During exorcism, can the devil still say your confessed sins in the past?

[Pythagoras]

During exorcism, the possessed man is known to say all the past unconfessed sins of those participating in the exorcism. But what if they already confessed those sins, does the devil still know and say them to the involved persons?

 

[thistle]

During exorcism, the possessed man is known to say all the past unconfessed sins of those participating in the exorcism. But what if they already confessed those sins, does the devil still know and say them to the involved persons?

The devil cannot read the minds of people. He does not have the power of God.

 

[Pythagoras]

The devil cannot read the minds of people. He does not have the power of God.

But I saw in exorcism stories that the possessed man says all the sins of some of the people in the exorcism room

 

[LiamQ]

The devil cannot read the minds of people. He does not have the power of God.

But knowing confessed sins isn’t really reading a person’s mind.

OP, my understanding is that demons can be attached to certain individuals through their sin. By that I mean that a person who is clinging on to a certain sin, such as resentment or hatred, can very well be providing a type of grounding for demonic activity. It’s a sort of permission, and all mortal sin legally puts us under the authority of the evil spirits, who are very legalistic. Once a sin is confessed, however, it doesn’t have that sort of legally binding quality. Such a person is under the authority of Christ again.

I know that doesn’t really get at your question, but it might be helpful in some way. I don’t know enough to speculate further.

Fr. Amorth once told the story of a priest who was present during a possession, and who was hostile and who possibly interpreted the whole thing as mental illness or mere pretending. The possessed person manifesting a devil told him, “You don’t believe in me. But you believe in women. Oh boy, do you believe in women!”

So yes, sins can certainly come up, but I believe they usually come up as a way to undermine the efficacy of the exorcism.

 

[thistle]

But knowing confessed sins isn’t really reading a person’s mind.

OP, my understanding is that demons can be attached to certain individuals through their sin. By that I mean that a person who is clinging on to a certain sin, such as resentment or hatred, can very well be providing a type of grounding for demonic activity. It’s a sort of permission, and all mortal sin legally puts us under the authority of the evil spirits, who are very legalistic. Once a sin is confessed, however, it doesn’t have that sort of legally binding quality. Such a person is under the authority of Christ again.

I know that doesn’t really get at your question, but it might be helpful in some way. I don’t know enough to speculate further.

Fr. Amorth once told the story of a priest who was present during a possession, and who was hostile and who possibly interpreted the whole thing as mental illness or mere pretending. The possessed person manifesting a devil told him, “You don’t believe in me. But you believe in women. Oh boy, do you believe in women!”

So yes, sins can certainly come up, but I believe they usually come up as a way to undermine the efficacy of the exorcism.

Of course it is. He can’t know your confessed sins if he can’t read your mind.

 

[wild_thing]

During exorcism, the possessed man is known to say all the past unconfessed sins of those participating in the exorcism. But what if they already confessed those sins, does the devil still know and say them to the involved persons?

No. He absolutely cannot. God has forgiven and wiped away our sins in the sacrament, He has forgotten them.

 

[MaryHelp777]

The devil cannot read the minds of people. He does not have the power of God.

Yes, Exorcist priests currently on ministry, and the catholic saints have written, if you are in a state of mortal sin at an exorcism, Satan can call out your mortal sins aloud to all present.

If you are in a state of grace and have confessed your sins, he cannot, because God has erased those sins.

 

[esieffe]

I’ve read several good books about exorcisms, and everything indicates that confessed sins are wiped from any sort of “record” if you will, the devil has access to. This is why before exorcisms, everyone including the priest and helpers must have confession.

 

[thistle]

Yes, Exorcist priests currently on ministry, and the catholic saints have written, if you are in a state of mortal sin at an exorcism, Satan can call out your mortal sins aloud to all present.

If you are in a state of grace and have confessed your sins, he cannot, because God has erased those sins.

The devil does not and cannot know the mind of any person. He does not have the power of God.

 

[CRATUS]

Yes, Exorcist priests currently on ministry, and the catholic saints have written, if you are in a state of mortal sin at an exorcism, Satan can call out your mortal sins aloud to all present.

If you are in a state of grace and have confessed your sins, he cannot, because God has erased those sins.

