INTRODUCTION
That there is a world of demons is a teaching of revealed religion which is
perfectly clear to all who know Sacred Scripture and respect and accept its word
as inspired of God. It
is part of the whole Christian-Judaeo heritage. There are some
who hold that even if revelation were not so absolute, an
inference of the existence of evil spirits can be drawn from the
magnitude of evil in the world. They say that human malice and
depravity even at its worst is not sufficient to account for it,
and it must be concluded that the devil is a real person and that
his sway is tremendous. As Francois Mauriac writes in his life of
St. Margaret of Cortona: "Evil is Someone, Someone who is
multiple and whose name is legion.... It is one thing to be in
the realm of the demons, as we all are when we have lost the
state of grace, and quite another to be held and surrounded,
literally possessed by him."
One gets the impression that the teaching about the devil's
existence is not a particularly popular one in our time. C. S.
Lewis in his "Screwtape Letters" says something to the effect
that if the little inexperienced novice devils, about to start
out on their work of seducing men, can convince men that the
devil does not exist, then half the battle is already won.
The first book of the Holy Bible recounts the seduction of Adam
and Eve by the Prince of Darkness; but it is to the last book
that we must go for his origin. "Then war broke out in heaven.
Michael and his angels had to fight the dragon; the dragon
fought, and so did his angels. But they were defeated, and a
place was no longer found for them in heaven. That huge dragon,
the ancient serpent, was hurled down, he who is called the devil
and Satan, he who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled
down to death, and his angels were hurled down with him."[1]
Christ our Lord overcame Satan on the cross, and ever since the
latter's empire is shaken. Man is delivered from the power of
darkness and transferred to the kingdom of the Son. Yet the devil
is not completely vanquished or trodden underfoot once for all,
and the warfare against him is carried out by Christ and His
Church until the end of time. Therefore, St. Paul is prompted to
admonish us: "Put on all the armor that God has forged, that you
may be able to make a stand against the devil's cunning tricks.
Our wrestling is not against weak human nature, but against the
Principalities and the Powers, against those that rule the world
of darkness, the wicked spirits that belong to an order higher
than ours.... With all this take up the shield of faith, with
which you will be enabled to put out all the flaming arrows of
the wicked enemy."[2]
Against these unclean spirits the Church uses as her weapons
prayers, blessings, holy water, and other sacramentals to combat
the ordinary power that the former wield over men. But apart from
this ordinary and general power that Providence allows Satan
there is also a special and terrible satanic influence called
possession--the domination by the demon over man's bodily organs
and his lower spiritual faculties. In later Christian times the
term obsession is used instead of possession, the former
connoting a lesser kind of demonic disturbance. That Christ
reckoned with this satanic power in the same way that the Church
has throughout her centuries is evident from the New Testament;
see for example Mt 9.32-34, Lk 8.2, Mk 9.13 ff.
To be possessed can mean that Satan has gained mastery over the
will so devastatingly that sinfulness passes beyond ordinary
depravity in the world, and its cause must be sought in a power
above the order of nature. To be possessed can mean that Satan
has beclouded the intellect, so that the light of faith cannot
illuminate it. To be possessed can mean that Satan has befuddled
a person's reason; in fact, simple and superstitious folk have
wrongly made lunacy synonymous with diabolical infestation. In
some instances of possession recounted in the New Testament,
molestation by the devil is manifested in various disturbances of
the human body itself, where he has gained control over a man's
sight, hearing, speech, or the physical organism in general.[3]
Christ handed down to the Church the power He once exercised over
demons. The early Christians were deeply influenced by what they
had learned of their Master's dealing with evil spirits, and
there was on their part frequent use of the charismatic gifts of
healing the sick and driving out devils. But the prayers and
forms used for exorcism in the first centuries have not come down
to us, outside the ones used in baptism. Exorcism became part of
the baptismal rite somewhere around 200 A.D. Thus the ancient
liturgical records which date from the third century those
dealing with baptism, give us the early Christians' belief about
Satan and his intervention in the affairs of man. In the devil's
hatred for God he turned on man, who is made in God's image. In
consequence of original sin men are no longer temples of the Holy
Spirit but rather the habitations of the demon. Not too much
distinction is made between the possessed and the unbaptized.
