Author Topic: Exorcisms (Read 1467 times)

Viva Cristo Rey · « **on:** August 19, 2015, 08:46:52 AM »

Father Gabriele Amorth
Born    1 May 1925 (age 90)
Modena, Emilia, Italy
Residence   Rome
Nationality   Italian
Ethnicity   Italian
Citizenship   Italy
Occupation   Catholic priest/exorcist
Known for   Exorcism
Gabriele Amorth (born 1 May 1925) is an Italian Roman Catholic priest and an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome who is reputed to have cleansed tens of thousands of demonic possessions.

Life and work

Exorcism

Books

Controversies   Edit

Views on Harry Potter and yoga   Edit
Amorth was also one of the voices that made public warnings to parents about J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, stating that the books attempt to make a false distinction between black and white magic, when the distinction "does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil."[15]

At a film festival in Umbria (where he was invited to introduce the 2011 film about exorcism called The Rite), he is quoted as saying that yoga is satanic because it leads to practice of Hinduism and "all eastern religions are based on a false belief in reincarnation" and "practicing yoga is satanic, it leads to evil just like reading Harry Potter".[16]

Father Francis X. Clooney S.J., of Boston College and Harvard Divinity School noted that, "First, mere recriminations against the religion of another are just about never acceptable or useful. ...Second, if one is a professional exorcist, one may indeed see everything in light of that profession, and so it is not surprising that Fr. Amorth sees the devil at work everywhere; perhaps it is his default explanation of the woes that afflict us."[17]

Exorcism squads   Edit
An announcement attributed to Amorth to the online Catholic news service Petrus hailed the formation of adjuristine-exorcism squads by Pope Benedict XVI. The report, which was picked up by the UK newspaper the Daily Mail[18] on December 29, 2007, originally appeared on Petrus and claimed the squads were being dispatched worldwide to "tackle the rise of Satanism". Vatican officials immediately dismissed the reports but it was an unusual instance where the existence of adjurist and adjuristine activity was acknowledged in the press.

Sex parties   Edit
Amorth has claimed that an Italian schoolgirl who went missing in Rome in 1983, was kidnapped for sex parties by a gang involving Vatican police and foreign diplomats. He said that the girl (Emanuela Orlandi) was later murdered and her body disposed of. Amorth claims that girls were recruited at the Vatican for parties and perceptively added that the death of Emanuela Orlandi “was a crime with a sɛҳuąƖ motive”.[19]

Bibliography

References

Further reading

MrYeZe · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2015, 09:05:13 AM »

I agree with his position about the new age garbage known as yoga. Though I kind of disagree with the Harry Potter thing.

BTNYC · « **Reply #2 on:** August 19, 2015, 09:52:08 AM »

Quote from: MrYeZe

I agree with his position about the new age garbage known as yoga. Though I kind of disagree with the Harry Potter thing.

I can't see what there is to disagree with. The books do make the false distinction between "good" and "bad" magic; that distinction is objectively false; and magic is indeed always a turn to the devil.

What makes the Harry Potter books dangerous, as opposed to something like The Lord of the Rings, is the fact that Harry Potter is set in the contemporary world, with contemporary children - basically, proxies for the target audience - being depicted as practitioners of magic.

If you need further proof of the diabolical nature of Harry Potter, look at the cheerful manner in which the authoress publicly proclaimed the wizard character in the books to be a Sodomite.

Tridentine MT · « **Reply #3 on:** August 25, 2015, 03:03:07 AM »

Quote from: Viva Cristo Rey

Exorcism squads
An announcement attributed to Amorth to the online Catholic news service Petrus hailed the formation of adjuristine-exorcism squads by Pope Benedict XVI. The report, which was picked up by the UK newspaper the Daily Mail[18] on December 29, 2007, originally appeared on Petrus and claimed the squads were being dispatched worldwide to "tackle the rise of Satanism". Vatican officials immediately dismissed the reports but it was an unusual instance where the existence of adjurist and adjuristine activity was acknowledged in the press.

Probably these questions were tackled elsewhere in this Forum:

a) Can exorcisms be performed by lay persons? Here I'm not implying the full-blown exorcisms performed by priests, but a simpler one.

b) I recall having read that Pope Pius XII attempted an exorcism on Hitler from a distance. Is this true, and if yes, can similar exorcisms be attempted by lay persons?

Tridentine MT · « **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2015, 09:34:43 AM »

Quote from: Tridentine MT

Quote from: Viva Cristo Rey

Exorcism squads
An announcement attributed to Amorth to the online Catholic news service Petrus hailed the formation of adjuristine-exorcism squads by Pope Benedict XVI. The report, which was picked up by the UK newspaper the Daily Mail[18] on December 29, 2007, originally appeared on Petrus and claimed the squads were being dispatched worldwide to "tackle the rise of Satanism". Vatican officials immediately dismissed the reports but it was an unusual instance where the existence of adjurist and adjuristine activity was acknowledged in the press.

