An Exorcist Explains the Demonic

by Gabriele Amorth

  During the rite I ask the unclean spirit his name; each one has a name. When the demon has a biblical name or one given in tradition (for example, Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Zebulun, Meridian, or Asmodeus), we are dealing with “heavyweights” who are much tougher to defeat. Naturally, the Prince of Lies always tries not to respond or is vague, if he does not lie outright. If he does reveal his name, and does not lie, it is because God Himself imposes it on him, which is an anticipatory sign of the liberation. Indeed, the fact that he reveals his name weakens his power significantly and is an encouraging sign. The same can be said when I ask when and how he entered that particular body and when he will leave. But here also it is necessary to be very prudent: rarely does the date [given] correspond to the real date.

  Someone asked me if the possession assumes the same extreme forms as [seen in] the famous film The Exorcist. Only in part. The film was made with much seriousness, but it is not without exaggeration: most of the time, the cases that exorcists treat are not as serious. This said, there can be extremely violent situations or truly remarkable displays. At times, in the most violent cases (and not only for this are they the most difficult to treat), it happens that the person must be immobilized during the rite in order to impede him from harming himself or others. It is also a good rule to have some of the persons who assist with the prayer intervene to keep the demoniac still.

  There can certainly be some very spectacular phenomena during exorcisms, such as speaking in tongues — that is, speaking in foreign or esoteric languages — the overturning of the eyes, and levitation. I recall two cases: the first was that of a young mechanic who worked not far from my community at Rome and who, even before the exorcism was initiated, began to levitate just as I placed my hand on his shoulder. Five people could not hold him still. The second incident was related to me by Father Candido: he exorcized a young peasant girl of seventeen, who was more accustomed to speaking in her dialect than in Italian. While he was reciting the formulas in Latin, Father Candido was distracted by the continuous questions addressed to him by the two priests who had accompanied the girl. After having had enough, he said to them in Greek rather than in Italian (perhaps he was tired), “Shut up! Stop that!” Immediately the girl turned toward him and asked him, in a satanic manner: “Why do you order me to be quiet? Tell it to these two who continue to interrupt you!”

  In other cases, the person exorcized can spit nails, glass, or hair. These objects do not come from the esophagus, in which case they would seriously wound the internal organs; rather, they materialize in the vomit coming out of the mouth. Twisted pieces of iron, woven thread, knotted twine, and similar objects can also be found in the cushions and mattresses of the possessed. While interrogating the demon during the prayer, one can sometimes discover the amulet or charm that the wizard was served in order to complete the rite. In all these cases, the objects are burned in order to break the bond. Be aware that it is always necessary to do it with prayer, especially when one finds an indication of the devil invoking the blood of Jesus. Otherwise, as it once happened to Father Candido, when he was still a novice, one risks looking bad because he absorbs the negative effects of it.26

  This last type of phenomenon alone is not enough to certify a diabolical possession, even if there is a good indication. Therefore, it is possible that rather than a possession, there is some vexation. In this case, the exorcist’s prudent appraisal will serve to try to establish a reliable diagnosis.

  Another question regards the duration of the rite. Here, obviously, it varies from case to case. The battle with Satan is always executed in diverse ways, and one can never tell ahead of time what will happen. We can say that the rite, in the cases in which the possessed does not have violent reactions, lasts, at a minimum, a half hour. In more serious cases, it can go on for hours.

  Where is exorcism practiced? According to the new rite of exorcism, whenever possible, the ritual is to be performed in an oratory (a small chapel) or in another appropriate place, with only a few persons present. A crucifix and an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary should be prominent. As for my situation, at times, my congregation, the Society of St. Paul, places some discreet venues in our convent at my disposal. But in thirty years, I must confess that I have alternated between two or three places. The exorcist is considered troublesome or an inconvenience, and it is difficult to find a welcome in places adaptable for him and his work.

  The exorcist does not establish a particular formation during the rite: the ritual manual does not specify anything on this matter; one can be to the right, to the left, standing or seated. It is only necessary that he begin with the words “Ecce crucem Domini,” while he places a strip of his stole on the neck of the presumed demoniac and his right hand on his head.

  The final question is difficult to answer: Where does the spirit of evil go once it leaves the person? It is not known: I command him, in the name of Jesus, to return to the eternal inferno or to go under the Cross of Jesus, who is the only one who can order him where to go.

  How Many Exorcisms Are Necessary to Achieve Liberation?

  How many exorcisms does it require to liberate a demoniac? One can never say beforehand how long it will go forward. Each one is a separate case, and it is not possible to make predictions of the sort. I recall cases that needed only a few encounters and others that I followed for many years. We are in the field of the invisible, so we cannot make precise prognoses. We must place ourselves before the point of view of the divine permission: God permits the devil to persevere against someone for a long time. It is an unfathomable mystery. Why does God permit the evil, and, at times, why does He permit it for such a long time: in order to permit a purification, to grant a greater good to that soul, or as reparation for sins committed by others? A clear understanding eludes us; only many prayers and much faith can help us to accept this mystery.