Isidore of Seville puts both on the same level, and says that
exorcism is the ceremony of banishing the most wicked influence
of the devil from catechumens and possessed alike.[4]
It is difficult to fix precisely the time of origin of a special
rite for exorcism. The evidence would indicate that in the early
Church acts of exorcism consisted mainly in the sign of the
cross, invoking the name of Jesus, and renunciations of Satan and
adjurations and threats uttered against him. But later on,
especially in the Latin Church, the rites of exorcism become more
and more numerous, until in the highly imaginative Middle Ages
there is actually a profusion of them. To this period we must
attribute beliefs and practices which are superstitious to an
extreme. Devils are believed to exist in the guise of certain
material bodies. Demonic possession is confounded with epilepsy
and other mental or psychic disorders. Rituals of this time
prescribe that the subject remain in the presence of the exorcist
throughout the period of exorcism, that he observe a strict fast
and limit his diet to blessed water, salt, and vegetables, that
he wear new clothes, that he abstain from the marital act. No
less complicated are the injunctions for the exorcist. And by the
time we come to the fourteenth century magical practices have
been introduced into the ceremonies.
No doubt the present rite for exorcism will undergo improvement
and revision along with the general revision of the liturgical
books recommended by Vatican Council II. But compared to former
times the rite as given in the Roman Ritual today is
characterized by great sobriety. Some minds might still discern
traces of a certain naivete, yet at any rate it has been purged
of the unfortunate accretions of a period ruled much more by
human credulity than by the unadulterated doctrine of the Church.
No longer, for example, does the official text afford any grounds
for the erroneous notion that diabolical possession is
necessarily a divine retribution visited upon a grievous sinner.
God allows this terrible evil in His wisdom without the afflicted
person being necessarily at fault. It is one thing to have fallen
into the slavery of sin or to be afflicted with a bodily or
mental infirmity, and quite another to have the devil enter into
a man and take possession of him.
The general rules for exorcism that follow are a clear indication
that we have come a long way from the superstitious notions that
prevailed in the era of the Middle Ages. Noteworthy among these
rules are the ones that direct that the parties concerned should
have recourse to the holy sacraments, and that the sacred words
of Holy Writ should be employed rather than any forms devised by
the exorcist or someone else. The instructions given below
indicate that the Church has carefully guarded the extraordinary
power over Satan committed to her by Christ, and that Catholic
exorcism is poles removed from any form of dabbling in the spirit
world which springs from human chicanery or malice.
--Translator
ENDNOTES
1. Apoc 12.7-9.
2. Eph 6.12-16.
3. Mk 5:1 ff.
4. "Dictionnaire D'Archeologie Chretienne et de Liturgie," V, Pt.
1, 963 ff.
PART XIII. EXORCISM
CHAPTER I: GENERAL RULES CONCERNING EXORCISM
1. A priest--one who is expressly 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 aggrandizement, 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.[1] 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.
4. 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.
5. He will be on his guard against the arts and subterfuges
which the evil spirits are wont to use in deceiving the
exorcist. For oft 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.
6. 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 exorcist may not desist until he
sees the signs of deliverance.
7. 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.
8. 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 any parties
except the ministers of the Church, or of making use of any
superstitious or forbidden practice.
9. 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.
10. Therefore, he will be mindful of the words of our Lord (Mt
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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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 oppresses 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.
17. 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.
18. The exorcist should guard against giving or recommending any
medicine to the patient, but should leave this care to
physicians.
19. 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 thoughts to
himself or to the others.
20. During the exorcism he shall preferably 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.
21. 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.
ENDNOTES
1. From the emended text of the 1952 edition.
CHAPTER II: RITE FOR EXORCISM
1. The priest delegated by the Ordinary to perform this office
should first go to confession or at least elicit an act of
contrition, and, if convenient, offer the holy Sacrifice of the
Mass, and implore God's help in other fervent prayers. He vests
in surplice and purple stole. Having before him the person
possessed (who should be bound if there is any danger), he traces
the sign of the cross over him, over himself, and the bystanders,
and then sprinkles all of them with holy water. After this he
kneels and says the Litany of the Saints, exclusive of the
prayers which follow it. All present are to make the responses.
