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Exorcisms
Exorcism is mainly thought of as the rite of driving out the Devil and his demons
from possessed persons. Exorcism is mainly performed in incidences of
demonic possession that is generally distinguished from spiritual possession. A
general assumption is that the Roman Catholic singularly practices the rite of
exorcism, but some Protestant denominations such as the Pentecostals and
other charismatic groups practice it as well. These groups refer to the practice
as "deliverance ministry" where gifted people drive out devils and heal while they
touch the persons with their hands, called laying on of hands, and pray over them.
Technically, exorcism is not driving out the Devil or a demon, but it is placing the
Devil or demon on oath. And, in some incidences there may be more than one
demon possessing a person. "Exorcism" is derived from the Greek preposition
ek with the verb horkizo which means "I cause [someone] to swear" and refers
to "putting the spirit or demon on oath," or invoking a higher authority to bind the
entity in order to control it and command it to act contrary to its own will.
In the Christian sense this higher authority is Jesus Christ. This act is based on
the belief that the Devil, his demons, and evil spirits are afraid of Christ. The belief
itself is based on Scripture. Coming from the sea of Galilee Christ entered the
land of the Gerasenes. He was immediately met by a man from the tombs cut into
the mountains of the area. The man was said to be possessed of an unclean
spirit. Nothing could bind this man, not even chains. He lived in the mountains,
crying, and cutting himself with stones. But, so it is told, when seeing Christ
approaching, the man went to him seeking help. The unclean demon immediately
recognized Christ, and Christ recognized the demon. Christ, then, summoned the
spirit to leave the man, and asked his name. "My name is Legion," answered the
spirit, "for we are many." Once the demons left the man, Christ sent them into a
nearby heard of swine who then jumped in to the sea and drown. (Mark 5:1-13)
Unlike other exorcists, it is believed, that Christ did not exorcise because He did
not need to call on a higher authority since He Himself was that higher authority.
Now, not only did Christ exorcize demons, or unclean spirits, but he gave the
powers to his disciples. "...he gave the power against unclean spirits, to cast
them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease." (Matt.10:
1)
From these two Biblical passages and others Catholics and Protestants alike
believe they have the power to cast out the Devils and to heal. The Catholic
Church has a procedure out-lined rite of exorcism which is set forth in "The
Rituale Romanum." Other than this text the ritual has great variance determined
by the exorcist performing the exorcism. The code of Cannon Law allows
authorized ministers (the exorcists) to perform solemn exorcisms not only over
the faithful, but also over non-Catholics and those who have been
excommunicated from the Church.
During the ritual usually salt, representing purity, and wine, representing the
blood of Christ, is present. The victim is to hold a crucifix during the rite. The
exorcist is encouraged to use holy water and relics, usually pieces of bones from
Saints, and recite Biblical scriptures and other prayers.
The greatest danger to the exorcist is becoming possessed by the Devil or
demon himself. This is the reason why the exorcist must feel as free of sin as
possible and feel no secret need for punishment. Otherwise, the Devil or demon
can easily entrap him. An example of this is Father Jean-Joseph Surin, the Jesuit
exorcist of Loudun, who became possessed while ministering to Sister Jeannes
des Angest. Surin was reared in a cloister, practiced severe self-denial during his
early years as a priest, experienced severe muscle pains, and had virtually cut
himself off from all social contact which led him to come to the Sisters' Convent
in poor health and a confused state of mind. Unlike his fellow Jesuits he was
thoroughly convinced Sister Jeanne and her companion Sisters were truly
possessed. Author Aldous Huxley in his "The Devils of Loudun" (1952) described
Surin's mental state as one of "pathological illiteracy."
This is possibly the reason that Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit professor,
claimed in his book "Hostage to the Devil" (1976), that much of the success of the
exorcism depends upon the exorcist. He describes the type of priest best suited
to be an exorcist as being a man of good physical health, being of middle age,
routinely going about his normal pastoral duties. He usually is not brilliant or
engaged in teaching or research. Although, Martin adds, there are exceptions to
all these characteristics.
In his book Martin also describes the setting where the exorcism takes place. It
is usually in a location where there is a definite connection between the demon
and the victim, like the victim's bedroom or resident.
