EXORCISMS AND DEMONS
In the main, exorcism is thought of as the rite of driving out the Devil and his demons from possessed individuals. However, technically speaking, exorcism is not driving out the Devil and his demons, but more accurately, it is placing the Devil and his demons on oath. It is also worth remembering that a possession of a person may not comprise of one demon, but in some alleged reports, there could very well be several demons in residence.
The term ‘exorcism’ is derived from the Greek preposition ‘ek’ with the verb ‘horkizo’, which means ‘I cause [someone] to swear’ and refers to putting the spirit or demon on oath, or invoking a higher authority to bind the entity in order to control it and command it to act contrary to its own will.
The Christian belief is that this higher authority is Jesus. The practise of exorcism is based on the belief that the Devil, his demons and evil spirits are afraid of Christ.
This belief as evolved from scripture: (Mark 5:1-13):
When Christ arrived from the Sea of Galilee, he entered the land of the Gerasenes, where he was greeted by a man from the tombs - cut into the mountains of the area. It was thought that this man was possessed by an unclean spirit. Nothing could bind this man, not even chains. He lived the life of a hermit in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones.
When Christ approached this hermit, he went to him seeking help. The unclean spirit immediately recognised Christ, and Christ recognised the demon. Christ then summoned the spirit to leave the man, and asked his name.
‘My name is ‘Legion’' answered the spirit, ‘for we are many’. Once the demons left the man, Christ sent them into a nearby herd of swine which then jumped into the sea and drowned.
The common belief is that Christ did not exorcise because 'He' had no need to call on a higher authority since 'He' Himself ‘was’ that higher authority. However, Christ not only exorcised demons and unclean spirits, he also gave the power to his disciples. (Matt. 10:1).
It is from these two Biblical passages that Catholics and Protestants alike believe they have the power to cast out Devils and to heal. The Catholic Church has a procedure out-lined rite of exorcism set fourth in (The Rituale Romanum).
Other than The Rituale Romanum the ritual can be varied in many ways according to the exorcist performing the exorcism. It is also worth noting that according to the Code of Cannon Law authorised ministers (the exorcist) can perform solemn exorcisms not only on the faithful, but also over non-Catholic and those who have been excommunicated from the church.
Certain symbolic items are always present at an exorcism, namely salt (representing purity) and wine (representing the blood of Christ). In addition to this, the victim is required to hold a crucifix during the rite. In most cases, the exorcist will use Holy water and relics, usually pieces of bone from saints, and recite Biblical scriptures and other prayers.
Candidates to carry out exorcism rites are not chosen lightly. The priest can place himself in great danger in many ways. It is absolutely vital that he have no secret sins. If this were the case, Devil and/or demons would use them against him by revealing them to all present and ridicule the ceremony. More importantly, the evil could transfer from the victim and possess the exorcist.
As mentioned, all exorcists must be chosen with great care and diligence, and only after express permission from a Bishop can an exorcist carry out this often dire ceremony.
A poignant part of the exorcism ritual is when the will of the Devil or his demons collapse. This usually results in complete pandemonium. The scene breaks into one of panic and confusion, accompanied by a conclusion of abuse, terrifying sights, noises and odours. The Devil then turns his attention on the victim, speaking of the individual in the third person. At this point, the possessing entity’s voice becomes one of distressing babble and must be silenced before the ritual can continue.
When silence eventually prevails, this signifies that the demon has collided with the ‘Will of the Kingdom’. This is confirmation that the exorcist is in direct battle with the demon, and he urges the entity to reveal more information about itself. The exorcist must at this point ascertain the connection between the entity and the victim’s place of residence. The whole purpose of the entity possessing is because it wants a place to live or it must return to Hell. An existence out of Hell is what the Devil or demon seeks most of all.
If the exorcism is successful and the Devil or demon is overcome by the Supreme will of God, it leaves in the name of Jesus. All present feel the presence dissipate, very often with receding noises and voices.
The victim may sometimes remember the ordeal, but very often has no recollection of anything which may have occurred during the proceedings.
The above, is a brief out-line of the Catholic version of exorcism, there are many versions and variations adopted by many other religions and cultures, these will be discussed at a later stage.
By, Wayne Ridsdel copyright 2009 Wayne Ridsdel @World Mysteries And True Ghost Tales.
Pic by, Wayne Ridsdel (copyright 2009 Wayne Ridsdel. At World Mysteries And True Ghost Tales).