  Is a person always aware that he has been liberated at that precise moment? The liberation and when it happens is established only by God. The way in which it happens is not predictable. In some cases, the person simply becomes aware that the disturbances he was complaining of have passed. In others, and I am referring to more serious cases, the complete cure is often preceded by a worsening of the extraordinary manifestations and a more acute suffering, whose duration varies. But it is the beginning of the end, and it is necessary to be firm in faith and to wait. Here also the book of Francesco Vaiasuso is illuminating: the last period for him was a true nightmare, but at the end, he was rewarded with a complete liberation. At times, one notes an improvement, and then the duration and intensity of the crisis progressively diminishes. This phase involves accustoming oneself to the cure.

  How Much Does Faith Matter to the Exorcist?

  Faith matters a great deal in the exorcist’s work, as it is revealed in a very significant evangelical incident. In the Gospel of Matthew, the apostles are trying to drive a demon out of a boy but are not succeeding. At the request of the boy’s father, Jesus comes to their aid and liberates the boy promptly. To the disciples’ question as to why their liberation and cure were ineffectual, He responds: “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from hence to yonder place,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matt. 17:14–21). And in the Gospel of Mark, as we have already seen, He adds: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).

  In light of this Gospel passage, a priest who has been appointed by the Church to the ministry of exorcism reduces his effectiveness if he does not adequately cultivate his life of faith. The new ritual also advises prayer and fasting. Therefore, the exorcist is called to a life of a particular sanctity; it is essential to his ministry. The Lord, in His mercy, also takes note of the effort and commitment of the exorcist. I believe that if he puts his all into pursuing a life of sanctity, it is sufficient. It is also important that people pray for him and for the per
sons he follows. Fortunately, there are many nuns and religious who dedicate themselves to this mission. It is also important to invoke the saints and, among these, especially St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism and the patron saint of exorcists. Benedict, a lay monk (and therefore not a priest), had a great capacity for liberating the obsessed thanks to his extraordinary faith. Other important factors are the experience acquired in the field through practice, the sharing of those experiences with colleagues, and continuous study.

  To all this I must add that the efficacy of prayer and liberation do not depend solely on the goodwill of the exorcist. For seven years Father Candido Amantini exorcized Angelo Battisti — a close collaborator of Cardinal Agostino Casaroli — without results; Battisti was afflicted by a serious possession that appeared on the day of his retirement. It was another Tuscan exorcist, perhaps less known, Father Angelo Fantoni, who liberated Battisti in just one month. Does it speak poorly of the sanctity of Father Candido? I do not believe so. No one could doubt his faith. Other factors exist that are as important as they are imponderable: God’s plans, the spiritual disposition of the possessed, and how much time the spirit had to take root in the person. . . . Of the cited case, Father Candido explained that there is one who sows the seed and one who gathers, all in accordance with how the Lord arranges it.

  Another question often arises: Is the exorcist subject to vexations because of his ministry? In my case, the answer is no. The good God has always spared me from this suffering, and I hope that He will continue to do so. It happens, however, that some of my colleagues have some disturbances — for example, loss of sleep. One can consider these vexations the devil’s revenge.

  In the work of liberation, can the layman be more efficacious than the exorcist? It happens, certainly. For example, in fourteenth-century Tuscany, when a demoniac could not be liberated, he was sent to St. Catherine of Siena, who, in virtue of her extremely tested faith, often succeeded where the exorcists could not. What matters, as I have said, is faith.

  It is more difficult, even if theoretically possible, for people to self-liberate. Jesus said to His disciples: “[I]n my name they will cast out demons” (Mark 16:17). This is valid for liberating not only others, but also oneself. The underlying condition, obviously, is living a life of grace, approaching the sacraments, invoking the help of Mary and the saints, and praying with faith. It is also necessary, however, to say that the spiritually disturbed person does not always manage to live fully this pious desire because of the devil’s induced repulsion toward the sacred. In this case, it is necessary to get the help of exorcisms.

  Finally, the exorcist may err in making the diagnosis, in particular in discerning between an evil spell and a psychiatric illness. One can always seek verification for a diagnosis by asking for the opinion of another exorcist. But it is not necessary to exaggerate: there are those who go to the exorcist as one goes to the delicatessen, hoping each time to have the diagnosis conform to what he thinks.

  The Exorcist’s Assistants

  As I have already mentioned, the exorcist can be assisted by persons during the rite. As for me, I would have found it very difficult to carry out my ministry if I had had to work without my assistants, but here each one chooses whatever he considers helpful. The presence of qualified persons of proven faith, who are prepared to confront all that can happen during an exorcism, is important for two reasons. Above all, with their presence and their prayers of intercession, they incarnate the living presence of the Church that gathers together and loves her children, especially those who are suffering. The second is the material assistance they give to the person submitting to the exorcism, particularly if he manifests disturbances, such as the impulse to vomit or to react with movements so brusque and violent that he could harm himself and others. Helping to manage the situation physically is part of the task of the assistants.