But, again, to Martin, the most important thing is the exorcist's disposition and
those of his assistants. Presently few exorcists choose to work alone. Three
other people usually assist the exorcist. One is a junior priest who has been
trained in exorcism procedures. He monitors the exorcism, helping the exorcist
when possible not to be distracted by the possessive demon. Others can include
a medical physician and a family member. The most important thing of all is that
the exorcist and his assistants be physically strong and relatively guiltless. None
must have any secret sins which the Devil or demon can use against them. In
some incidences the Devil or demons may shout out the sins of the exorcist or
his assistants attempting to shame them and ruin the exorcism.
Although all exorcisms are different in proceeding there are similar stages they
follow. Martin describes these stages:
The Presence: The exorcist and his assistants become aware of an alien feeling
or entity. Attempts or actions of the evil spirit appear to be the victim's. The
exorcist's first job is to break this Pretense and find out whom the demon really
is. Gaining the entity's name is most important.
Breakpoint: The moment when the Devil's Pretense finally collapses. This is
usually a moment of complete pandemonium. There evolves a scene of panic and
confusion, accompanied by a crescendo of abuse, horrible sights, noises, and
odors. The Devil then turns on the victim, speaking of the person in the third
person.
The Voice: Also a sign the Breakpoint, the Voice (of the demon) becomes
"inordinately disturbing and humanly distressing babble." The demon's voices
must be silenced for the exorcism to proceed.
The Clash: As the Voices die out there is both a spiritual and physical pressure.
The demon has collided with the "will of the Kingdom." The exorcist is now in
direct battle with the demon, urging the entity to reveal more information about
itself so it can be controlled. As previously mentioned, there is a connection
between the entity and the victim's resident. The entity wants a place to be in, or
it must return to Hell. An existence out of Hell is what the Devil or demon is
fighting for.
Expulsion: In the supreme triumph of God's will, the demon or spirit leaves in the
name of Jesus. All present feel the Presence dissipates, occasionally with
receding noises and voices. The victim may remember the ordeal or may not
recall anything that has happened.
The ritual of exorcism is more cautiously employed by the Catholic Church at
present than it once was. When reviewing the conditions for demonic possession
that were once listed one can easily see many of the symptoms are those of
epilepsy, hysteria, schizophrenia, and other psychological disorders. So priests
are cautioned to be as certain as possible the person is truly demonically
possessed before performing the ritual.
In some incidences this precaution may not be enough to guard an innocent
person against the ritual. For example, Saint Paul exorcized a slave girl who
made much money for her masters by soothsaying. (Acts 16:16-18) Today,
occultists call such acts prophecy. Catholics are still forbidden to visit fortune
tellers. Other religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Shinto and
others have some form of exorcism rituals. One of the best known Judaic rituals,
cited in Judaism rabbinical literature dating from the first century AD, concerns
the dybbuk, an evil or doomed spirit which possesses a victim and causes
mental illness and a personality change. The dybbuk is expelled through the
victim's small toe, and then is either redeemed or sent to hell.
In many Eastern religions spirits and ghosts are blamed for many ills, and are
cast out of people. However, such afflictions are not regarded as all-out battles
for the persons' souls. The typical Hindu exorcism practices consist of blowing
cow-dung smoke, pressing rock salt between the fingers, burning pig excreta,
beating or pulling the victim's hair, reciting prayers or mantras, and offering gifts
of candy and other presents to get the evil or troublesome spirits to depart from
the persons.
The ritual employed in Shamanism is that the shaman enters a trace during
which he attempts to discover the cause of the victim's trouble. Frequently the
cause is thought linked to a dead person. The shaman then is said to travel to the
lowerworld to speak with this soul. He then knows the cure of this victim's
affliction, or may even bring back the soul to cure it.
All persons do not consider the purpose of the ritual of exorcism as expelling the
spirit as condemning it to hell as do the Christians. Some, including occultists
and Witches, do not consider the spirits demonic but at times become confuse
and invade persons' bodies. The purpose of this type of exorcism is to release
the spirit. Then the spirit is free to journey onto its resting place or new life.
Witches frequently are asked to exorcise ghosts and other unwanted psychic
energy that trouble persons.
Spirit exorcisms, as cures of physical illnesses and solutions to other personal
problems are common in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, the Orient, and
among tribal cultures.
