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I sent the following message to Father Ripperger's group, the Doloran Fathers --
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Dear Fathers,

Father Chad Ripperger's encouragement of the laity to make imperative adjuration of demons is extremely dangerous and represents a misreading and misinterpretation of St. Alphonsus.  St. Alphonsus makes a distinction not only between solemn and private, but also a separate distinction between imperative and deprecatory.  Father conflates the two sets of distinctions, leading to a false conclusion.  Deprecatory adjuration of demons is forbidden (under pain of mortal sin) not only to Laity but even to Exorcists.  Imperative Adjuration, however, is permitted or applicable ONLY (Latin tantum) to 

1) those in authority to their subordinates and

2) Exorcists to demons (just an extension of the first category, as Exorcists have authority over demons). 

This notion that the Laity have authority to issue imperative adjuration to demons when they afflict those under our authority is a novelty.  Nowhere is it stated that it is permitted to issue these adjurations to the bad actors afflicting those under our authority, but only to those under our own authority.  This is a dangerous and novel practice, more akin to recent Protestant "Deliverance" Prayer (a term not known to Catholics) than to any Traditional Catholic practice, and Father Ripperger needs to retract this false theology lest it cause serious harm due to demonic retaliation, his anecdotal assertion that such has not been "reported" notwithstanding. 

Catholics recognize that God is in total control of what demons are permitted or not permitted to do, and we are content to pray with simple confidence to God, Our Lord, Our Lady, the Terror of Demons, to St. Michael and the Guardian Angels, as being much more efficacious than our own personal adjuration to demons. 

This practice has also led to an unhealthy curiosity among the faithful about demonic activity, and curiosity about and engagement with demonic and occult forces is one of the surest ways to open the door to their having a greater influence in our affairs.  This notion of wanting to find out the names of the specific evil spirits afflicting us, as if this knowledge would give us greater "power" over them, smacks of superstition.  We can simply trust Our Blessed Mother and ask her, "Please dispel and put to flight WHATEVER demons may be afflicting ur or ours."  We can in fact adjure our Angels and our Guardian angels, and those of our wives and children, in deprecatory fashion, appealing to our authority over our loved ones and ask them to enforce this authority against demonic forces, and that is truly efficacious, as they are, unlike their demonic counterparts, very much inclined to enforce our authority over our loved ones as being the authority of God Himself. 

There's a subtle insinuation in Father's approach that demonic forces are responsible for nearly all ills that afflict us, down to financial problems, rather than some of these being the consequences of our own sins, and temptations also from the flesh and the world (and not just the devil).  This thinking also appeals to those who might wish to offload responsibility for their sins and failings onto some demon, and, what's more, even some demon that their great-great-great grandfather has introduced into the family line.  So, when I look at pornography, it's my great-great-great-grandfather's fault, right?  This thinking is both dangerous and unhealthy, and yet Father Ripperger has attained to a somewhat celebrity status by appealing to the natural itchy ears and curiosity about such matters among the faithful, not unlike those shows about "Ghost Hunters" have done in the secular world.  This is wrong, it's harmful, and it's dangerous. 

Finally, St. Alphonsus also teaches it to be mortal sin  for the Exorcist to interrogate demons about any matters not directly related to extirpating the demon from harassing the obsessed ... and at least a venial since if done infrequently.  Among other things, demons are known to LIE, and whatever they say should not be reported or disseminated, such as when demons claim that the time of their power is coming to a close.  Again, this smacks of getting attention and hits for a celebrity's social media presence. 

Father has also uncharitably attacked a false caricature of "Traditional Catholics," of whom I am one, from the pulpit.  While certainly many Traditional Catholics are afflicted with some of the tendencies he has outlined, the assertion that "Trads" (a derogatory term) are even more prone to sins of impurity than their Conciliar counterparts, is completely false and slanderous.  We have the entire world awash with impurity, and the "Trads" I know are at least battling against these vices, while the Conciliarists often celebrate them (including vices against nature, such as sodomy and transgenderism), and the simple fact is that in a typical Conciliar parish of 10,000 you might have 3-4 show up for the 30 minute Confession window on a Saturday afternoon, while all 10,000 march up to receive Holy Communion on Sunday, and so hearing Confessions of "Trads" who feel the need to confess, is no indicator of this purely anecdotal assertion that Trads are more impure on account of pride, as these "statistics" are inherently skewed. 

Allegations of "Gnosticism" are also absurd when this adherence to truth rests firmly on a devotion to and subjection to the Church's own teaching, whereas 90%+ of the Conciliarists, by their own polls, reject one Catholic dogma or another ... including the vast majority of the Conciliar Bishops.  It is not sinful or proud to call these wolves in sheep's clothing out for teaching heresy and misleading the faithful, leading souls to hell.  St. Paul bids us to reject those who preach another Gospel, be it himself or one posing as an angel of light.  Father adopts a very condescending and, ironically, arrogant and "Gnostic" tone himself in his condemnation of "Trads", as if somehow he alone holds the key to the "true" balance between the extremes of Trads and the errors of the Conciliar Church. 

I appeal to Father Ripperger to prayerfully consider these points and to undo the possible damage he's done by promoting the direct engagement of the Laity with demonic spirits, attempting to issue imperative adjurations and exercising inordinate curiosity about demonic and occult matters.

God bless you,
Laszlo Szijarto