Exorcisms by others than Priests

[Redratfish]

I know that exorcisms still take place today, my own parish priest has taken part in some.

I was wondering what the Church’s teaches in terms of Non priests exorcising demons.

Can only priests exorcise through apostolic succession, or may anyone exorcise?

 

[joandarc2008]

I know that exorcisms still take place today, my own parish priest has taken part in some.

I was wondering what the Church’s teaches in terms of Non priests exorcising demons.

Can only priests exorcise through apostolic succession, or may anyone exorcise?

From the CCC:

1673 When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing.178 In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.179

 

[SonCatcher]

Demons are quite dangerous (Acts 19:13-16) and might not leave immediately (Mark 9:29, Luke 8:29). Also, if your faith lacks at all, you might need to call in a higher authority (Matthew 17:14-21).

A duly trained and authorized exorcist has the full authority and faith of the Church when he performs the Rite of exorcism. Since priests are already well-trained in spiritual matters (I hope), it makes most sense to select exorcists from among them.

 

[Redratfish]

I guess i should have made the OP clearer

In terms of a protestant minister performing an exorcism, is this… the best word I can think of is “effective”?

I would go to a priest if I was in need of one. However, I have heard of various Protestant ministers performing exorcisms as well, and was wondering if the Church taught the ability was passed down by the apostles, or whether a protestant minister can do one as well.

 

[joandarc2008]

I guess i should have made the OP clearer

In terms of a protestant minister performing an exorcism, is this… the best word I can think of is “effective”?

I would go to a priest if I was in need of one. However, I have heard of various Protestant ministers performing exorcisms as well, and was wondering if the Church taught the ability was passed down by the apostles, or whether a protestant minister can do one as well.

The History Channel suprisingly enough did a special on this once. Believe it or not during the reformation the Protestants tried to compete with us in the whole “exorcism business” and it was even followed by the media. The Catholic Church was successful in cases where they failed several times solidifying the Rite in our books (a little more publicly) and pushing it almost out of use in most Protestant Churches.

 

[EricFilmer]

I guess i should have made the OP clearer

In terms of a protestant minister performing an exorcism, is this… the best word I can think of is “effective”?

I would go to a priest if I was in need of one. However, I have heard of various Protestant ministers performing exorcisms as well, and was wondering if the Church taught the ability was passed down by the apostles, or whether a protestant minister can do one as well.

In Christianity, the term “exorcism” can have a broad usage. The Catholic Church makes a distinction between the Rite of Exorcism and a Deliverance Prayer. The Rite of Exorcism can only be done by a bishop or a priest (who has been properly delegated by a bishop). The Rite of Exorcism draws upon the authority Jesus gave to his Church to cast out demons.

A Deliverance Prayer involves someone praying to Jesus to cast a demon out of himself or out of another. As such, anyone can resort to Deliverance Prayers, whether they are clergy or laity, and whether they are Catholic, Protestant, etc.

Many Protestant ministers will identify themselves as “exorcists” and that they are conducting “exorcisms.” Others will identify their services as “deliverance ministry.” But in these cases (regardless of the terms used), what they are doing is using Deliverance Prayers, and not exorcisms according to the Catholic understanding of the term. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church does not have a copyright on the word “exorcism”, so others are free to use it and define it in other ways.

Both Catholic exorcisms and Christian Deliverance Prayers draw upon the power of Christ. It’s just a question of how. Both can be effective, although from a Catholic viewpoint an exorcism is better because it involves someone whose prayers are coupled with ordained ministry.

As a side note, as Fr. Gabriel Armoth pointed out in his book, An Exorcist Tells His Story, the best ways of casting out demons come through the sacraments. Baptism, for example, is a type of exorcism. For Catholics who have been baptized, the most powerful means of spiritual combat is to make a good Confession and then receive the Eucharist. After all, these are sacraments and therefore act as extremely powerful channels of grace. The Rite of Exorcism, as powerful as it is, is still not a sacrament, but a sacramental. All this is good news for Catholics who feel beset upon by demons. I say this because it is very difficult to arrange to get an exorcism, whereas Confession and the Eucharist are easily obtainable on a regular basis.

 

[Bookcat]

I know that exorcisms still take place today, my own parish priest has taken part in some.

I was wondering what the Church’s teaches in terms of Non priests exorcising demons.

Can only priests exorcise through apostolic succession, or may anyone exorcise?

The power to “cast out demons” was from the beginning something that Christians exercised…in virtue of their Baptism and the Name of Jesus…this in the beginning was a even a sign to the pagans…(and the demonic was a much greater problem then…due to paganism and so forth)

However…starting around prob. the 4th-5th centuries if I recall correctly…Priests began to be particularly given this task …and Church later restricted formal exorcism to Priests duly delegated by the Bishop (in the west) due to problems that grew up…

In the Roman Rite (the West) the “formal Rite of Exorcism” is only to be used by Priests who have been delegated by the Bishop to do so.

(though there are prayers in the back of the New rite from 1998 for the use of the Faithful against evil…)

Canon Law

Can. 1172 §1. No one can perform exorcisms legitimately upon the possessed unless he has obtained special and express permission from the local ordinary.

§2. The local ordinary is to give this permission only to a presbyter who has piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life.

(this includes the use by groups of the shorter one from the older Rite…it is not to be done by groups of lay persons…only Priests with permission from the ordinary)

And the CDF issued a document that re-emphasized this…toward the end of the 20th century…

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Other prayer…use of Sacramentals (crucifs, Holy water etc)…telling the devil to get out of ones life or go way from one tempting one or bothering one… can be done by lay persons in virtue of their Baptism …and in the name of Jesus…and by Priests in virtue also of Holy Orders…

If there is any question of possession…call ones diocese etc…for an investigation and exorcist.

 

[SonCatcher]

I guess i should have made the OP clearer

In terms of a protestant minister performing an exorcism, is this… the best word I can think of is “effective”?

I would go to a priest if I was in need of one. However, I have heard of various Protestant ministers performing exorcisms as well, and was wondering if the Church taught the ability was passed down by the apostles, or whether a protestant minister can do one as well.

[BIBLEDRB]Mark 9:37-39[/BIBLEDRB]

 

[promethius]

Both Catholic exorcisms and Christian Deliverance Prayers draw upon the power of Christ. It’s just a question of how. Both can be effective, although from a Catholic viewpoint an exorcism is better because it involves someone whose prayers are coupled with ordained ministry.

I would add to this that there are multiple levels of possession… in each a different level of action is required…

Deliverance prayers are only efficacious over demonic influence, not true possession. A person who is becoming possessed undergoes a time where they are slowly falling into the state of influence of the demon attacking their soul. During this time, self-initiating the use of the sacraments or having a deliverance prayer may be efficacious in delivering the person from such influence.

The next stage is a possession. In this case, the person’s will has been dominated by the demon. They will not self-initiate the sacraments, and if they do they will not validly participate in any of them (for example, may intentionally commit sacrilage in going through a sacrament, but will not participate in such a way as to expose themselves to grace that would harm the demon). There is no record of a medically proven and church recognized possession in which anyone other than a priest successfully exorcised the victim. In many cases, the unapproved who have tried have died in that attempt. Actual possession varies by degrees based on the level to which a person’s will has been dominated.

The final stage is perfect possession. These people’s wills have not only been dominated, but have been converted. Their entire will is turned away from any longing for God. They will not receive the sacraments except to commit sacrilage, and there is no exorcism which can help them because there is no shred of human will left which still desires God.

A great book on this (adding to the already great book by Fr Amorth) is “Hostage to the Devil” written by Malachi Martin back before he fell out with the church…