The Catholic Church believes in the Communion of Saints, which means an enduring relationship with all who are members of the Body of Christ whether they be alive or deceased.

A saintly person who has died can communicate with the faithful, including family members. However, such experiences should be subject to reasonable scrutiny before being accepted as authentic.

God may permit such experiences for instruction, caution, consolation or some other spiritual or tangible benefit. This sharing of spiritual goods bears witness to the fact that the bonds of Baptism are stronger than death and that the souls of the just enjoy eternal life. These experiences should be rooted in prayer and centered in God.

However, accepting a communication which God permits is to be distinguished from forbidden practices of spiritism, in which someone seeks to make contact with those who have died through mediums, divination, conjuring or other occult practices.