The rite of exorcism : a study of the Roman ritual

Abstract

The latter part of the 20th century saw a huge resurgence in interest in the paranormal, demonic, spiritism, witchcraft, occult practices etc., all of these subjects seem to have found their way into literature and films. The 1970’s could probably be considered the most captivating decade for the subject of exorcism in modern times, it was during that decade that William Peter Blatty sparked interest in the subject with the publication of his famous book “The Exorcist” (in 1971) and this further aroused interest with a rendition of Blatty’s book into a film in 1973. Interest in the subject has surged ever since, with Malachi Martin clashing with Blatty when he wrote his famous book “Hostage to the Devil” in 1976. The aim of this work is to approach demonic infestation & possession from a modern perspective, to understand this centuries-old practice of using an organised rite, seeing how the Gospels and Apostolic Tradition have worked hand in hand to produce the prayers of exorcism. On the subject of exorcism, it is paramount that we understand what the Church proposes for healing, deliverance, protection and the liberation of those who have been possessed answering important questions such as What is the Demonic? What happens when the demonic plays an active role in the life of a person? How does one differentiate between possession and other forms of manifestations of evil? What does the Church propose for the faithful who have fallen victim to possession? What is possession and how is it caused? On what criteria is a person considered to be possessed? The Chapters are specifically ordered in such a way to aid the reader to first fathom what we are dealing with when we refer to demons and Satan. This is followed by a narrowing down specifically onto the subject of possession by referring to cases of possession in the scriptures in order to create a scriptural foundation for the belief in the activity of demons and their ability to inhabit a human body. Once establishing the existence of Demonic possession, the research shifts direction onto exorcism in the early Church in order to show how early Christians used certain prayers in order to cast out demons. After verifying these early Christian prayers, the research shifts focus onto the rite of exorcism itself, investigating the origin and meanings behind the prayers and rubrics. Finally, a review of some of the most prominent works used in the research paper and three interviews with priests, who are active in the ministry of exorcism, in order to understand the rite in active ministry and the pastoral work of the Church.