Probably these questions were tackled elsewhere in this Forum:

a) Can exorcisms be performed by lay persons? Here I'm not implying the full-blown exorcisms performed by priests, but a simpler one.

b) I recall having read that Pope Pius XII attempted an exorcism on Hitler from a distance. Is this true, and if yes, can similar exorcisms be attempted by lay persons?

Further to my previous post I found this article.

What I found preplexing is his opinion on what Pius XII attempted:

Quote

"It's very rare that praying and attempting to carry out an exorcism from distance works.

"Of course you can pray for someone from a distance but in this case it would not have any effect.

"One of the key requirements for an exorcism is to be present in front of the possessed person and that person also has to be consenting and willing.

"Therefore trying to carry out an exorcism on someone who is not present, or consenting and willing would prove very difficult.

"However I have no doubt that Hitler was possessed and so it does not surprise me that Pope Pius XII tried a long distance exorcism."

Is he implying that Pius XII attempted something that was impossible to achieve? Pius XII was pragmatic enough, in my opinion, not to attempt useless things, especially when it's a serious matter such as an exorcism.

Matthew · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2015, 10:03:45 AM »

Quote from: Tridentine MT

Probably these questions were tackled elsewhere in this Forum:

a) Can exorcisms be performed by lay persons? Here I'm not implying the full-blown exorcisms performed by priests, but a simpler one.

b) I recall having read that Pope Pius XII attempted an exorcism on Hitler from a distance. Is this true, and if yes, can similar exorcisms be attempted by lay persons?

A) Not exorcisms per se, but you can say the St. Michael prayer, sprinkle holy water, and stuff like that. Just don't start a company or buy an 800-number. The Catholic Faith is against a Ghostbusters-style group of laymen fighting the devil professionally (for others).

Generally, the "lesser" or "weak" exorcisms a layman can do should also be done only for oneself and one's immediate family, and even then, such weak exorcisms are only a stop-gap measure, if that. One must still have recourse to a priest. Remember that the devil is real, he is very clever and has angelic powers, and a layman should never presume (out of pride, boasting, emotional zeal, etc.) to want to "take him on". You certainly don't want to mess with the devil, any more than you have to. Don't talk to him, etc. as he will use his angelic intellect against you, and he is better than any hypnotist, motivational speaker, salesman, magnetic personality, or "people person". Ever heard of the salesman so convincing he could sell refrigerators to the Eskimos? Well, the devil could do that, so be careful.

In fact, if a man said something like, "Man, I'm gonna kick the devil's @$$" or other similar smack-talk, would prove that the devil already has a measure of influence over him! That is the devil's spirit, the spirit of pride, and not that of God and His saints.

Out of humility (which is the only way to beat the devil), we need to leave the main, front-line, DIRECT fighting of the devil to our priests, who have a special power over him by virtue of their ordination. It is their job to fight the devil with special Exorcisms which are spoken IN THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH which makes them much more powerful.

And a PRIEST doing an exorcism has several advantages:

A) humility
B) he is doing it out of obedience
C) He has the authority and voice of the Church, the bride of Christ
D) He has the priestly character
E) Optional, but he SHOULD be holier, with a stronger prayer life, less attachments to the world, more virtue and less vices, etc.
F) Optional, but he should be availing himself of frequent confession, so the devil will have less to expose/talk about while the priest is fighting him. Remember, the devil knows your sins and will be happy to use them against you.

I would never dream of presuming to do an exorcism myself. Just the act of a layman presuming to exorcise someone WOULD PRECLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF HUMILITY, since it's not the layman's place. And he certainly isn't being ordered by anyone, much less the Church, to do so. So he can forget the protective cloak of Obedience. No priestly character, no authority, and no ability to speak in the voice of the Church. (Talk about FORGET THAT!)

In short, let the professionals do their work.

B) I never heard of this, but no, you can't do an exorcism properly called as a layman. See A).

Matthew · « **Reply #6 on:** August 25, 2015, 10:07:44 AM »

For laymen -- those not appointed by the Church -- tempted to do battle with the devil, I refer you to Sacred Scripture:

Acts of the Apostles, chapter 19

And God wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles. [12] So that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them. [13] Now some also of the Jєωιѕн exorcists who went about, attempted to invoke over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying: I conjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. [14] And there were certain men, seven sons of Sceva, a Jєω, a chief priest, that did this. [15] But the wicked spirit, answering, said to them: Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?

[16] And the man in whom the wicked spirit was, leaping upon them, and mastering them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

So the possessed man in this case sodomized the would-be lay exorcists.

Tridentine MT · « **Reply #7 on:** August 25, 2015, 11:36:29 AM »

Thanks Matthew for your replies.