Ask Gina: Why Wasn't the Archangel Uriel Included in the Recent Novena to the Archangels from St. Michael Center?

Q: Respectfully, why wasn't the Archangel Uriel included in the recent Novena to the Archangels from St. Michael Center?

A: The short answer is that Uriel is not officially recognized by the Catholic Church as an archangel to be venerated. The archangel names Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael all appear in Scripture and are recognized as divinely inspired, but Uriel does not. The most prominent mention of Uriel is found in the Book of Enoch, which is an ancient Jewish text presenting a highly detailed angelology. However, neither the Book of Enoch nor 2 Esdras (the second two of the four books, which also mentions Uriel) are included in the Catholic canon of Sacred Scripture.

In the Directory on Popular Piety, the Church states clearly: "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, whose names are contained in Holy Scripture." While it is true, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church continue to venerate Uriel as an archangel to this day; Latin Rite Catholics, in obedience to their own tradition, are only to invoke Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael by name. That said, some Eastern Catholics such as the Melkites may also invoke Uriel within their own Byzantine tradition, which has been permitted under the obedience of their bishops and patriarch. 

Another item to note is that because the name Uriel is not found in revealed scripture and is therefore spiritually ambiguous, it is sadly easily exploited. Unfortunately, in this day and age, Uriel, in particular, is often used in New Age practices and in the occult. Invoked by name through ritual, Tarot, channeling, or Enochian magic, while one might think they are praying to a friendly archangel, one may in fact be praying to a demonic spirit. This is a concern we have seen in this ministry, a real spiritual danger. The Church, in its wisdom, desires to protect the faithful from such deception. 

It is therefore both prudent and wise to follow the recommendations of Catholic theology and of Sacred Scripture as interpreted by the Magisterium and to always "stay in the boat!"

-Gina Witt