At the end of the litany he adds the following:
Antiphon: Do not keep in mind, O Lord, our offenses or those of
our parents, nor take vengeance on our sins. Our Father (the rest
inaudibly until:)
P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
Psalm 53
After the psalm the priest continues:
P: Save your servant.
All: Who trusts in you, my God.
P: Let him (her) find in you, Lord, a fortified tower.
All: In the face of the enemy.
P: Let the enemy have no power over him (her).
All: And the son of iniquity be powerless to harm him (her).
Lord, send him (her) aid from your holy place.
All: And watch over him (her) from Sion.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
God, whose nature is ever merciful and forgiving, accept our
prayer that this servant of yours, bound by the fetters of sin,
may be pardoned by your loving kindness.
Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who once and for all consigned that fallen and
apostate tyrant to the flames of hell, who sent your only-begotten Son into the world to crush that roaring lion; hasten to
our call for help and snatch from ruination and from the clutches
of the noonday devil this human being made in your image and
likeness. Strike terror, Lord, into the beast now laying waste
your vineyard. Fill your servants with courage to fight manfully
against that reprobate dragon, lest he despise those who put
their trust in you, and say with Pharaoh of old: "I know not God,
nor will I set Israel free." Let your mighty hand cast him out of
your servant, N., + so he may no longer hold captive this person
whom it pleased you to make in your image, and to redeem through
your Son; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.
2. Then he commands the demon as follows:
I command you, unclean spirit, whoever you are, along with all
your minions now attacking this servant of God, by the mysteries
of the incarnation, passion, resurrection, and ascension of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by the descent of the Holy Spirit, by the
coming of our Lord for judgment, that you tell me by some sign
your name, and the day and hour of your departure. I command you,
moveover, to obey me to the letter, I who am a minister of God
despite my unworthiness; nor shall you be emboldened to harm in
any way this creature of God, or the bystanders, or any of their
possessions.
3. Next he reads over the possessed person these selections from
the Gospel, or at least one of them.
A Lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. John
John 1.1-14
As he says these opening words he signs himself and the possessed
on the brow, lips, and breast.
A Lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mark 16.15-18
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: "Go into the whole
world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He that believes and
is baptized will be saved; he that does not believe will be
condemned. And in the way of proofs of their claims, the
following will accompany those who believe: in my name they will
drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take
up serpents in their hands, and if they drink something deadly,
it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and
these will recover."
A Lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Luke 10.17-20
At that time the seventy-two returned in high spirits. "Master,"
they said, "even the demons are subject to us because we use your
name!" "Yes," He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall like
lightning that flashes from heaven. But mind: it is I that have
given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and
break the dominion of the enemy everywhere; nothing at all can
injure you. Just the same, do not rejoice in the fact that the
spirits are subject to you, but rejoice in the fact that your
names are engraved in heaven."
A Lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Luke 11.14-22
At that time Jesus was driving out a demon, and this particular
demon was dumb. The demon was driven out, the dumb man spoke, and
the crowds were enraptured. But some among the people remarked:
"He is a tool of Beelzebul, and that is how he drives out
demons!" Another group, intending to test Him, demanded of Him a
proof of His claims, to be shown in the sky. He knew their inmost
thoughts. "Any kingdom torn by civil strife," He said to them,
"is laid in ruins; and house tumbles upon house. So, too, if
Satan is in revolt against himself, how can his kingdom last,
since you say that I drive out demons as a tool of Beelzebul. And
furthermore: if I drive out demons as a tool of Beelzebul, whose
tools are your pupils when they do the driving out? Therefore,
judged by them, you must stand condemned. But, if, on the
contrary, I drive out demons by the finger of God, then,
evidently the kingdom of God has by this time made its way to
you. As long as a mighty lord in full armor guards his premises,
he is in peaceful possession of his property; but should one
mightier than he attack and overcome him, he will strip him of
his armor, on which he had relied, and distribute the spoils
taken from him."
