During his visit to Angola, Pope Leo XIV was direct about the threat of mixing religious beliefs.
POPE LEO XIV
It is necessary to always remain attentive to forms of traditional religiosity, which certainly belong to the roots of your culture but, at the same time, risk confusing and mixing magical and superstitious elements that do not help on the spiritual path.
Pope Leo then turned to a less local and more universal challenge, where he noted that the Gospel reveals how some people followed Jesus because he performed miracles—and he posed that same question to those present.
POPE LEO XIV
The Gospel account therefore helps us understand that there are misguided reasons for seeking Christ, especially when he is seen as a guru or a good-luck charm.
In recent years, the Church's doctrine office has repeatedly returned to the issue of superstition. Most recently, for example, the office published a document on the topic of alleged Marian apparitions and other claims of supernatural events.
One of the more unusual texts on the topic is “Christian Faith and Demonology” from 1975. It explains why resorting to magical or occult practices is discouraged and dangerous. In it the Church reiterates that, per Catholic teaching, the devil can tempt but cannot compel human behavior.
