While on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I had the privilege of spending time with an old friend who is a priest and an exorcist. You can only imagine how interesting the conversations at dinner table were, as all of us priests were interested in hearing about the ministry of exorcism. The most interesting thing is the realization that there is still such a thing as exorcisms. We shouldn’t be surprised at this, after all, the Catholic Church still has a Rite of Exorcism which was updated not that long ago. That means that there is still a need for it. Perhaps because we don’t encounter such situations personally, it’s easy to think that they no longer exist. The priest exorcist reminded us that just as Jesus was involved in the ministry of exorcisms, which can be attested to in the Gospels, the Church has been empowered and commissioned by Our Lord to continue His ministry until the end of times. Some interesting facts about exorcisms that the priest exorcist shared with us I will now share with you. During the Rite of Exorcisms the demon, or demons in some cases, try not to reveal their presence. It is by the sacred power which the priest possesses and by calling upon the name of Jesus Christ, that the demon is forced to reveal his presence. This usually happens by the exorcist priest demanding that the demon answer specific questions. One of the standard questions is to reveal the name of his nemesis in Heaven. Each demon has a specific saint whom he fears the most. Once he can reveal who that saint is, it is much easier to cast the demon out by calling upon the intercession of that particular saint. Another detail shared with us was that every time the demon speaks he always uses vulgarity in his speech, calling the priest, saints, and even the most blessed Lord the most vulgar expletives that one can imagine. This can be very troubling for the priest at first. The demon is trying to shock and frighten the priest, but the key for the priest exorcist is to have no fear. This is also another reason for us to be careful that we do not use vulgar language in our speech. When we asked the priest exorcist what the greatest defence against the devil is, this is what he said: “The best protection and defence against demons is the Sacrament of Confession and the Eucharist received in a state of sinlessness. Go to Confession and get reconciled with God, else by definition you belong to the enemy. By DEFINITION the sinner belongs to him. Then receive the Eucharist, as Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament aids you in avoiding sin and in enabling the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and protect you. Do this regularly”.
Fr. Wojtek