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty Lord, Word of God the Father, Jesus Christ, God and Lord
of all creation; who gave to your holy apostles the power to
tramp underfoot serpents and scorpions; who along with the other
mandates to work miracles was pleased to grant them the authority
to say: "Depart, you devils!" and by whose might Satan was made
to fall from heaven like lightning; I humbly call on your holy
name in fear and trembling, asking that you grant me, your
unworthy servant, pardon for all my sins, steadfast faith, and
the power--supported by your mighty arm--to confront with
confidence and resolution this cruel demon. I ask this through
you, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, who are coming to judge both
the living and the dead and the world by fire.
All: Amen.
4. Next he makes the sign of the cross over himself and the one
possessed, places the end of the stole on the latter's neck, and,
putting his right hand on the latter's head, he says the
following in accents filled with confidence and faith:
P: See the cross of the Lord; begone, you hostile powers!
All: The stem of David, the lion of Juda's tribe has conquered.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I appeal to your holy
name, humbly begging your kindness, that you graciously grant me
help against this and every unclean spirit now tormenting this
creature of yours; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Exorcism
I cast you out, unclean spirit, along with every satanic power of
the enemy, every spectre from hell, and all your fell 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, fomentor 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.
All: Amen.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
God, Creator and defender of the human race, who made man in your
own image, look down in pity on this your servant, N., now in the
toils of the unclean spirit, now caught up in the fearsome
threats of man's ancient enemy, sworn foe of our race, who
befuddles and stupefies the human mind, throws it into terror,
overwhelms it with fear and panic. Repel, O Lord, the devil's
power, break asunder his snares and traps, put the unholy tempter
to flight. By the sign + (on the brow) of your name, let your
servant be protected in mind and body. (The three crosses which
follow are traced on the breast of the possessed person). Keep
watch over the inmost recesses of his (her) + heart; rule over
his (her) + emotions; strengthen his (her) + will. Let vanish
from his (her) soul the temptings of the mighty adversary.
Graciously grant, O Lord, as we call on your holy name, that the
evil spirit, who hitherto terrorized over us, may himself retreat
in terror and defeat, so that this servant of yours may sincerely
and steadfastly render you the service which is your due; through
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Exorcism
I adjure you, ancient serpent, by the judge of the living and the
dead, by your Creator, by the Creator of the whole universe, by
Him who has the power to consign you to hell, to depart forthwith
in fear, along with your savage minions, from this servant of
God, N., who seeks refuge in the fold of the Church. I adjure you
again, + (on the brow) not by my weakness but by the might of the
Holy Spirit, to depart from this servant of God, N., whom
almighty God has made in His image. Yield, therefore,
yield not to my own person but to the minister of Christ. For it
is the power of Christ that compels you, who brought you low by
His cross. Tremble before that mighty arm that broke asunder the
dark prison walls and led souls forth to light. May the trembling
that afflicts this human frame, + (on the breast) the fear that
afflicts this image (on the brow) of God, descend on you. Make no
resistance nor delay in departing from this man, for it has
pleased Christ to dwell in man. Do not think of despising my
command because you know me to be a great sinner. It is God +
Himself who commands you; the majestic Christ + who commands you.
God the Father + commands you; God the Son + commands you; God
the Holy + Spirit commands you. The mystery of the cross commands
+ you. The faith of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and of all
the saints commands + you. The blood of the martyrs commands +
you. The continence of the confessors commands + you. The devout
prayers of all holy men and women command + you. The saving
mysteries of our Christian faith command + you.
Depart, then, transgressor. Depart, seducer, full of lies and
cunning, foe of virtue, persecutor of the innocent. Give place,
abominable creature, give way, you monster, give way to Christ,
in whom you found none of your works. For He has already stripped
you of your powers and laid waste your kingdom, bound you
prisoner and plundered your weapons. He has cast you forth into
the outer darkness, where everlasting ruin awaits you and your
abettors. To what purpose do you insolently resist? To what
purpose do you brazenly refuse? For you are guilty before
almighty God, whose laws you have transgressed. You are guilty
before His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you presumed to
tempt, whom you dared to nail to the cross. You are guilty before
the who]e human race, to whom you proferred by your enticements
the poisoned cup of death.
