For some time now, there have been two schools of thought regarding Guardian Angels. There are those who postulate that every individual soul has a guardian angel that helps to protect and guide it. The other school of though is that this has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith. However, there is a statement made by St. Jerome: "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).

However, even among the Catholic priesthood, there are those who suggest that there may be some element of truth to the concept that every soul has a guardian angel to protect it. According to an article written by Hugh Pope, "This belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity; pagans, like Menander and Plutarch (cf. Euseb., "Praep. Evang.", xii), and Neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylonians and Assyrians, as their monuments testify, for a figure of a guardian angel now in the British Museum once decorated an Assyrian palace, and might well serve for a modern representation; while Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, says: ‘He (Marduk) sent a tutelary deity (cherub) of grace to go at my side; in everything that I did, he made my work to succeed.'"

What is interesting is that there is reference to guardian angels and the role they play: In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapters 28-29, angels not only act as the executors of God's wrath against the cities of the plain, but they deliver Lot from danger. Then in the second book, we again see reference to the Guardian Angels: Exodus 12-13, an angel is the appointed leader of the host of Israel, and in 32:34, God says to Moses: "my angel shall go before thee." At a much later period we have the story of Tobias, which might serve for a commentary on the words of Psalm 90:11: "For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways." (Cf. Psalm 33:8 and 34:5.) Again, in Daniel 10 angels are entrusted with the care of particular districts; one is called "prince of the kingdom of the Persians", and Michael is termed "one of the chief princes"; cf. Deuteronomy 32:8 (Septuagint); and Ecclesiasticus 17:17 (Septuagint).

All these references to Guardian Angels come from the Old Testament, thus it seems there is a strong position that at least in the Old Testament God's Guardian Angels were operating as His ministers who carried out his commands and often this included the care of a particular human soul. They were also given special commissions, regarding men and their affairs. There is no special teaching; the doctrine is rather taken for granted.

Yet one must review these references and see that nowhere in any of them does it expressly state the concept that every human soul has a Guardian Angel that is protecting it. Thus it becomes easier to see why two schools of thought have surfaced in this area when reviewing the references strictly from the Old Testament.

Yet, as we move into the New Testament the doctrine is stated with greater precision. Angels are everywhere the intermediaries between God and man. This becomes a stronger case for the concept of each soul having a Guardian Angel for many researchers. They also review the actions and words of Christ who set a seal upon the Old Testament when he said: "See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10). In essence, Christ is stating that every soul does have a protector in the form of an Angel.

A twofold aspect of the doctrine is here put before us: even little children have guardian angels, and these same angels lose not the vision of God by the fact that they have a mission to fulfill on earth.

Again, there are numerous references it the New Testament, yet there are two well-known references pertaining to Christ and St. Peter. There was the angel who succored Christ in the garden, and the angel who delivered St. Peter from prison. Hebrews 1:14 puts the doctrine in its clearest light: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?" For many, this statement makes it clear that the function of the guardian angels, ultimately is to lead man, if he wishes it, to Heaven.

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