Exorcism is mainly thought of as the rite of driving out the Devil and his demons
from possessed persons. Exorcism is mainly performed in incidences of
demonic possession that is generally distinguished from spiritual possession. A
general assumption is that the Roman Catholic singularly practices the rite of
exorcism, but some Protestant denominations such as the Pentecostals and
other charismatic groups practice it as well. These groups refer to the practice
as "deliverance ministry" where gifted people drive out devils and heal while they
touch the persons with their hands, called laying on of hands, and pray over them.
Technically, exorcism is not driving out the Devil or a demon, but it is placing the
Devil or demon on oath. And, in some incidences there may be more than one
demon possessing a person. "Exorcism" is derived from the Greek preposition
ek with the verb horkizo which means "I cause [someone] to swear" and refers
to "putting the spirit or demon on oath," or invoking a higher authority to bind the
entity in order to control it and command it to act contrary to its own will.
In the Christian sense this higher authority is Jesus Christ. This act is based on
the belief that the Devil, his demons, and evil spirits are afraid of Christ. The belief
itself is based on Scripture. Coming from the sea of Galilee Christ entered the
land of the Gerasenes. He was immediately met by a man from the tombs cut into
the mountains of the area. The man was said to be possessed of an unclean
spirit. Nothing could bind this man, not even chains. He lived in the mountains,
crying, and cutting himself with stones. But, so it is told, when seeing Christ
approaching, the man went to him seeking help. The unclean demon immediately
recognized Christ, and Christ recognized the demon. Christ, then, summoned the
spirit to leave the man, and asked his name. "My name is Legion," answered the
spirit, "for we are many." Once the demons left the man, Christ sent them into a
nearby heard of swine who then jumped in to the sea and drown. (Mark 5:1-13)
Unlike other exorcists, it is believed, that Christ did not exorcise because He did
not need to call on a higher authority since He Himself was that higher authority.
Now, not only did Christ exorcize demons, or unclean spirits, but he gave the
powers to his disciples. "...he gave the power against unclean spirits, to cast
them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease." (Matt.10:
1)
From these two Biblical passages and others Catholics and Protestants alike
believe they have the power to cast out the Devils and to heal. The Catholic
Church has a procedure out-lined rite of exorcism which is set forth in "The
Rituale Romanum." Other than this text the ritual has great variance determined
by the exorcist performing the exorcism. The code of Cannon Law allows
authorized ministers (the exorcists) to perform solemn exorcisms not only over
the faithful, but also over non-Catholics and those who have been
excommunicated from the Church.
During the ritual usually salt, representing purity, and wine, representing the
blood of Christ, is present. The victim is to hold a crucifix during the rite. The
exorcist is encouraged to use holy water and relics, usually pieces of bones from
Saints, and recite Biblical scriptures and other prayers.
The greatest danger to the exorcist is becoming possessed by the Devil or
demon himself. This is the reason why the exorcist must feel as free of sin as
possible and feel no secret need for punishment. Otherwise, the Devil or demon
can easily entrap him. An example of this is Father Jean-Joseph Surin, the Jesuit
exorcist of Loudun, who became possessed while ministering to Sister Jeannes
des Angest. Surin was reared in a cloister, practiced severe self-denial during his
early years as a priest, experienced severe muscle pains, and had virtually cut
himself off from all social contact which led him to come to the Sisters' Convent
in poor health and a confused state of mind. Unlike his fellow Jesuits he was
thoroughly convinced Sister Jeanne and her companion Sisters were truly
possessed. Author Aldous Huxley in his "The Devils of Loudun" (1952) described
Surin's mental state as one of "pathological illiteracy."
This is possibly the reason that Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit professor,
claimed in his book "Hostage to the Devil" (1976), that much of the success of the
exorcism depends upon the exorcist. He describes the type of priest best suited
to be an exorcist as being a man of good physical health, being of middle age,
routinely going about his normal pastoral duties. He usually is not brilliant or
engaged in teaching or research. Although, Martin adds, there are exceptions to
all these characteristics.
In his book Martin also describes the setting where the exorcism takes place. It
is usually in a location where there is a definite connection between the demon
and the victim, like the victim's bedroom or resident.
