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Summa Theologiae · I, q. 113

Question 113. Of the Guardianship of the Good Angels

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, First Part. 8 articles.

Read in the reading room → This question at New Advent

Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #17611, First Part (Prima Pars), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The First Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. The phrase “From the Complete American Edition” in Gutenberg's catalog title is a provenance note only. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We next consider the guardianship exercised by the good angels; and their warfare against the bad angels. Under the first head eight points of inquiry arise:

(1) Whether men are guarded by the angels?

(2) Whether to each man is assigned a single guardian angel?

(3) Whether the guardianship belongs only to the lowest order of angels?

(4) Whether it is fitting for each man to have an angel guardian?

(5) When does an angel's guardianship of a man begin?

(6) Whether the angel guardians always watch over men?

(7) Whether the angel grieves over the loss of the one guarded?

(8) Whether rivalry exists among the angels as regards their guardianship?

Articles

  1. Whether Men Are Guarded by the Angels?
  2. Whether Each Man Is Guarded by an Angel?
  3. Whether to Guard Men Belongs Only to the Lowest Order of Angels?
  4. Whether Angels Are Appointed to the Guardianship of All Men?
  5. Whether an Angel Is Appointed to Guard a Man from His Birth?
  6. Whether the Angel Guardian Ever Forsakes a Man?
  7. Whether Angels Grieve for the Ills of Those Whom They Guard?
  8. Whether There Can Be Strife or Discord Among the Angels?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, First Part. Project Gutenberg #17611. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.