Not many people, even Christians, would have
noticed the death of
Rev Fr
Gabriele Amorth, a great man of God.
Fr Amorth, renowned chief exorcist of Rome, had
left an indelible mark in the Catholic Church with his many experiences as an
exorcist waging a sustained battle with Satan. Fr Amorth, 91, passed away on September 17, 2016, after
suffering from a pulmonary illness.
No doubt, it was a life well served, battling
the enemy of makind -- Satan.
In his powerful book ‘An exorcist tell his
story’, Fr Amorth had narrated his many experiences as an
exorcist engaged in a sustained battle with Satan to relieve people from the great sufferings brought about by the evil forces. He was trained by another great exorcist Fr Candido
Amantini and granted the faculty of exorcist by Cardinal Ugo Poletti, the
Pope’s vicar of the Diocese of Rome.
He had said Harry Potter’s books encourage
children to believe in black magic and denounced ‘yoga’ as evil. He also said
in a Facebook post in 2015 that ISIS is Satan.
Fr Amorth wrote about what an exorcist sees
and does, and his personal confrontation with devil on hundreds of occasions. Many
from the laity still doubt whether exorcism was given its due importance in the
Catholic church. However, that’s not the case in many denominations. “In some
denominations of the Protestant church, exorcisms are still practiced
frequently and fruitfully,” Fr Amorth wrote. “Bishops must realize that this
ministry is entirely entrusted to their care; it’s only they who can practice
or delegate and exorcism. Sadly since most bishops have never performed an
exorcism, they are seldom aware of the extent of the need.”
The book says the demons remain bound to the
same strict hierarchy that was given them when they were angels:
principalities, thrones, dominions, and so on (Col 1:16). While the angels,
whose chief is Michael, are bound by a hierarchy of love, the demons live under
a rule of slavery, Fr Amorth said.
During a May 24, 1987 visit to the sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel, John Paul II said, ” the battle against the devil which is the principal task of Michael the archangel, is still being fought today, because the devil is still alive and active in the world. The evil that surrounds us today, the disorders that plague our society, man’s inconsistency and brokenness are not only the results of original sin but also the result of Satan’s pervasive and dark action.”
During a May 24, 1987 visit to the sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel, John Paul II said, ” the battle against the devil which is the principal task of Michael the archangel, is still being fought today, because the devil is still alive and active in the world. The evil that surrounds us today, the disorders that plague our society, man’s inconsistency and brokenness are not only the results of original sin but also the result of Satan’s pervasive and dark action.”
What harm can the devil cause to the
loving? “He talks of the ordinary and extraordinary activities. There are six
different forms for the second category: External physical pain caused by Satan,
demonic possession, diabolical oppression, diabolic obsession, diabolic
infestation and diabolical subjugation or dependence,” Fr Amorth wrote in the
book.
According to the Catechism of Catholic Church, there are two types of exorcism: the sacrament of baptism, which is the only form of simple exorcism, and the sacramental reserved to exorcists, which is called solemn exorcism. (CCC 1673). How long does it take to free somebody from demons? It can range from minutes to several years, Fr Amorth’s book says, narrating several incidents of exorcisms.
According to the Catechism of Catholic Church, there are two types of exorcism: the sacrament of baptism, which is the only form of simple exorcism, and the sacramental reserved to exorcists, which is called solemn exorcism. (CCC 1673). How long does it take to free somebody from demons? It can range from minutes to several years, Fr Amorth’s book says, narrating several incidents of exorcisms.
“We can see the proliferation,
especially among the young, of spiritism, witchcraft and the occult. We can add
to this the pursuit of yoga, zen, transcendental meditation; these are all
practices based on reincarnation, on dissolving the human person into divinity,
or in any case, on other doctrines that are unacceptable to Christians. I must
point out that too many churchmen are totally disinterested in these problems
(created by satan), and so they leave the faithful defenseless,” Fr Amorth wrote.
The
book says it is difficult to distinguish between somebody who is possessed and
someone with psychological problems. However, an expert exorcist will be able
to detect the difference more easily than a psychiatrist who does not believe
in demonic possession... and does not even consider it in his diagnostic
process,” Fr Amorth said.
The ritual for exorcism starts by
listing 21 norms that must be followed by the exorcist. The two areas most commonly
affected by evil influence are the head and the stomach, Fr Amorth says in the
book. The demons react in various manners to prayers and injunctions. Many
times he tries to appear indifferent; in reality he suffers and continues to
suffer increasingly until liberation is achieved.
Fr Amorth’s book says there can be many or few, but there’s always a chief, and he is always the first to be named. Generally, the evil one does not and cannot say holy names; he substitutes expressions such as “he” (referring to God or Jesus) or “she” (referring to our Lady). On other occasions, demons say “your Boss” or “your Lady” to indicate Jesus and Mary. If the possession is very strong and the demon is high ranking, then it is possible for them to say the name of God and Mary always followed by horrible blasphemies, the book says.
Fr Amorth’s book says there can be many or few, but there’s always a chief, and he is always the first to be named. Generally, the evil one does not and cannot say holy names; he substitutes expressions such as “he” (referring to God or Jesus) or “she” (referring to our Lady). On other occasions, demons say “your Boss” or “your Lady” to indicate Jesus and Mary. If the possession is very strong and the demon is high ranking, then it is possible for them to say the name of God and Mary always followed by horrible blasphemies, the book says.
“The
demon always tries his best to hide his presence. Demons are reluctant to
speak, and when they talk, they say silly things to distract the exorcist and
escape his questions. For a demon, to leave a body and go back to hell –
where he is always condemned – means to die forever and to lose any ability to
molest people actively,” the book says.
According to the book, children are very vulnerable, not because of personal fault, but because of their weaknesses. Many times when we exorcise an adult we discover that the demonic presence can be traced to early childhood, or even worse, to the moment of birth or even to their gestation.
Fr Amorth also spoke about different types of curses: black magic, curses, evil and eye and spells. “Curses invoke evil, and the origin of all evil is demonic. When curses are spoken with true perfidy, especially if there is a blood relationship between the one casts them and the accused, the outcome can be terrible,” the book says.
That said, the scarcity of exorcists clearly denotes a lack of interest on the part of episcopate in general. The first step, and the fundamental one, is to reawaken the awareness of bishops and priests, according to sound doctrine the Scripture, tradition, and the Magesterium have always transmitted.
According to the book, children are very vulnerable, not because of personal fault, but because of their weaknesses. Many times when we exorcise an adult we discover that the demonic presence can be traced to early childhood, or even worse, to the moment of birth or even to their gestation.
Fr Amorth also spoke about different types of curses: black magic, curses, evil and eye and spells. “Curses invoke evil, and the origin of all evil is demonic. When curses are spoken with true perfidy, especially if there is a blood relationship between the one casts them and the accused, the outcome can be terrible,” the book says.
That said, the scarcity of exorcists clearly denotes a lack of interest on the part of episcopate in general. The first step, and the fundamental one, is to reawaken the awareness of bishops and priests, according to sound doctrine the Scripture, tradition, and the Magesterium have always transmitted.
