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What is Exorcism and How is it Performed?


Vivificat! - A Catholic Blog of Commentary and Opinion

24 April 2006



Posted on 04/24/2006 5:47:06 PM PDT by Te=F3filo


by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

To believe in exorcism you must first believe in the devil. Exorcism is
the act of driving out or warding off evil spirits from persons,
places, or things. The means employed for this purpose are especially
the solemn and authoritative adjuration of the demons, commanding them
in the name of God to leave the person or the object which is under
their malevolent influence.

Among polytheistic religions the use of protective means against the
molestation of evil spirits is an essential part of their worship of
the deities. The benevolent gods are invoked for whatever help people
need. The malevolent gods are propitiated, especially by sacrifice, in
order to ward off the harm which these evil deities can perpetrate.
Centuries of the history of polytheism show that among these sacrifices
have always been children, and even infants, whose lives had to be
taken to satisfy the demands of the malicious deities whom the people
worshipped. Thus we have record of how literally thousands of children
were killed and offered in sacrifice on a single day among the Aztecs
in Latin America before the discovery of the new world.

Old Testament

Before the time of Christ, there is no record in the Old Testament of
any exorcism being performed by man. Certainly evil spirits were driven
out of possessed people. But in every case the exorcism was done either
directly by the Lord or by an angel under divine authority.

No doubt there were alleged exorcisms performed by human beings. A
record of these deliverances is found in Jewish apocryphal writings.
The chief characteristic of these non-biblical Jewish exorcisms was the
naming of names believed to be effective in driving out evil spirits.
The principal names used were those of the good angels, either alone or
in combination with El (God).

It is most significant that there are no recorded exorcisms performed
by human beings in the Old Testament Scriptures. The reason is obvious.
If there is one characteristic of the New Testament, it is the many
deliverances of possessed people by Christ in the Gospels. Furthermore,
among the powers which the Savior conferred on His disciples was the
power they would have to drive out evil spirits.

New Testament

As we enter the New Covenant, two remarkable phenomena are recorded.
The number of possessed persons in the four Gospels is almost beyond
counting. Among the evangelists, St. Mark narrates more cases of
possession and of deliverance by Christ than in all the other books of
the Bible put together.

The second remarkable feature is the hostility of the evil spirit in
the possessed persons. This hostility, we may say, began at the opening
of Christ's public ministry when He was tempted three times by the
devil.

All the exorcisms performed by Christ were done in an instant. All He
had to do was to tell the devil to depart, and the evil spirit left the
victim at the Savior's words.

Not surprisingly, the possessed persons whom Jesus exorcised were
afflicted in some externally manifest way. What is crucially important
to understand is that the devil has power to injure or harm his victim,
both physically and psychologically. Behind this fact is the mysterious
providence of God who may allow the evil spirit to harm human beings in
their mental or bodily faculties.

One more thing should be mentioned. The deluge of possessions which
began with Christ's coming into the world has set a pattern for all
future time, even to the end of the world.

The history of evangelization reveals that as the Gospel begins to be
preached in some part of the world, the devil becomes extraordinarily
active among the people being evangelized. If there is one
characteristic of the evil spirit, it is his hatred of Christ.

Exorcism by the Church

The closing book of the Bible is at once a prophecy and a promise. The
Apocalypse predicts the operation of the evil spirit, as the
anti-Christ until the end of time. It also reassures the followers of
Christ that they will overcome Satan provided they trust in the
Savior's power and are submissive to His divine will. In His parting
message to the apostles, He told them, "These signs shall attend
those who believe: in my name they shall cast out devils" (Mark
16:17).

In the twenty centuries of Christian history, this promise of the
Redeemer has been dramatically fulfilled.

Our focus in this conference is on exorcism in the technical sense of a
person authorized by the Church, delivering a person, or a place, or a
city from what we call the preternatural malicious influence of the
evil spirit.

Understandably only Christ, acting through the Church, has the power to
exorcise.

There is an exorcism which is part of the baptismal ritual. But that is
not our concern here. We are addressing ourselves to the exercise of
delivering persons or places who are possessed or obsessed by the
devil.

Just a short clarification. Obsession means that the devil afflicts a
person or place externally. Possession is the result of internal
influence by the devil without, however, depriving a person the use of
free will.

For centuries one of the minor orders before the priesthood was that of
exorcist. The Church's present legislation is very clear:

No one can legitimately perform exorcisms over the possessed unless he
has obtained special and express permission from the local Ordinary.
Such permission from the local Ordinary is to be granted only to a
priest endowed with piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life
(Canon 1172). As we see, the faculty to perform an exorcism is now
restricted to ordained priests. Moreover, the priests must be
outstanding in the virtues identified by the Code of Canon Law.

