ILLUSTRATES: Hafaell
A MUNDO ESTRANHO had already talked about the steps of an exorcism ritual in issue 80. At the request of readers, we return to the topic with a more detailed explanation. Learn about the main stages of an exorcism, redefined by the Church in 1999.
1. First of all… is an exorcism really necessary? Currently, the discourse of the Church is trying to rule out cases of mere mental illness or fraud. Priests should seek help from doctors and psychologists sympathetic to the Catholic faith. In the US, the believer to be exorcised is even asked to sign a consent form.
two. If the problem is really spiritual, the priest must still request another authorization: that of the bishop to which he is subordinate. This is one of the first rules defined in the Rituale Romanum (“Roman Ritual”), a kind of manual that standardizes the sacred rites of the Church. Its section dedicated to the practice of exorcism was revised and rewritten as recently as 1999.
3. The priest must dress appropriately, using the surplice (a white garment worn over the cassock itself) and the purple stole. The color symbolizes penance and conversion – it is only normally used throughout the year during Lent and the four Sundays before Christmas
4. The victim of the demo, if he is violent, can be tied up, with due care not to hurt him. The exorcist begins the ritual by blessing her, first with the sign of the cross and then with holy water. He also bestows these blessings on himself and everyone else present (family members and close associates may or may not follow the process)
5. The first phase of the ceremony is dedicated to invoking the powers of “Good” given to the Church by God, Jesus Christ and the saints. For this, the so-called Litany of All Saints (in which the main saints receive the request “intercede for us”) and Psalm 53, which asks God to save the faithful from evil enemies, are prayed.
6. Then, yes, the catch to capar begins: the priest orders the demo to declare his name and leave the person’s body. “I command you, unclean spirit, whoever you are, you and all your servants, who attack this servant of God . . . tell me by some sign your name, and the day and hour of your departure.”
7. Not always, of course, the animal leaves without resistance. According to experienced exorcists, each case is different. There are demons that let out frightening screams, mock the exorcist, try to attack the priest and others around or even pretend to have left, leaving until their victim receives communion.
SCHOOL OF EXORCISTS
How Catholic Priests Qualify to Practice
Introduction – There are few specific courses for this area in the Catholic Church. Seminarians do not learn exorcism techniques in their normal curriculum, although they are familiar with the Church’s theological doctrine on the existence and workings of Satan and his minions.
Preparation – Not every priest is qualified to go around fighting the devil. He must obtain “distinction in godliness, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life.” Lay Catholics should not risk
Graduation – In 2005, the International Association of Exorcists, created by Italian priests, organized the first university-level course in the area, in Rome. In the curriculum, classes in theology focused on demons, medicine, psychology and sociology of satanic cults
Job market – As you would imagine, there is a relative lack of exorcists. To remedy the problem, in 2004 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the Church’s organs, ordered each diocese to designate its «official» exorcist.