Who ought to pray and fast? Everyone — the person struck by the spiritual evil and those close to him. For the first, it is a trial of extraordinary faith, a response to a very particular call to sanctity. For the others, it is an appeal to demonstrate Christian charity concretely. Indeed, the prayers of close family members are very efficacious; their collaboration can be very helpful in creating a positive climate in the house. To these persons I add the exorcist, the pastor, friends, and whoever lends a hand in the liberation of the obsessed.
What Does the Devil Look Like?
Among the most recurring questions, and in my opinion the most amusing, is: How does the devil appear or what does he look like? He is a pure spirit; he does not have corporeal substance; therefore, he is not representative to us in a fully comprehensible form. It is the same for him as for the angels: if they wish to appear to men, they must assume characteristics accessible to us. The Bible is filled with visions of angels as men. In the book of Tobias, for example, the Archangel Raphael accompanies the young Tobias on his mission by assuming the form of a youth. In the Gospels, we find it particularly worth noting the form of the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26–38).
Returning to the appearance of the devil: one can say that, in his essence, he is much uglier than we can even vaguely imagine. His horrific appearance is a direct consequence of his distancing himself from God and of his explicit and irrevocable choice of rebellion. This we can infer from logical reasoning: if God is infinitely beautiful, whoever decides to distance himself [from God] must be the exact opposite. Naturally, this is only one type of theological augmentation that we find based on revelation and from the support of our natural reason when it is illuminated by faith.
And if, stretching the discourse, we wished somehow to give the demon an image? We begin, necessarily, by setting aside the figures derived from traditional depictions of the devil with horns, a tail, the wings of a bat, talons, and inflamed eyes. Being a pure spirit, evidently he cannot embody these characteristics. If these images can help us to fear his actions toward us — and we have good reason to — then we should welcome them; on the other hand, we risk making the devil appear like an ancient relic, a frill of times past, and the stuff of simpletons. There is a great danger in over-relying on these images, and they can be of service to the devil! It is necessary to say that certainly, in his decadent liberty, he can appear to men and women through the semblances of a monstrous animal or as a person with Mephistophelian (satanic) characteristics. Some of the hair-raising designs printed on the T-shirts worn by young people that we see everywhere give me cause for concern; and I advise them to get rid of them. But the devil, being very shrewd, can also assume innocuous forms. The case of St. Pio of Pietrelcina is exemplary. At times, the devil showed himself to him as a ferocious dog, at other times as Jesus or as our Lady, at still other times as his confessor or as the father guardian of his convent, who commanded him to do something. But after verifying the order he received with his superior, he understood that he had had a vision of the devil. There were even a few times when the devil appeared as a beautiful, naked girl.
Finally the demon could present himself with unpleasant odors, such as sulfur or animal excrement (it happens at times when one is blessing a house), or, to persons particularly sensitive, with odious noises, such as a clearly perceived rustling of the wind, or harassing tactile sensations.
What Does the Church Say of Wandering Souls?
Let us now confront another topic. Someone attests to seeing and perceiving “spirits.” Are they only imaginings? Does it involve “wandering souls”? Regarding this we must be very prudent and discerning. The “presences,” spirits or ghosts, are seen in particular literature and in the vast exorcistical caseload. There are persons, for example, who affirm perceiving the closeness, at times even physical, of ancestors or of unknown persons, “wandering souls,” discerned as souls of the deceased that have not yet found their placement in the order of eternal life. At times there appear guides made up of spirits or souls that council persons on the most judicious decisions to take. What can be said [about these things]?
There are, above all, the certitudes of our Faith. The first is that we have only one life, and we play it out here; at the end, we shall be judged to be worthy to rise to life in God or to be unworthy, distancing ourselves from Him eternally. Therefore, there is not any possibility that these “wandering souls” are waiting to be incarnated, as maintained by some trends of spiritism. It is an idea that is absolutely incompatible with revelation and with faith in the resurrection of the flesh.
The second [certitude of our Faith] is that a form of communication exists between the dead and us: it is the principle of the Mystical Body, of the Church that communicates to her interiority, to her inner self. Specifically, there is a spiritual exchange between the souls of the dead in paradise and in purgatory and those of us still on our earthly pilgrimage that is manifested through the prayers of intercession. In particular, the souls in purgatory who are experiencing purification have the capacity to offer their suffering in extraordinary reparation for us; they, in turn, greatly enjoy the benefits of our prayers. Excluded are the souls of the damned; being in hell they do not enjoy (and do not desire) our prayers.
Returning to the wandering spirits: in my view, if immediately after death we go to paradise, to hell, or to purgatory, it is doubtful that wandering souls exist. In the old ritual of exorcism, one was put on guard against “presumed” possessions or spiritual disturbances caused by the damned soul of a deceased. It is, instead, the devil who is disguised like this. It happened to me, for example, that during an exorcism a spirit claimed to be one of these wandering spirits. A deeper verification revealed that he was a demon. But other exorcists are convinced of the contrary: according to them, the presence of such wandering spirits is a fact. Therefore, we shall speak of it again when we cover spiritism in chapter 4. Since it concerns a problem that is still unresolved, theologians will have to study it deeply through Scripture, the Magisterium of the Church, and the experience of mystics and seers.
