Binding spirits and healing

[minnesotaboy]

My mother called me the other day all excited about a speaker she saw that day. The speaker is a catholic and was speaking to a mostly catholic crowd. The topic, from what I gathered, was about taking authority over spirits. I.E., if you are addicted to something, you can take authority over the spirit of the addiction, bind it and do away with it. That we can do this with all of our lives misgivings and live happier lives. The talk also had a lot about laying on of hands and healing and such. When this raised some flags with me she assured me that it was all scriptural and in the ccc. When I look in my ccc all I can find are paragraphs that throw these practices to our priests, which is what I thought anyway. Can anyone tell me where I can find basis for this or am I correct in my weariness in the matter. It just makes it sound like the person is controlling the situation and trying to force God’s hand.

 

[beckycmarie]

You are right to be concerned. Sometimes Charismatics involved in deliverance work engage in questionable practices. This is why the CDF released the guidelines, On The Current Norms Governing Exorcisms in 1985.

At the St. Pio Center, we recommend that people address prayers for freedom/protection from evil spirits to God, rather than attempting to address demons directly with commands. The latter can be quite dangerous, especially if the person attempting to do so is vulnerable due to not being in a state of grace, has a lack of spiritual maturity, etc.

We have a Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog filled with prayers one can use without directly addressing a demon.

About the laying on of hands - it’s best if this is done by a priest. You don’t want just anybody laying hands on you - this kind of thing has been known to make things worse, especially when the person doing it is engaged in practices not in line with Church teaching.

 

[Shin]

Binding prayers can be very useful done right, I have heard a traditional priest recommend them.

I don’t want to entirely dampen enthusiasm in them, if researched and done right I think they can be very helpful.

Laying on of hands can be good or evil, depending on the reasons and spirits behind it.

In general, laying on hands today, I think is done for the wrong reasons, despite good intentions. This is just an opinion. But it is based on the fact that the Charismatic movement as well as the New Age movement can be involved in it, and these movements either totally or seem to normally lack a discernment of spirits.

‘Channelling energies’ via laying on of hands I find something that absolutely should not be done, and that is what appears to be being done often enough.

If God is going to heal someone by laying on of hands, I think His methods are different than a sensation of energy flowing. Perhaps not entirely. Perhaps that too can sometimes be good, but I have my doubts that it if is, is normally these days. This is an opinion, but I think a sound one, since when we hear of spiritual healings in the saints and read of them it is not a matter of manipulation of forces at all, which is highly suspicious at -best- but of miracles.

Anyone who has not has not a good level of knowledge, holiness and discernment of spirits, a traditional outlook I would be highly cautious of laying on of hands, or being the person hands are laid onto, because I would wonder ‘what’ spirit in fact is at work here.

I am not an expert, but this is what I think from what I have seen and studied so far.

 

[Eucharisted]

Binding prayers can be very useful done right, I have heard a traditional priest recommend them.

I don’t want to entirely dampen enthusiasm in them, if researched and done right I think they can be very helpful.

The Church strongly recommends that the lay faithful NOT engage demons in a fight. Demons are much more powerful than men. The Church recommends praying for the intercession of the angels and saints, especially Mary, and relying entirely upon God.

Laying on of hands can be good or evil, depending on the reasons and spirits behind it.

In general, laying on hands today, I think is done for the wrong reasons, despite good intentions. This is just an opinion. But it is based on the fact that the Charismatic movement as well as the New Age movement can be involved in it, and these movements either totally or seem to normally lack a discernment of spirits.

ONLY priests may do laying on of hands. Laity cannot do it.

‘Channelling energies’ via laying on of hands I find something that absolutely should not be done, and that is what appears to be being done often enough.

Channeling energies is a New Age practice, and it opens the door to Satan.

 

[Eucharisted]

My mother called me the other day all excited about a speaker she saw that day. The speaker is a catholic and was speaking to a mostly catholic crowd. The topic, from what I gathered, was about taking authority over spirits. I.E., if you are addicted to something, you can take authority over the spirit of the addiction, bind it and do away with it. That we can do this with all of our lives misgivings and live happier lives. The talk also had a lot about laying on of hands and healing and such. When this raised some flags with me she assured me that it was all scriptural and in the ccc. When I look in my ccc all I can find are paragraphs that throw these practices to our priests, which is what I thought anyway. Can anyone tell me where I can find basis for this or am I correct in my weariness in the matter. It just makes it sound like the person is controlling the situation and trying to force God’s hand.

You are correct, only priests may do laying on of hands, engage demons (in exorcism), and so forth. Stick with the Church’s teachings!

 

[Shin]

The Church strongly recommends that the lay faithful NOT engage demons in a fight. Demons are much more powerful than men. The Church recommends praying for the intercession of the angels and saints, especially Mary, and relying entirely upon God.

ONLY priests may do laying on of hands. Laity cannot do it.

Channeling energies is a New Age practice, and it opens the door to Satan.

Plenty of miraculous healings have been legitimately accomplished by laying hands on by lay people, that is normally saints.

