Why would the angels, demons, or the spirits of the dead appear to the living?
1) It may occur sometimes for man’s instruction and intimidation that they (spirits of the dead) be permitted to appear to the living; or again in order to seek our suffrages, as to those who are detained in purgatory. 2) These apparitions occur to persons whether asleep or awake by the activity of good or wicked angels in order to instruct or deceive the living. There is, however, this difference between the saints and the damned, that the saints can appear when they will to the living, but not the damned who appear only when permitted. But one may wonder why the spirits don’t appear more often than what they do, although the dead be able to appear to the living as they will, it is because the saints, when they are separated from the flesh, they are wholly conformed to the divine will, so that they may do nothing but what they see to be agreeable with the Divine disposition, but for the damned or those in Purgatory, they may be so overwhelmed by their punishments that their grief for