8 Father Candido, whose cause for beatification was introduced on July 13, 2012, exercised the ministry of exorcism from 1961 to 1992 in Rome at the Church of the Holy Staircase (the staircase leading to the praetorium that Jesus ascended during His Passion).
The Cult of Satan and Its Manifestations
Occultism
The Encyclopedia Treccani defines occultism as a “set of doctrines founded on a religious, metaphysical, and physical concept of the universe that presupposes the existence of an array of dynamic forces — personal and impersonal, physical or psychic — that are not accessible with the instruments of logic or of the mathematical and experimental sciences [from this point of view they remain occult, that is, hidden or concealed], but with which a few of the learned are able to establish relationships through cognitive instruments or technical practices.” Occultism is, in other words, the great umbrella under which all the practices and forms of satanic adoration are gathered in order to be drawn upon by those who wish to profit from its gains.
The most significant forms of occultism are magic, astrology, fortune-telling, and or spiritism. At its base is the belief in the existence of spiritual forces that cannot be experienced through one’s external senses (i.e., touch, sight, and so forth); therefore, they are esoteric or hidden. By controlling these forces through techniques into which one is initiated (and which parallel the techniques of esoterism) and after practicing them appropriately, one can dominate the reality. These entities, as we shall see, are the unclean spirits commonly called devils. The reality is more complex, however, because the occultists, in order to enjoy their powers, end with putting themselves at the service of the superior hierarchies: after all, the leader of the sects into which they enter is Satan himself, who asks a very high price of those he serves.
Satanism
Satanism is the practice of the cult, or worship, of Sat
an. It is necessary to say that Satanists and Satanism truly exist; they are not simply in the mind of some imaginative Hollywood director. To be precise, a Satanist is one who explicitly decides to consecrate himself — that is, to give himself, through a ritual — to Satan and to enter into a sect. These cases are fairly rare: we are speaking of thousands, not millions of persons. Although they are few, they are extremely dangerous to souls. These people, who are leading a life of sin, are exclusively orientated toward themselves, and they follow the teachings of the Prince of Darkness to the letter.
Generally one distinguishes [between] a personal Satanism (or occultism) and an impersonal or rationalist Satanism. The first recognizes the personal nature of Satan, and the followers entreat, adore, and honor him as a god. The second, the impersonal or rationalist, does not believe in Satan’s personal nature, that is, in the metaphysical sense; rather, they see him as a cosmic energy that is present in each man and in the world and that, when called upon, will emerge in all his power to carry out the most absurd and atrocious perversions, always connecting them to esoteric rites.
What is their objective? Satanists wish to develop this depraved form of devotion through a diffusion of the theory and practice of three basic principles: you can do all that you wish, no one has the right to command you, and you are the god of yourself. The first principle intends to confer full liberty to the adherent on everything he wishes to do, without limits. The second is the release from the principle of authority, that is, from any obligation to obey parents, the Church, the state, and whoever places restrictions in the name of the common good. The third denies all the truth that comes directly from God: paradise, the inferno, purgatory, judgment, the Ten Commandments, the precepts of the Church, Mary, and so forth.
In appearance these principles are seductive, especially for younger people, because they delude them into thinking that life is a beautiful holiday in an imaginary land of playthings, where everything is permitted and where your “I” does not recognize any limits regarding pleasure and enjoyment. It is my conviction as well as my heartfelt advice to all parents that — in order to help their children disdain this perspective with its destructive nature — it is necessary to educate them from an early age to cultivate a life of faith through prayer, through the Mass, and through association with the various Catholic youth clubs and other similar organizations. It is absolutely necessary to give them a sense of God and the awareness of the existence of sin and the Devil, the tempter who wishes to lead us to a separation from God and therefore to death. These young people, then, when they become older, will probably have developed the right attitudes toward these sects and satanic practices. I am aware that it involves a difficult form of education, but let us always remember that, because of the total absence of beautiful and good ideals, young people today are more exposed to these dangers. When faith disappears, one abandons himself to superstition and occultism.
Let us return to the Satanists. Since baptized Christians are commonly called children of God, can Satanists be called children of Satan? For them, this is not conceivable. Satan does not desire brothers or friends, much less children. Satan desires only slaves, whom he buys by promising them a guaranteed and unlimited enjoyment of things with — and here is the great lie — unchecked liberty, which is the foundation of Satanism itself.