Therefore, I adjure you, profligate dragon, in the name of the
spotless + Lamb, who has trodden down the asp and the basilisk,
and overcome the lion and the dragon, to depart from this man
(woman) + (on the brow), to depart from the Church of God +
(signing the bystanders). Tremble and flee, as we call on the
name of the Lord, before whom the denizens of hell cower, to whom
the heavenly Virtues and Powers and Dominations are subject, whom
the Cherubim and Seraphim praise with unending cries as they
sing: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. The Word made flesh
+ commands you; the Virgin's Son + commands you; Jesus + of
Nazareth commands you, who once, when you despised His disciples,
forced you to flee in shameful defeat from a man; and when He had
cast you out you did not even dare, except by His leave, to enter
into a herd of swine. And now as I adjure you in His + name,
begone from this man (woman) who is His creature. It is futile to
resist His + will. It is hard for you to kick against the + goad.
The longer you delay, the heavier your punishment shall be; for
it is not men you are contemning, but rather Him who rules the
living and the dead, who is coming to judge both the living and
the dead and the world by fire.
All: Amen.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
God of heaven and earth, God of the angels and archangels, God of
the prophets and apostles, God of the martyrs and virgins, God
who have power to bestow life after death and rest after toil;
for there is no other God than you, nor can there be another true
God beside you, the Creator of heaven and earth, who are truly a
King, whose kingdom is without end; I humbly entreat your
glorious majesty to deliver this servant of yours from the
unclean spirits; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Exorcism
Therefore, I adjure you every unclean spirit, every spectre from
hell, every satanic power, in the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, who was led into the desert after His baptism by John
to vanquish you in your citadel, to cease your assaults against
the creature whom He has formed from the slime of the earth for
His own honor and glory; to quail before wretched man, seeing in
him the image of almighty God, rather than his state of human
frailty. Yield then to God, + who by His servant, Moses, cast you
and your malice, in the person of Pharaoh and his army, into the
depths of the sea. Yield to God, + who, by the singing of holy
canticles on the part of David, His faithful servant, banished
you from the heart of King Saul. Yield to God, + who condemned
you in the person of Judas Iscariot, the traitor. For He now
flails you with His divine scourges, + He in whose sight you and
your legions once cried out: "What have we to do with you, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God? Have you come to torture us before the
time?" Now He is driving you back into the everlasting fire, He
who at the end of time will say to the wicked: "Depart from me,
you accursed, into the everlasting fire which has been prepared
for the devil and his angels." For you, O evil one, and for your
followers there will be worms that never die. An unquenchable
fire stands ready for you and for your minions, you prince of
accursed murderers, father of lechery, instigator of sacrileges,
model of vileness, promoter of heresies, inventor of every
obscenity.
Depart, then, + impious one, depart, + accursed one, depart with
all your deceits, for God has willed that man should be His
temple. Why do you still linger here? Give honor to God the
Father + almighty, before whom every knee must bow. Give place to
the Lord Jesus + Christ, who shed His most precious blood for
man. Give place to the Holy + Spirit, who by His blessed apostle
Peter openly struck you down in the person of Simon Magus; who
cursed your lies in Annas and Saphira; who smote you in King
Herod because he had not given honor to God; who by His apostle
Paul afflicted you with the night of blindness in the magician
Elyma, and by the mouth of the same apostle bade you to go out of
Pythonissa, the soothsayer. Begone, + now! Begone, + seducer!
Your place is in solitude; your abode is in the nest of serpents;
get down and crawl with them. This matter brooks no delay; for
see, the Lord, the ruler comes quickly, kindling fire before Him,
and it will run on ahead of Him and encompass His enemies in
flames. You might delude man, but God you cannot mock. It is He
who casts you out, from whose sight nothing is hidden. It is He
who repels you, to whose might all things are subject. It is He
who expels you, He who has prepared everlasting hellfire for you
and your angels, from whose mouth shall come a sharp sword, who
is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by
fire.
All: Amen.
5. All the above may be repeated as long as necessary, until the
one possessed has been fully freed.
6. It will also help to say devoutly and often over the afflicted
person the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Creed, as well as any
of the prayers given below.
7. The Canticle of our Lady, with the doxology; the Canticle of
Zachary, with the doxology.
Athanasian Creed
P: Whoever wills to be saved * must before all else hold fast to
the Catholic faith.