But, again, to Martin, the most important thing is the exorcist's disposition and
those of his assistants. Presently few exorcists choose to work alone. Three
other people usually assist the exorcist. One is a junior priest who has been
trained in exorcism procedures. He monitors the exorcism, helping the exorcist
when possible not to be distracted by the possessive demon. Others can include
a medical physician and a family member. The most important thing of all is that
the exorcist and his assistants be physically strong and relatively guiltless. None
must have any secret sins which the Devil or demon can use against them. In
some incidences the Devil or demons may shout out the sins of the exorcist or
his assistants attempting to shame them and ruin the exorcism.
Although all exorcisms are different in proceeding there are similar stages they
follow. Martin describes these stages:
The Presence: The exorcist and his assistants become aware of an alien feeling
or entity. Attempts or actions of the evil spirit appear to be the victim's. The
exorcist's first job is to break this Pretense and find out whom the demon really
is. Gaining the entity's name is most important.
Breakpoint: The moment when the Devil's Pretense finally collapses. This is
usually a moment of complete pandemonium. There evolves a scene of panic and
confusion, accompanied by a crescendo of abuse, horrible sights, noises, and
odors. The Devil then turns on the victim, speaking of the person in the third
person.
The Voice: Also a sign the Breakpoint, the Voice (of the demon) becomes
"inordinately disturbing and humanly distressing babble." The demon's voices
must be silenced for the exorcism to proceed.
The Clash: As the Voices die out there is both a spiritual and physical pressure.
The demon has collided with the "will of the Kingdom." The exorcist is now in
direct battle with the demon, urging the entity to reveal more information about
itself so it can be controlled. As previously mentioned, there is a connection
between the entity and the victim's resident. The entity wants a place to be in, or
it must return to Hell. An existence out of Hell is what the Devil or demon is
fighting for.
Expulsion: In the supreme triumph of God's will, the demon or spirit leaves in the
name of Jesus. All present feel the Presence dissipates, occasionally with
receding noises and voices. The victim may remember the ordeal or may not
recall anything that has happened.
The ritual of exorcism is more cautiously employed by the Catholic Church at
present than it once was. When reviewing the conditions for demonic possession
that were once listed one can easily see many of the symptoms are those of
epilepsy, hysteria, schizophrenia, and other psychological disorders. So priests
are cautioned to be as certain as possible the person is truly demonically
possessed before performing the ritual.
In some incidences this precaution may not be enough to guard an innocent
person against the ritual. For example, Saint Paul exorcized a slave girl who
made much money for her masters by soothsaying. (Acts 16:16-18) Today,
occultists call such acts prophecy. Catholics are still forbidden to visit fortune
tellers. Other religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Shinto and
others have some form of exorcism rituals. One of the best known Judaic rituals,
cited in Judaism rabbinical literature dating from the first century AD, concerns
the dybbuk, an evil or doomed spirit which possesses a victim and causes
mental illness and a personality change. The dybbuk is expelled through the
victim's small toe, and then is either redeemed or sent to hell.
In many Eastern religions spirits and ghosts are blamed for many ills, and are
cast out of people. However, such afflictions are not regarded as all-out battles
for the persons' souls. The typical Hindu exorcism practices consist of blowing
cow-dung smoke, pressing rock salt between the fingers, burning pig excreta,
beating or pulling the victim's hair, reciting prayers or mantras, and offering gifts
of candy and other presents to get the evil or troublesome spirits to depart from
the persons.
The ritual employed in Shamanism is that the shaman enters a trace during
which he attempts to discover the cause of the victim's trouble. Frequently the
cause is thought linked to a dead person. The shaman then is said to travel to the
lowerworld to speak with this soul. He then knows the cure of this victim's
affliction, or may even bring back the soul to cure it.
All persons do not consider the purpose of the ritual of exorcism as expelling the
spirit as condemning it to hell as do the Christians. Some, including occultists
and Witches, do not consider the spirits demonic but at times become confuse
and invade persons' bodies. The purpose of this type of exorcism is to release
the spirit. Then the spirit is free to journey onto its resting place or new life.
Witches frequently are asked to exorcise ghosts and other unwanted psychic
energy that trouble persons.
Spirit exorcisms, as cures of physical illnesses and solutions to other personal
problems are common in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, the Orient, and
among tribal cultures.