Exorcism

Exorcism is the practice of evicting or destroying demons or other evil spiritual entities which are supposed to have " possessed " (taken control of) a person, a building , etc.. The concept is very ancient and is still part of the belief system of many religions .

The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist , is often a priest , or an individual who is thought to have special powers or skills. The exorcist may use a combination of magical and religious methods, such as prayers and set formulas, gestures, icons and amulets, etc.. Usually the exorcist's goal is to force the evil spirit to leave, or to invoke some benign supernatural power that will perform the task.

The influential horror movie The Exorcist (1973, re-released 2000) was inspired in the Catholic exorcism ritual and folklore. After its release, the Catholic diocese of Chicago was inundated with so many requests for exorcism that it had to add exorcists to its existing staff.

History

The concept of "possession" by "evil spirits" and the practice of exorcism are very ancient and widespread, and may originate in prehistoric Shamanistic beliefs.

The Christian New Testament includes exorcism among the miracles performed by Jesus . Because of that precedent, possession was part of the belief system of Christianism since the beginning, and exorcism is still part of the ritual of Catholicism and some Protestant sects.

In recent times, Exorcism has dimished in importance and use. This is due mainly to a greater understanding of psychology and the functioning and structure of the human mind. Many of the cases that in the past might have been candidates for exorcism have been found to be the products of mental illness . These cases are treated through medical means instead of exorcism.

Exorcism in Roman Catholicism

In the former ministry of the Roman Catholic Church , the third of the minor orders was that of exorcist. In some dioceses, priests have been given the title of "Exorcist" for their diocese. The exorcist is invested with the power of casting out devils from persons possessed, by the imposition of hands. This power, however, according to the present law of the church, may be only exercised by priests, and by them only with the express permission of the local bishop; and this permission is rarely given. However, Pope John Paul II has encouraged the use of Exorcism, as a result a number of dioceses have designated a priest as the Exorcist for the diocese. Gabriele Amorth is the chief exorcist of the Roman Catholic Church .

Of exorcism, the Catholic Encyclopedia (1908) enjoined: "Superstition ought not to be confounded with religion, however much their history may be interwoven, nor magic, however white it may be, with a legitimate religious rite."

A well-known formula for exorcism, originating from a 1415 manuscript found in the Abbey of Metten in Bavaria , says

Crux sancta sit mihi lux / Non draco sit mihi dux Vade retro satana / Nunquam suade mihi vana Sunt mala quae libas / Ipse venena bibas "May the Holy Cross be my light / Let not the dragon lead me Step back Satan / Never tempt me with vain things What you offer me is evil / Drink the poison yourself."

The verse Vade retro satana was probably inspired on a phrase by Jesus to Peter in the Vulgate New Testament , Mark 8:33: vade retro me, satana ("Step back from me, Satan !"). In Catholicism, it is used to repel any possible evil thing or happening, as a "spoken amulet ". The initials of this formula (VRSNSMV SMQLIVB or VRS:NSMV:SMQL:IVB) were usually engraved around crosses or Catholic religious medals featuring Saint Benedict , to whom the formula is traditionally ascribed.

See: List of Exorcists

Exorcism-related deaths

Because of the popular image that exorcism is necessarily a violent process, the practice may end up bringing considerable physical harm or even death to the patient, even when performed by supposedly trained priests. In the past eight years, there have been at least five exorcism-related deaths in the United States:

Kyung-A Ha was beaten to death in 1995 in San Francisco, California by members of the Jesus-Amen Ministries.
Kyung Jae Chung died in 1996 in Glendale, California from blunt-force trauma by her husband (a reverend) and members of the Glendale Korean Methodist Church.
A five-year-old girl in 1997 in the Bronx, New York, died after being administered ammonia, vinegar, and olive oil, and then gagged and bound with duct tape.
Charity Miranda, was suffocated with a plastic bag in 1998 in Sayville, New York by her mother and sister.
Terrance Cottrell Jr, an eight-year-old autistic child, died of asphyxiation in 2003 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during an exorcism carried out by members of the Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, in an attempt to expel the boy's demons. The coroner ruled that the boy died "due to external chest compression" as the part-time evangelical pastor lay on top of him. On July 10, 2004, the pastor was convicted of child abuse .

Help

Although many scientists, and even some religious people are doubtful of the existance of demons and the possibility of demon possession, oppression, or harrassment there is help available for people who believe they may be experiencing problems caused by demons. Many religions have official exorcisms and also deliverance ministries available.

Link

St. Padre Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling ( http://spcdc.saint-mike.org/help.asp )

External link

Catholic Encyclopedia ( http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05709a.htm ) Exorcism, Exorcist