As might be expected, the norms for the practice of exorcism, laid down
by the Church, are detailed and extensive. It is worth quoting them in
full.

A priest - one who is expressively and particularly authorized by the
ordinary - when he intends to perform an exorcism over persons
tormented by the devil, must be properly distinguished for his piety,
prudence and integrity of life. He should fulfill this devout
undertaking in all constancy and humility, being utterly immune to any
striving for human recognition, and relying, not on his own, but on the
divine power. Moreover, he ought to be of mature years, and revered not
alone for his office but for his moral qualities.

In order to exercise his ministry rightly, he should resort to a great
deal more study of the matter (which has to be passed over here for the
sake of brevity), by examining approved authors and cases from
experience; on the other hand, let him carefully observe the few more
important points enumerated here.

Especially, he should not believe too readily that a person is
possessed by an evil spirit; but he ought to ascertain the signs by
which a person possessed can be distinguished from one who is suffering
from some illness, especially one of a psychological nature. Signs of
possession may be the following: ability to speak with some facility in
a strange tongue or to understand it when spoken by another. The
faculty of divulging future and hidden events; display of powers which
are beyond the subject's age and natural condition; and various other
indications which, when taken together as a whole, build up the
evidence.

In order to understand these matters better, let him inquire of the
person possessed, following one or the other act of exorcism, what the
latter experienced in his body or soul while the exorcism was being
performed, and to learn also what particular words in the form had a
more intimidating effect upon the devil, so that hereafter these words
may be employed with greater stress and frequency.

He will be on his guard against the arts and subterfuges which the evil
spirits are wont to use in deceiving the exorcists. For often times
they give deceptive answers and make it difficult to understand them,
so that the exorcist might tire and give up, or so it might appear that
the afflicted one is in no wise possessed by the devil.

Once in a while, after they are already recognized, they conceal
themselves and leave the body practically free from every molestation,
so that the victim believes himself completely delivered. Yet the
exorcists may not desist until he sees the signs of deliverance.

At times, moreover, the evil spirits place whatever obstacles they can
in the way, so that the patient may not submit to exorcism or they try
to convince him that his affliction is a natural one. Meanwhile, during
the exorcism they cause him to fall asleep and dangle some illusion
before him, while they seclude themselves, so that the afflicted one
appears to be freed.

Some reveal a crime which has been committed and the perpetrators
thereof, as well as the means of putting an end to it. Yet the
afflicted person must beware of having recourse on this account to
sorcerers or necromancers or to use any parties except the ministers of
the Church, or of making any use of superstitious or forbidden
practice.

Sometimes the devil will leave the possessed person in peace and even
allow him to receive the holy Eucharist, to make it appear that he has
departed. In fact, the arts and frauds of the evil one for deceiving a
man are innumerable. For this reason the exorcist must be on his guard
not to fall into this trap.

Therefore, he will be mindful of the words of our Lord (Matthew 17:20),
to the effect that there is a certain type of evil spirit who cannot be
driven out except by prayer and fasting. Therefore, let him avail
himself of these two means above all for imploring the divine
assistance in expelling demons, after the example of the holy fathers;
and not only himself, but let him induce others, as far as possible, to
do the same.

If it can be done conveniently the possessed person should be led to
church or to some other sacred and worthy place, where the exorcism
will be held, away from the crowd. But if the person is ill, or for any
valid reason, the exorcism may take place in a private home.

The subject, if in good mental and physical health, should be exhorted
to implore God's help, to fast, and to fortify himself by frequent
reception of penance and Holy Communion, at the discretion of the
priest. And in the course of the exorcism he should be fully
recollected, with his intention fixed on God, whom he should entreat
with firm faith and in all humility. And if he is all the more
grievously tormented, he ought to bear this patiently, never doubting
the divine assistance.

He ought to have a crucifix at hand or somewhere in sight. If relics of
the saints are available, they are to be applied in a reverent way to
the breast or the head of the person possessed (the relics must be
properly and securely encased and covered). One will see to it that
these sacred objects are not treated improperly or that no injury is
done them by the evil spirit. However, one should not hold the holy
Eucharist over the head of the person or in any way apply it to his
body, owing to the danger of desecration.

The exorcist must not digress into senseless prattle nor ask
superfluous questions or such as are prompted by curiosity,
particularly if they pertain to future and hidden matters, all of which
have nothing to do with his office. Instead, he will bid the unclean
spirit keep silence and answer only when asked. Neither ought he to
give any credence to the devil if the latter maintains that he is the
spirit of some saint or of a deceased party, or even claims to be a
good angel.