  Here is what the current manual says on the topic: “When an assembly of the faithful, however small, is not present, the exorcist must not forget that already in his person and in that of the faithful tormented by the Evil One, the Church is present. And if some qualified persons are admitted to the exorcism, exhort them to pray intensely for the brother tormented by the demon, both individually and in the forms indicated by the rite.”

  Those assisting the exorcist must be chosen with judgment: they must live an intense spiritual life, must have firm nerves, must not be easily impressionable, and must be capable of keeping secret the identity of the person possessed and all that is heard during the rite. For instance, it happens sometimes that during an exorcism the spirit will speak. Naturally, most often what the demon relates are lies, or he launches insults and curses. In any case, through all this, it is appropriate for everyone to maintain a respectful silence, including, obviously, the exorcist.

  Finally, referring to the assistants, the manual adds: “They must abstain from every form of exorcism, evocative or imperative, which is reserved solely to the exorcist. It is imperative that they do not ever address the spirit, neither directly nor indirectly. They must only think of praying.”

  Exorcism on a Locality

  In the extraordinary action of Satan, local infestation strikes places of residence and common objects of use. The exorcism ritual of 1998 frames the subject like this: “The presence of the devil and of other demons is manifested and concretized not only in the case of persons tempted or possessed, but also when things and places are, in some way, made the object of diabolical action.”

  At times there are obvious signs that the places and the things of domestic use are infested by Satan: televisions, computers, and lights that turn on and off by themselves; sudden explosions; screams; blows to the walls; shaking ground or shaking beds; stains on sheets and cushions; insect invasions. The examples are so many that it is impossible to enumerate them all. In such cases, one could have the house blessed by a priest, an action that is recommended for any situation. After the priest’s benediction, the inhabitants of the house could sprinkle blessed water and salt around the house.

  But for extreme evils, one must resort to extreme remedies: the local exorcism. The Ritual provides a rite similar to that of an exorcism on a person, with much of the prayer in the imperative form. Each exorcist tries to adapt the prayer to the particular situation. As for me, after having prayed the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be with the tenants of the house, I personalize the formulas of the ritual of 1614, asking God to liberate the house from the infestations. Then, passing through the individual rooms, I pray repeatedly the first part of the traditional exorcism, which I follow with the aspersion of blessed water. Next, while invoking the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel, I pass through the same area with exorcized incense, blessed with the official formula of the Church. I also use blessed or exorcised salt, placing it in the corners of the rooms, particularly those where the signs of diabolical infestation are more evident.

  Exorcisms via the Telephone

  The prayer of the exorcism is always personalized. Regarding this, I am frequently asked if it is possible to do exorcisms from a distance; for example, on the telephone or with other means of audio and visual communication that can place the exorcist and the possessed person in contact. My response is yes, even if it is not ordinary. In fact, the rule provided in the Ritual is always to meet personally. Physical contact is always preferable in exorcisms; in addition, the sacramentals of oil and blessed water are used on the person and insufflation (the breathing or blowing on the person that symbolizes spiritual influences) is carried out. This obviously cannot happen at a distance. Furthermore, during the exorcism, all the power of the prayer explodes, and often it is necessary that someone hold the obsessed firm, a situation more difficult to create at a distance.

  But since many of my patients come from a distance from Rome, where I live, I have, at times, carried out exorcisms via telephone. Obviously I do this only if I know the person and have already ascertained the state of diaboli
cal possession or other spiritual disturbance. But I do not set out to exorcize the first person who picks up the phone.

  What effects are obtained? Practically the same as when the person is physically present in the room where I receive him. As the person falls into a trance and the demon begins to speak, I interrogate him and I command him in the name of Jesus to leave the body of the misfortunate one, exactly as I would if the person were in the room with me. Moreover, since the person loses consciousness, I require that someone be at his side to assist him, holding him firm and impeding him from harming himself.

  Does the Church authorize exorcisms by telephone? Exorcism is a sacramental, not a sacrament. Sacraments, evidently, cannot be administered at a distance: one cannot hear confessions on the telephone or marry two people by phone. In the case of exorcism, let us say that it is not forbidden: the pastoral duty to assist persons who often are not able to find an exorcist in their area causes me, on rare occasions, to do it on the phone. If all the bishops did their duty, as they should, and appointed at least one exorcist in each diocese, the problem would never be presented.

  Finding an Exorcist

  How does one find the official exorcist of his diocese? The first thing to do is to call the diocesan office and ask for the information. The office should have the names of the priests on whom this ministry has been conferred. I have been told many times, however, that one risks not receiving concrete answers, especially if there are no exorcists [in the diocese]. In that case, it is necessary to widen your search. And then the long pilgrimages begin, at times at a great distance. One is often forced to make them for years and at great trouble and expense until the liberation is obtained.