Editing Angels in Christianity (section)

==== Archangels ====
{{Main|Archangel|Gabriel|Michael (archangel)|Raphael (archangel)}}
[[File:GuidoReni MichaelDefeatsSatan.jpg|right|thumb|''Archangel Michael defeats Satan'', by [[Guido Reni]] (1636), held in the Capuchin church of [[Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome]]]]

The word ''[[archangel]]'' is only used twice in the [[New Testament]]: in {{bibleverse|1|Thessalonians|4:16|NRSV}} and {{bibleverse||Jude|1:9|NRSV}}.

In most Christian traditions, [[Gabriel (archangel)|Gabriel]] is also considered an archangel, but there is no direct literary support for this assumption. The term ''archangel'' appears only in the singular, never plural, and only in specific reference to [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]].

The name of the [[Raphael (archangel)|archangel Raphael]] appears only in the [[Book of Tobit]] (Tobias).

The [[Holy See]]'s 2001 ''Directory on popular piety'' states: "The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in [[Catholic Bible|Holy Scripture]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments |author-link=Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments |date=December 2001 |title=Directory on popular piety and the liturgy. Principles and guidelines |url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html#Chapter%20Six |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www.vatican.va}}</ref>