Consecration to Satan
How does one become a Satanist? Through a rite of consecration to Satan, the person hands himself over to Satan in body and soul, asks to be received among his hosts, and thus enters into a sect. It normally involves an agreement written in blood, which sounds more or less like this: “Satan, from now on I belong to you, in life, in death, and after death. Accept me as your acolyte. I give you my body and my soul, and I shall do what you wish and command, but give me pleasures, success, sex, and riches.” Usually the consecration happens during a collective rite, often with a black mass, in which one is initiated into the sect and into the satanic practices.
The contract of blood can also be done individually, as with religious vows, which can be made publicly, before an assembly of the people of God — usually during a communal celebration — or privately and singularly in secret before God.
All these cases concern a true and proper selling of the soul to the devil, who maintains his tragic promises, but without ever giving any happiness but only innumerable sufferings. In a word, being consecrated to the devil guarantees a life of pure hell on earth and an eternal hell in the afterlife. In my experience, these persons do not ever receive peace, and they leave behind them a trail of sorrow, solitude, and death.
The spread of Satanism does not occur solely one on one. Many books and pamphlets circulate among young people, and there are also Internet sites that teach the formulas of consecration to the Prince of Darkness. It is an extremely dangerous practice. It may be done as a joke or seriously, alone or in a group — it makes no difference, because it can bear very heavy consequences, even years later, when after having settled down with a spouse, children, and a good job, one must still confront a burdensome diabolical possession. For this reason it is necessary to think of the consequences of such a choice, which is often irreversible or at least very difficult to reverse. I know persons who have left, but only after an enormous struggle, and often while being threatened by the followers. Even more, they always remain marked in their psyche and in their body, often enduring years and years of exorcisms in order to be liberated from the devil and the diabolical possessions on their backs. In brief, it is not a great business.
In recent times, various cases of sensational homicides have been reported in the media that are surely ascribable to a particular influence of Satan, perhaps the result of some pact contracted with him. For example, there is the case of the three girls of Chiavenna who in June of 2000 killed Sister Maria Laura Mainetti. From what I read, I do not believe that they were possessed by demons; rather, I believe that they acted under Satan’s potent inspiration: the cynicism, the brutality, the lack of restraint in the wounding of that poor religious could not have been solely their own invention. Immediately afterward, two of the three went to an amusement park, while the third went home to clean the kitchen knife they used to kill her, replacing it in the drawer. This incredible story confirms the risks that are in play for today’s young people.
Today in Italy there are a few hundred satanic sects; generally each one has a few members. It is difficult to do a precise charting of them, because they always act in the shadows.
I wish to conclude with an important observation. It is not necessary to become a Satanist in order to serve the devil and become one of his followers. There are many, alas, who do not officially consecrate themselves to Satan but choose to follow his basic principles, and as a result they place their souls at great risk.
The Powers That Come from Satan
One might wonder what powers the devil gives to his devotees — along with the indecipherable sufferings. There is an interminable list. Some powers are clearly of a diabolical origin; others require some discernment.
Typical powers that are the direct consequence of the sale of one’s soul to the devil and of the Satanist’s adopted identity at consecration: riches, free sex, and unlimited power. At the beginning everything comes easily and seems to be a great and beautiful affair. But all of it involves false illusions: not long afterward, indescribable sufferings take over, signs that the devil has “taken them for a ride,” because his objective is to make you a slave and ruin your life.
I related a testimony of this dramatic reality in a book, The Last Exorcist (the case of Simona) written with the journalist Paolo Rodari.9 This young woman had accepted the offer of consecrating herself to Satan in exchange for a luminous career. Soon afterward, she scaled the heights of her company, earning an impressive salary and a high social reputation: the devil had maintained his promise. But in exchange he truly asked for her soul: she found herself living with intense moments of hatred toward certain indiv
iduals that were so strong and sudden that each time she would have to shut herself in the bathroom, beating her fists and her head against the wall and screaming with pain. She bitterly repented it, and only after a long journey, which I made with her, did she manage to regain her liberty definitively; but the price was high; she had to give back the “gifts” given to her by Satan; and even before she had a chance to renounce her career, she was fired; but this time she was completely free.
These powers that the spiritists call “gifts” can also be tied to magic rites (spells, the evil eye, charms, et cetera) done personally or under submission. Among these, which I cite only as examples are: foresight (the capacity to see things that will happen in the future), clairvoyance (the possibility of seeing things and persons in other places that are not visible), visions and apparitions, the phenomena of automatic writing (the inspiration to write messages dictated by external entities), levitation, bilocation, and poltergeist activity (the sudden and unexplainable movement of objects). At other times they can hear “voices” that suggest prayer or curses, or have visions, or even feel lightly touched by a spiritual entity. Some of these phenomena can be attributed to the supernatural — that is, to God — but only when there is convincing proof; otherwise, when they are suspicious enough, I tend to place them in the sphere of the preternatural — that is, the diabolical. But it is always the Church that must determine their divine provenance.
An Exorcist Explains the Demonic Page 3