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Summary
- The Bible never mentions the cardinal, a bird of eastern North America, Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.
- No church teaches that a red cardinal is a sign from God, an angel or someone who has died; the idea is a popular belief.
- In Luke 16 the request for a messenger from the dead is refused: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”
- Christian hope for the dead rests on Christ: “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).
- The bird is named for the red robes and caps of Catholic cardinals; the church title comes from the Latin cardo, “hinge”.
- In Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil, the common name meaning cardinal belongs to a different bird, the red-crested cardinal, which also carries no message.
- A cardinal tapping at a window is defending its territory against its own reflection.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- The Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain), quoted from BibleGateway: Deuteronomy 18:11; Joshua 2:18; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Chronicles 10:13–14; Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 8:19; Matthew 5:4; Matthew 6:26; Matthew 10:29–31; Luke 12:6–7; Luke 16:29–31; John 11:25–26; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14. Context checked in Deuteronomy 18:10–12 and Luke 16:27–31.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2116: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7E.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 958: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2B.HTM
- The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 21, section 4, Orthodox Presbyterian Church edition: opc.org/wcf.html
- Stephanie Anderson, “What Is a Biblical Perspective on Cardinals Representing Messages from a Deceased Loved One?”, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 11 February 2025, quoting Clarissa Moll: epm.org/resources/2025/Feb/11/cardinals-represent-messages
- “Northern Cardinal Overview”, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/overview
- “A bird keeps flying into my window or car mirror, on purpose. What should I do?”, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 15 May 2023: allaboutbirds.org/news/a-bird-keeps-flying-into-my-window-or-car-mirror-on-purpose-what-should-i-do
- “Northern Cardinal”, Field Guide, Missouri Department of Conservation: mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/northern-cardinal
- “Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)”, Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, names in other languages: birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/norcar/cur/introduction
- “Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata)”, Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/reccar/cur/introduction
- Johannes Baptist Sägmüller, “Cardinal”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 3 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908), via New Advent: newadvent.org/cathen/03333b.htm
- James Mooney, Myths of the Cherokee, extract from the Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902), stories 5 and 41 with notes, via Project Gutenberg: gutenberg.org/ebooks/45634
Response
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Michelle White
I lost my dog a few weeks ago and another dog killed it but I wanted God to send me a red bird just to let me know he’s at peace and he did. Then I see one out my window tonight and every now and again.
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