All: Unless one keeps this faith whole and untarnished, * without
doubt he will perish forever.
P: Now this is the Catholic faith: * that we worship one God in
Trinity, and Trinity in unity;
All: Neither confusing the Persons one with the other, * nor
making a distinction in their nature.
P: For the Father is a distinct Person; and so is the Son, * and
so is the Holy Spirit.
All: Yet the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit possess one Godhead, *
co-equal glory, co-eternal majesty.
P: As the Father is, so is the Son, * so also is the Holy Spirit.
All: The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, * the Holy
Spirit is uncreated.
P: The Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, * the Holy Spirit
is infinite.
All: The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, * the Holy Spirit
is eternal.
P: Yet they are not three eternals, * but one eternal God.
All: Even as they are not three uncreated, or three infinites, *
but one uncreated and one infinite God.
P: So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, * the
Holy Spirit is almighty.
All: Yet they are not three almighties, * but they are the one
Almighty.
P: Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, * the Holy Spirit is
God.
All: Yet they are not three gods, * but one God.
P: Thus the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, * the Holy Spirit is
Lord.
All: Yet there are not three lords, * but one Lord.
P: For just as Christian truth compels us to profess that each
Person is individually God and Lord, * so does the Catholic
religion forbid us to hold that there are three gods or lords.
All: The Father was not made by any power; * He was neither
created nor begotten.
P: The Son is from the Father alone, * neither created nor made,
but begotten.
All: The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son, * neither
made nor created nor begotten, but He proceeds.
P: So there is one Father, not three; one Son, not three; * one
Holy Spirit, not three.
All: And in this Trinity one Person is not earlier or later, nor
is one greater or less; * but all three Persons are co-eternal
and co-equal.
P: In every way, then, as already affirmed, * unity in Trinity
and Trinity in unity is to be worshipped.
All: Whoever, then, wills to be saved * must assent to this
doctrine of the Blessed Trinity.
P: But it is necessary for everlasting salvation * that one also
firmly believe in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: True faith, then, requires us to believe and profess * that
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man.
P: He is God, begotten of the substance of the Father from
eternity; * He is man, born in time of the substance of His
Mother.
All: He is perfect God, and perfect man * subsisting in a
rational soul and a human body.
P: He is equal to the Father in His divine nature, * but less
than the Father in His human nature as such.
All: And though He is God and man, * yet He is the one Christ,
not two;
P: One, however, not by any change of divinity into flesh, * but
by the act of God assuming a human nature. All: He is one only,
not by a mixture of substance, * but by the oneness of His
Person.
P: For, somewhat as the rational soul and the body compose one
man, * so Christ is one Person who is both God and man;
All: Who suffered for our salvation, who descended into hell, *
who rose again the third day from the dead;
P: Who ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God
the Father almighty, * from there He shall come to judge both the
living and the dead.
All: At His coming all men shall rise again in their bodies, *
and shall give an account of their works.
P: And those who have done good shall enter into everlasting
life, * but those who have done evil into ever lasting fire.
All: All this is Catholic faith, * and unless one believes it
truly and firmly one cannot be saved.
P: Glory be to the Father
All: As it was in the beginning.
{Here follow a large number of psalms which may be used at the
exorcist's discretion but are not a necessary part of the rite.
Some of them occur in other parts of the Ritual and are so
indicated; the others may be taken from the Psalter. Psalm 90;
psalm 67; psalm 69; psalm 53; psalm 117; psalm 34; psalm 30;
psalm 21, psalm 3; psalm 10; psalm 12.
Prayer Following Deliverance
Almighty God, we beg you to keep the evil spirit from further
molesting this servant of yours, and to keep him far away, never
to return. At your command, O Lord, may the goodness and peace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, take possession of this man
(woman). May we no longer fear any evil since the Lord is with
us; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.
