The Church and the Enneagram: Discernment and Christian Integration

by Dr. Robert Faddoul

Preface: What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a model of self-knowledge that describes nine main ways of being in the world, known as the “nine personality types.” Each type reflects a particular way of perceiving reality, reacting to emotions, and building relationships. Far from putting people into boxes, the Enneagram helps individuals better understand their strengths, fears, and deep motivations. It offers a path of inner growth that frees one from psychological automatisms and leads toward greater awareness, compassion, and inner freedom.

1. Introduction

For several years, the Enneagram has attracted great interest in the fields of psychology and human development. Some Christian circles have questioned whether its use is compatible with faith. As a trainer and researcher in the field of inner growth, I wish to clarify the Catholic Church’s position on this matter, as expressed in the official document “Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life,” published by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

2. What the Church Actually Says

The document does mention the Enneagram in section 1.4 as follows: “...the Enneagram, a tool for character analysis based on nine types, when used as a means of spiritual growth, introduces an ambiguity in the doctrine and the life of the Christian faith.”

This sentence, often quoted in isolation, is not a condemnation of the Enneagram but a warning against its misuse or misdirection. The text reminds us that any psychological or spiritual tool must be evaluated in the light of Christian faith and Revelation.

3. A Balanced Reading

The Church does not forbid the use of the Enneagram. It simply calls for prudence and discernment. The danger does not lie in the tool itself but in how it is used:

• if it becomes a substitute for grace, prayer, or sacramental life;
• if it is presented as a system of salvation or autonomous enlightenment;
• or if it conveys esoteric or gnostic concepts.

However, when used with seriousness and within a framework that integrates faith, psychology, and the Christian spiritual dimension, the Enneagram can be a precious instrument for better self-knowledge, recognizing inner wounds, and advancing on a path of growth.

4. Toward a Christian Integration of the Enneagram

In my courses and seminars, I present the Enneagram not as a substitute for the Gospel but as a psychological mirror serving the spiritual life.

• The Enneagram helps identify defense mechanisms, unconscious patterns, and wounds that affect how we love.
• Faith, on the other hand, offers grace and inner transformation.
• Together, these two dimensions — psychological and spiritual — allow for a unified path of healing centered on Christ.
• Yet, some people may misuse the Enneagram, reducing it to a rigid system of classification or using it to justify their behaviors instead of seeing it as a call to transformation, love, and inner freedom.

5. Conclusion

Through the document “Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life,” the Church does not condemn the Enneagram; it simply invites us to use it with discernment. This discernment is precisely what we seek to live and transmit in our training: a human and psychological approach deeply rooted in the Christian faith.

When understood as a tool of awareness rather than as a doctrine, the Enneagram can become a concrete means of growing in inner freedom, humility, and charity.