What you said about channeling energies is correct, generally, but I caveated it because frankly, bishops pass on their holy orders by the laying on of hands, and I don’t know what that feels like, if there is any sensible feeling of transference or not.

As for fighting demons, if a demon picks a fight with you, you are allowed to fight back directly, you do not have to just sit there and take it. The overarching law is the law of self defense, no other restrictions can be placed to overwhelm this one, by Pope or prelate, because it is a natural law and law of Faith that men may defend themselves directly when attacked. Restrictions can be placed in some ways, but necessity overrides such restrictions if they overreach.

The formal exorcism prayers are reserved. This is simply applied to them, and not all other prayers. The only reason they can be reserved properly, if it is a case of self defense, I believe thinking briefly of it (perhaps there is more), is simply because of any invocation of priestly authority that of course a layman would not have.

 

[Eucharisted]

Plenty of miraculous healings have been legitimately accomplished by laying hands on by lay people, that is normally saints.

Laying of hands is not allowed. Period. It is Church law. Period. I don’t care if it saves the Pope’s life. It is not allowed and it is not to be encouraged.

What you said about channeling energies is correct, generally, but I caveated it because frankly, bishops pass on their holy orders by the laying on of hands, and I don’t know what that feels like, if there is any sensible feeling of transference or not.

Bishops do not pass on energies, they pass on the Holy Spirit and the Office of Priesthood. How it feels is irrelvant.

As for fighting demons, if a demon picks a fight with you, you are allowed to fight back directly, you do not have to just sit there and take it. The overarching law is the law of self defense, no other restrictions can be placed to overwhelm this one, by Pope or prelate, because it is a natural law and law of Faith that men may defend themselves directly when attacked. Restrictions can be placed in some ways, but necessity overrides such restrictions if they overreach.

The formal exorcism prayers are reserved. This is simply applied to them, and not all other prayers. The only reason they can be reserved properly, if it is a case of self defense, I believe thinking briefly of it (perhaps there is more), is simply because of any invocation of priestly authority that of course a layman would not have.

You are allowed to pray, not fight back. Big difference.

Informal exorcism, prayer, is allowed, because of our share in Jesus’ Priestly Office. Formal exorcism, the rite, is reserved for Priests, who alone can use it by the command of Christ.

 

[beckycmarie]

Laying of hands is not allowed. Period. It is Church law. Period. I don’t care if it saves the Pope’s life. It is not allowed and it is not to be encouraged.

Can you show us this from the Catechism, Canon Law, or some other Vatican document? I have never heard that it is completely forbidden, so I would like to see an official Church teaching on this. Thanks.

 

[Eucharisted]

Can you show us this from the Catechism, Canon Law, or some other Vatican document? I have never heard that it is completely forbidden, so I would like to see an official Church teaching on this. Thanks.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1150 Signs of the covenant. The Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its liturgical life. These are no longer solely celebrations of cosmic cycles and social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God’s mighty deeds for his people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are circumcision, anointing and consecration of kings and priests, laying on of hands, sacrifices, and above all the Passover. The Church sees in these signs a prefiguring of the sacraments of the New Covenant.

699 The hand. Jesus heals the sick and blesses little children by laying hands on them. In his name the apostles will do the same. Even more pointedly, it is by the Apostles’ imposition of hands that the Holy Spirit is given. The Letter to the Hebrews lists the imposition of hands among the “fundamental elements” of its teaching. The Church has kept this sign of the all-powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in its sacramental epicleses.

1288 “From that time on the apostles, in fulfillment of Christ’s will, imparted to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of Baptism. For this reason in the Letter to the Hebrews the doctrine concerning Baptism and the laying on of hands is listed among the first elements of Christian instruction. The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church.”

1538 Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a rite called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a sacrament. Today the word “ordination” is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a “sacred power” (sacra potestas) which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. The laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this ordination.

1573 The essential rite of the sacrament of Holy Orders for all three degrees consists in the bishop’s imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand and in the bishop’s specific consecratory prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is being ordained.

Pope Benedict XVI, 1-10-07:
“The act of the laying on of hands can have various meanings. In the Old Testament, this gesture meant above all the transmission of an important office, just as Moses laid his hands on Joshua (cf. Nm 27: 18-23), thereby designating his successor. Along the same lines, the Church of Antioch would also use this gesture in sending out Paul and Barnabas on their mission to the peoples of the world (cf. Acts 13: 3).
The two Pauline Letters addressed to Timothy (cf. I Tm 4: 14; II Tm 1: 6) refer to a similar imposition of hands on Timothy, to confer upon him an official responsibility. From what we read in the First Letter to Timothy, we can deduce that this was an important action to be carried out after discernment: “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man’s sins” (5: 22).
Thus, we see that the act of the laying on of hands developed along the lines of a sacramental sign. In the case of Stephen and his companions, it was certainly an official conferral of an office by the Apostles, but at the same time an entreaty for the grace to carry it out.”

I couldn’t translate this, but it talks about the Sacrament of Holy Orders, including laying on of hands: vatican.va/archive/catechism_lt/p2s2c3a6_lt.htm

 

[beckycmarie]

Eucharisted, I don’t see anything there that says the laity should never utilize laying on of hands.