CHAPTER III: EXORCISM OF SATAN AND THE FALLEN ANGELS
{Whereas the preceding rite of exorcism is designated for a
particular person, the present one is for general use--to combat
the power of the evil spirits over a community or locality.}
The following exorcism can be used by bishops, as well as by
priests who have this authorization from their Ordinary.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, illustrious leader of the heavenly
army, defend us in the battle against principalities and powers,
against the rulers of the world of darkness and the spirit of
wickedness in high places. Come to the rescue of mankind, whom
God has made in His own image and likeness, and purchased from
Satan's tyranny at so great a price. Holy Church venerates you as
her patron and guardian. The Lord has entrusted to you the task
of leading the souls of the redeemed to heavenly blessedness.
Entreat the Lord of peace to cast Satan down under our feet, so
as to keep him from further holding man captive and doing harm to
the Church. Carry our prayers up to God's throne, that the mercy
of the Lord may quickly come and lay hold of the beast, the
serpent of old, Satan and his demons, casting him in chains into
the abyss, so that he can no longer seduce the nations.
Exorcism
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, by the
intercession of Mary, spotless Virgin and Mother of God, of St.
Michael the Archangel, of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul,
and of all the saints, and by the authority residing in our holy
ministry, we steadfastly proceed to combat the onslaught of the
wily enemy.
Psalm 67
P: God arises; His enemies are scattered, * and those who hate
Him flee before Him.
All: As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; * as wax melts
before the fire, so the wicked perish before God.
P: See the cross of the Lord; begone, you hostile powers!
All: The stem of David, the lion of Juda's tribe has conquered.
P: May your mercy, Lord, remain with us always.
All: For we put our whole trust in you.
We cast you out, every unclean spirit, every satanic power, every
onslaught of the infernal adversary, every legion, every
diabolical group and sect, in the name and by the power of our
Lord Jesus + Christ. We command you, begone and fly far from the
Church of God, from the souls made by God in His image and
redeemed by the precious blood of the divine Lamb. + No longer
dare, cunning serpent, to deceive the human race, to persecute
God's Church, to strike God's elect and to sift them as wheat. +
For the Most High God commands you, + He to whom you once proudly
presumed yourself equal; He who wills all men to be saved and
come to the knowledge of truth. God the Father + commands you.
God the Son + commands you. God the Holy + Spirit commands you.
Christ, the eternal Word of God made flesh, commands you, who
humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, to save our
race from the perdition wrought by your envy; who founded His
Church upon a firm rock, declaring that the gates of hell should
never prevail against her, and that He would remain with her all
days, even to the end of the world. The sacred mystery of the
cross + commands you, along with the power of all mysteries of
Christian faith. + The exalted Virgin Mary, Mother of God, +
commands you, who in her lowliness crushed your proud head from
the first moment of her Immaculate Conception. The faith of the
holy apostles Peter and Paul and the other apostles + commands
you. The blood of martyrs and the devout prayers of all holy men
and women command + you.
Therefore, accursed dragon and every diabolical legion, we adjure
you by the living + God, by the true + God, by the holy + God, by
God, who so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have
everlasting life; to cease deluding human creatures and filling
them with the poison of everlasting damnation; to desist from
harming the Church and hampering her freedom. Begone, Satan,
father and master of lies, enemy of man's welfare. Give place to
Christ, in whom you found none of your works. Give way to the
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, which Christ Himself
purchased with His blood. Bow down before God's mighty hand,
tremble and flee as we call on the holy and awesome name of
Jesus, before whom the denizens of hell cower, to whom the
heavenly Virtues and Powers and Dominations are subject, whom the
Cherubim and Seraphim praise with unending cries as they sing:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
God of heaven and earth, God of the angels and archangels, God of
the patriarchs and prophets, God of the apostles and martyrs, God
of the confessors and virgin God who have power to bestow life
after death and rest after toil; for there is no other God than
you, nor can there be another true God beside you, the Creator of
all things visible and invisible, whose kingdom is without end;
we humbly entreat your glorious majesty to deliver us by your
might from every influence of the accursed spirits, from their
every evil snare and deception, and to keep us from all harm;
through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
P: From the snares of the devil.
All: Lord, deliver us.
P: That you help your Church to serve you in security and
freedom.
All: We beg you to hear us.
P: That you humble the enemies of holy Church.
All: We beg you to hear us.
The surroundings are sprinkled with holy water.
THE ROMAN RITUAL
Translated by PHILIP T. WELLER, S.T.D.
Copyright 1964 Philip T. Weller