https://books.google.com/books?id=MgBGAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=falseStarts on Page 173, "APPENDIX -- DE ADJURATIONE" (Appendix by Adjuration)
St. Alphonsus defines adjuration as the invocation of God, of holy things, or of the saints in order to get someone to either do or not do something.
He then makes two distinctions with regard to adjuration.
1) Solemn vs. Private, the former being done by ministers duly appointed by the Church and using the Rites / ceremonies established by the Church, and Private being anything else.
2) Deprecatory vs. Imperative, the first being in the form of a request, and the second a command. He states that for an Adjuration to be able to be "imperative" (in the form of a command), it can only be issued by a superior to those subject to him or by exorcists to demons (as exorcists have authority over demons).
At that point, St. Alphonsus goes into some requirements, i.e. you can't adjure for something bad ("I adjure you to [commit this sin].") or adjure for something to which you have no right in justice ("I adjure you to give me your wallet." -- and that would presumably apply even if you're in a position of authority over someone, but he doesn't go into it).
But here's where Father Ripperger failed to actually read the text, and he fails on BOTH conditions. See paragraph V (5).
"With regard to the adjuration of demons, two things must must here be well noted. 1) That the adjuration must be "imperative" (see above, in the form of a command) and not deprecatory (deprecative)." [I'll come back to point 2 ... which Ripperger also violates.]
So, the conclusion is a very straightforward syllogism between two points above.
1) Imperative Adjurations can only be made by superiors to their subjects and by EXORCISTS TO DEMONS.
2) Adjurations to Demons should only be IMPERATIVE adjurations and not deprecatory (deprecative).
ERGO, QED, Those who are not Exorcists (i.e. have no authority over demons) should NOT be adjuring demons. Period. Case closed. End of story.
That is why there's no Catholic Tradition of deliverance prayers for the laity along the lines of what Ripperger publishes in his books.
And, according to St. Alphonsus, deprecatory (deprecative) adjuration should not be used with regard to demons. "Please, Mr. Demon, in the name of God, leave." But then, commands, such as "I command you to leave ..." (which Ripperger has in his books), they should only be performed in the case of demons BY EXORCISTS (as they have authority over demons from the Church).
Now, Ripperger argues that you can do this if you have authority over those AFFLICTED by demons, i.e. if my wife or my children are afflicted by demons, I can command the demons. That is completely wrong. I can only issue imperative (command) adjurations to those over whom I have authority. I can imperatively adjure my wife and my children, but cannot imperatively adjure the demons who are afflicting them. I could, theoretically, adjure them in a deprecative manner (appealing to the authority), but St. Alphonsus states that deprecatory/deprecative adjuration should not be done vis-a-vis demons.
This is the source of Ripperger's blunder. He also blurs and blends in and confounds the solemn vs. private distinction, but that has nothing to do with this.
"Mr. Demon, I have authority over my children, so I command you to leave them alone." bzzzzt. We can appeal to God to enforce our authority, but as we have no authority over the DEMONS THEMSELVES, we cannot imperatively adjure them to leave them alone. God can enforce this authority. We cannot.
Nor can we issue deprecative adjurations, "Mr. Demon, pretty please, leave my kids alone."
Both of these have the potential for the Demons to retaliate against the issuer of these adjurations ... out of spite.
Now we move onto the second condition laid out by St. Alphonsus for adjuring demons, that these imperative adjurations be issued ONLY for the sake of removing the damage / harm and vexation of the oppressed and "not out of vanity or curiosity". So only those inquiries can be made of the demons which pertain specifically to extirpating the demon. Exorcists should not command the demon out of vanity, "I command you to jump up and down." (i.e. just to show off his authority) or out of curiosity, "So, I command you to tell me what your plans are for attacking the Church." And then St. Alphonsus states (as common teaching) that an exorcist who has "many useless conversations with the one obsessed by a demon cannot be excused of grave sin", i.e. conversations that do not pertain directly to the extirpation of the demon and freeing the obsessed.
St. Alphonsus then discusses some opinions (in contrast with having "many useless conversations") about whether it's a grave sin to ask even one or two questions out of curiosity. He cites one theologian who says that it is, and his reason is that in such a situation, the exorcist appears to be adjuring the demon in a deprecative manner (vs. imperatively). But St. Alphonsus disagrees, saying that it's more probably only a venial sin if it's clear that the exorcist is asking in an imperative manner.
BUT NOTE WELL: In both cases, he's saying that to adjure demons in a deprecative mode or manner would constitute mortal sin. So recall when I said that St. Alphonsus says demons can only be adjured in an imperative mode, he amplifies that here by asserting that to adjure demons in a deprecative/deprecatory manner would be a grave sin.
Topic: Anyone follow Fr Ripperger here ? (Read 34169 times)