Welcome to this week’s “Throwback Thursday” installment! Today, we’re revisiting a post that was originally published back on July 20, 2015, and has been slightly revised.
I’ve heard of “The Flying Nun” but has anyone heard of flying priests? ABC’s “The Flying Nun” television comedy ran from 1967 to 1970 with Sally Field starring as Sister Bertrille, the young, 90-pound nun who was often levitated by the strong tropical breezes of San Juan, Puerto Rico (where her convent was located) that lifted her up into the air by her highly-starched cornette (see photo above). Wow, that nun must have had neck muscles like aircraft cables! Few, if any, shows in the history of television have had a more ridiculous premise.
But Sister Bertrille wasn’t the only Catholic flying around the atmosphere. The Catholic church claims quite a few of its “saints” were prone to levitate while in contemplative, rapturous swoons. Below is an incomplete list of “frequent flyers” from Catholic sources:
St. Francis of Assisi, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis Xavier, St. Benedict Joseph Labre, St. Angela of Brescia, St. Antoinette of Florence, St. Bishop Arey, St. Peter Celestine, St. Colette, St. Margaret of Hungary, St. Stephen of Hungary, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Joseph Oriol, Bl. Bentivolio Buoni, St. Francis of Paola, St. John of St. Facondo, St. Martin de Porres, St. Gerard Majella, St. Paul of the Cross, and St. Gemma Galgani.
Perhaps the “saint” most famous for levitating was Franciscan friar, Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663). It’s claimed that Pope Urban VIII witnessed Joseph’s levitations firsthand when the friar visited the Vatican. Did these people actually float or are these just more Catholic “sacred tradition” folk tales? The Bible records that Jesus and Peter walked on water and that Jesus ascended into Heaven, but there’s no other mention of any other kind of “levitation” in the New Testament. Levitation has long been a staple of pagan religions and is cited as a frequent phenomenon in cases of demonic possession. Joseph of Cupertino and the others mentioned were Catholic “mystics” who deprived themselves of food, water, sleep, and other necessities and normal comforts in an effort to enter into a psychological state of religious ecstasy/euphoria/hysteria. These “mystics” lived in a society dominated by religious superstition. Why do we not hear of any verifiable cases of levitation among Catholic priests or nuns today?
Catholicism is overflowing with fanciful tales and legends of religious miracles, but proclaims a false gospel of salvation by sacramental grace and merit. Pay no attention to the “bright lights” of false “mystical” spiritualism/experientialism and heed the Biblical Gospel of Grace! Repent of your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior by faith alone and ask the Lord to lead you to an evangelical church where the Gospel is preached without compromise!
Above: “Saint” Joe of Cupertino, fancifully portrayed flying onward and upward.
Wow, brother, I heard a lot about levitation during the years my mom was a practicing Wiccan. And of course, Bethel students claim it often. With all the cameras we have today you’d think someone would have managed to get it on film.
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Thanks, sister! I was not aware that the Bethel people were pushing levitation, but it’s not surprising. Yeah, with most everyone having a smart phone today and on the constant ready to record any instances of the police overstepping their boundaries, it’s amazing that we don’t see any examples of these alleged levitations or of dead corpses being brought back to life.
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In answering your question, I’m about to go on a walk soon! I woke up an hour ago and I only have 270 steps! But then I’m also going to meet up with a brother in Christ to go walking in a couple of hours too, so I hope that helps me reach 10,000!
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👍🏻
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=)
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“Catholicism is overflowing with fanciful tales and legends of religious miracles, but proclaims a false gospel of salvation by sacramental grace and merit.” 😞
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“Catholicism is overflowing with fanciful tales and legends of religious miracles, but proclaims a false gospel of salvation by sacramental grace and merit.” 😞
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Never heard of that show before. Way before my time! But its crazy the false miracle claims made by Rome of “flying” “saints”
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I actually used to watch the show every week as a boy because I had a crush on Sally Field. It was so bad. Yes, there is a “group hysteria” dimension to all of these “mystics” claiming to be able to fly.
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Wow crush on a “nun!” Its hard for me in my generation to picture that lol
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RE: crush on a nun
LOL! I know I can confide in you and you’ll keep it private.
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Lol I won’t post it online!
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🥵 Phew! Thanks, brother! Well, to stick up for myself, I never saw a real nun who looked like Sally Field! 🤣
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Good throwback post by the way!
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Thanks! Many evangelicals aren’t aware of these really weird and quirky aspects of Roman Catholicism.
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Yeah I didn’t know of these claims of flying saints/priests. Its definitely another kind of religion than biblical Christianity in so many ways
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It’s so important to bring Catholicism’s quirky legalities and paranormal phenomena to light. So anti-Biblical.
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Yep you applying Ephesians 5:11
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Thanks, brother! Yes, that is a very applicable verse.
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Yes it is! Was busy going out and about so now I can sit down a little!
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Just got done mowing the backyard. 13.6K steps. That’s a lot of 🚶♂️for a 👴
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Wow a lot! I had 13 K from yesterday walking a hike on hilly part of his more hilly area
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13Ks a lot of steps. My tops is 15K which I’ve only hit twice since a January.
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👍👍
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A flying priest? It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.
I remember the flying nun 😆
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Thanks, Crissy! Catholicism is so filled with such superstitious tales beneath the sanitized ecumenical surface.
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