You’re not supposed to name your guardian angel

I learned this odd factoid from Fr. Mitch Pacwa while sitting in a little airport in Michigan once. It had never occurred to me to name my guardian angel, but for some reason it came up in the conversation with the little group we were seated with as we waited for the plane. Somebody mentioned it as the latest craze and Fr. Pacwa instantly had on the tip of his tongue the teaching of some mediaeval pope who had condemned the practice. I’m not clear on the reasoning, but the basic idea seems to be that angels are not our chums, but super-powerful spirit beings who should be treated with respect and not back-slapping bonhomie. Or so I gather. Since the thought had never occurred to me, it was not a burning issue. But it’s fun to realize I belong to a community that has given such matters thought.