Satan is such a jerk. Exposing your mortal sins to others to embarrass you and so out of humiliation you will stop with the exorcism. What a manipulation. That must be embarrassing though.

 

[quinone]

Yes, Exorcist priests currently on ministry, and the catholic saints have written, if you are in a state of mortal sin at an exorcism, Satan can call out your mortal sins aloud to all present.

If you are in a state of grace and have confessed your sins, he cannot, because God has erased those sins.

this is what i understand too. the devil can’t know your mind but he does know past actions you have committed so therefore he knows your sins too so one need to say a good confession. i wish someone could post a link to a video about this.

 

[thistle]

this is what i understand too. the devil can’t know your mind but he does know past actions you have committed so therefore he knows your sins too so one need to say a good confession. i wish someone could post a link to a video about this.

How can he know a person’s past sins when he can’t read their minds. This is all nonsense. He does not have the power of God.

 

[MtnDwellar]

How can he know a person’s past sins when he can’t read their minds. This is all nonsense. He does not have the power of God.

The devil does not need to read minds in order to know someone’s sins. A demon merely has to know his past. A spiritual being can instantly know a person’s entire past because spirits live outside of time.

That being said, demonic actions are severely limited by God. It’s not unreasonable to think that demons are not permitted to use information regarding sins that are forgiven.

 

[quinone]

from the book An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth
*
Another time the demon disclosed sins to discourage the exorcist. Father Candido was exorcising a handsome young man who was possessed by a great beast of a demon. Trying to discourage the exorcist, the demon said: “Can’t you see that you are wasting your time? This one never prays. He goes around with… and does …” and there followed a long list of ugly sins. At the end of the exorcism, Father Candido fruitlessly tried to convince that young man to make a general confession. It was necessary almost to drag him into the confessional, where he hastened to say that he had no sins to confess. Then Father Candido asked,“But did you not do this and such?” Dumbfounded, the poor man was forced to admit his transgressions. As the confessor continued with the list of sins, the young man admitted every one of the facts revealed by the demon. After receiving absolution, the young man left, mumbling, “I don’t understand anything anymore! These priests know everything!”*

 

[LiamQ]

Of course it is. He can’t know your confessed sins if he can’t read your mind.

Well, I’m sorry to be contrarian, but there’s a number of ways this isn’t true:

• He could watch you commit a mortal sin
• He could watch you go to Confession in a state of sin, and could perceive you are in a state of grace after you leave, thereby assuming you confessed a certain mortal sin
• He could hear your confession

Also, I’m not sure how true it is that a demon can’t read a person’s mind. I think it depends on what you mean by that. I don’t think they can see or touch a person’s will, but I do think they can see what is in your imagination.

That’s actually part of the way they tempt, by putting images in your imagination, and being able to perceive whether or not you’re dwelling on those images. That’s also a reason why consistent meditation on God is so powerful: they don’t want to be around people constantly looking at Him, because it causes them pain.

But regardless, certainly there’s a number of ways they would know whether or not you’ve confessed a mortal sin they saw you commit.

Edit: By the way, this all very anthropomorphic language. All of an angel’s or a devil’s knowledge is infused by God, I think, and so a lot of this is kind of a moot point anyway. They know what God allows them to know.

 

[LiamQ]

Satan is such a jerk.

This is absolutely one of the best observations ever made on CAF.

 

[Nelka]

from the book An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth
*
Another time the demon disclosed sins to discourage the exorcist. Father Candido was exorcising a handsome young man who was possessed by a great beast of a demon. Trying to discourage the exorcist, the demon said: “Can’t you see that you are wasting your time? This one never prays. He goes around with… and does …” and there followed a long list of ugly sins. At the end of the exorcism, Father Candido fruitlessly tried to convince that young man to make a general confession. It was necessary almost to drag him into the confessional, where he hastened to say that he had no sins to confess. Then Father Candido asked,“But did you not do this and such?” Dumbfounded, the poor man was forced to admit his transgressions. As the confessor continued with the list of sins, the young man admitted every one of the facts revealed by the demon. After receiving absolution, the young man left, mumbling, “I don’t understand anything anymore! These priests know everything!”*

A great beast of a demon?

Scary.