Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel Question from on 05-30-2007:

Dear Judie Brown--I was told that the teaching of the catholic church is that a baby does not have his or her own guardian angel during the nine months of pregnancy but is protected by the mother's guardian angel. It is at birth, so I am told, that a baby receives his or her own guardian angel. Is this true? Thank you, Warren.

Answer by Judie Brown on 06-01-2007:

Dear Warren The Catholic Encyclopedia, which is on line, makes this statement which is the statement upon which I base my opinion: "That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith; but it is the "mind of the Church", as St. Jerome expressed it: "how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it." (Comm. in Matt., xviii, lib. II)." I believe that if St. Jerome had been privy to the scientific facts we have today, he would agree that each of one us has a guardian angel the moment we receive our immortal soul, which is at some point prior to birth, and to my mind is at conception/fertilization. If you read the entire Catholic Encyclopedia article (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07049c.htm) you will discern, as I have, the only definitive answer awaits us in Heaven. In the meantime, we can speculate. Judie Brown