Every diocese should have an exorcist. One I know seems to be a charismatic who sees the devil at every turn and will Exorcise anyone at the drop of a hat, another simply says the whole thing is nonsense, and although he is deeply holy, at least in my opinion, he has never actually performed an Exorcism in the 20 years he has had the title. He would tend to describe people as "obsessed" by the the devil or evil rather than "possessed", which in most cases I am sure is true. In most cases, but not all.Share
The Rituale Romanum has a Rite of Exorcism, a major one, which is reserved to a Bishop, who may delegate its use to a particular priest, the diocesan Exorcist. Its very presence is an indication that if a diocese is thinking with the Church and believes in the principle of lex credendi lex orandi, Exorcism and the office of Exorcist should be taken seriously.
Perhaps their absence in so many dioceses is an indication of the lack of formation in classical spirituality and mystical theology today. Perhaps too their absence indicates a certain theological and liturgical rupture with the past, a deep tradition going back to the Lord. (Read entire post.)
The Last Judgment
5 days ago
2 comments:
Well, I am a diocesan exorcist and have been for nearly 13 years (13? Oh no!). Seriously, I am , and Fr, Ray Blake's piece is very good - very balanced - as far as it goes. Since beginning this ministry I have come across things I would never have expected, things I cannot really put in this comment. The problems are actually bigger than Fr. Blake thinks and, although I too am against seeing spirits everywhere - and warn people about this - I have recently become aware that there are more of them around than I first thought, and in some unexpected places and people. The openings for these nuisances are many, and our society today has actually opened many doors to demons. Every diocese needs not only an exorcist, but a deliverance team with access to a good Christian psychiatrist or psychologist. Sometimes the boundaries get blurred. We also need a strong prayer backing from others as well as a cool head and a sense of humour.
Thank you, Father, for visiting and for sharing your insights which are greatly appreciated. Although my own experiences of such things are incomparable to yours, I do know just from having lived a Christian life that what you say is absolutely the truth.
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