But necessary questions are, for example: the number and name of the
spirits inhabiting the patient, the time when they entered into him,
the cause thereof, and the like. As for all jesting, laughing, and
nonsense on the part of the evil spirit - the exorcist should prevent
it or contemn it, and he will exhort the bystanders (whose number must
be very limited) to pay no attention to such goings on; neither are
they to put any question to the subject. Rather they should intercede
for him to God in all humility and urgency.

Let the priest pronounce the exorcism in a commanding and authoritative
voice, and at the same time with great confidence, humility, and
fervor; and when he sees that the spirit is sorely vexed, then he
possesses and threatens all the more. If he notices that the person
afflicted is experiencing a disturbance in some part of his body or an
acute pain or a swelling appears in some part, he traces the sign of
the cross over that place and sprinkles it with holy water, which he
must have at hand for this purpose.

He will pay attention as to what words in particular cause the evil
spirits to tremble, repeating them the more frequently. And when he
comes to a threatening expression, he recurs to it again and again,
always increasing the punishment. If he perceives that he is making
progress, let him persist for two, three, four hours, and longer if he
can, until victory is attained.

The exorcist should guard against giving or recommending any medicine
to the patient, but should leave this care to physicians.

While performing the exorcism over a woman, he ought always to have
assisting him several women of good repute, who will hold on to the
person when she is harassed by the evil spirit. These assistants ought
if possible to be close relatives of the subject, and for the sake of
decency the exorcist will avoid saying or doing anything which might
prove an occasion of evil thought to himself or to the others.

During the exorcism he shall preferable employ words from Holy Writ,
rather than forms of his own or of someone else. He shall, moreover,
command the devil to tell whether he is detained in that body by
necromancy, by evil signs or amulets; and if the one possessed has
taken the latter by mouth, he should be made to vomit them; if he has
them concealed on his person, he should expose them; and when
discovered they must be burned. Moreover, the person should be exhorted
to reveal all his temptations to the exorcist.

Finally, after the possessed one has been freed, let him be admonished
to guard himself carefully against falling into sin, so as to afford no
opportunity to the evil spirit of returning, lest the last state of
that man become worse than the former.

The Rite of Exorcism

The full ritual for exorcism is some five thousand words in length. It
consists of the recitation of psalms, readings from the Gospels, and
lengthy prayers asking God to deliver a possessed person or place from
infestation by the devil.

Before beginning to exorcise the priest is instructed to go to
confession, offer the sacrifice of the Mass and implore God's help.
He is to be vested in a surplice and stole. He is to bless himself and
the possessed person or persons, using holy water, pray on his knees,
recite the Litany of the Saints, and only then begin the formal
exorcism.

Although a bit lengthy, I think the formal act of exorcism should be
quoted in full. It is both sobering and enlightening, especially in
view of the widespread influence of the evil spirit in our day. The
words are addressed directly to the devil:

I cast you out, unclean spirit, along with every satanic power of the
enemy, every scepter from hell, and all your fallen companions; in the
name of our Lord Jesus + Christ. Begone and stay far from this creature
of God. + For it is He who commands you, He who flung you headlong from
the heights of heaven into the depths of hell. It is He who commands
you, He who once stilled the sea and the wind and the storm. Hearken,
therefore, and tremble in fear, Satan, you enemy of the faith, you foe
of the human race, you begetter of death, you robber of life, you
corrupter of justice, you root of all evil and vice; seducer of men,
betrayer of the nations, instigator of envy, font of avarice, fomenter
of discord, author of pain and sorrow. Why, then, do you stand and
resist, knowing as you must that Christ the Lord brings your plans to
nothing? Fear Him, who in Isaac was offered in sacrifice, in Joseph
sold into bondage, slain as the paschal lamb, crucified as man, yet
triumphed over the powers of hell. (The three signs of the cross which
follow are traced on the brow of the possessed person). Begone, then,
in the name of the Father, + and of the Son, + and of the Holy +
Spirit. Give place to the Holy Spirit by this sign of the holy + cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

When the Savior told us that the devil is the prince of this world, He
meant this literally. Our century has been the most homicidal, the most
crime ridden and, as the Holy Father tells us, the most seduced century
in human history. What we need is a global deliverance by Jesus Christ,
the Divine Exorcist who has overcome the world.



For more information, read:

- Catholic Encyclopedia article on Exorcism

- CDF - On the Current Norms Governing Exorcisms

- Prefect for Divine Worship on the New Rite of Exorcism

- CRNET - Mark 9,38-41, and the Validity of Protestant and other
Unauthorized Exorcisms

- Bishop Angelo Scola - Satanic Rites in the Church's Judgement

- Increase in Cases of Demonic Possession
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- ZENIT - Satan's Strategy of Confusion