A little about myself… my name is Jordan Woods and I’m from California. I was born and raised a Christian my entire life and around the age of 19-20 I started questioning and doubting the existence of God and now I’d most likely be labeled a skeptic. I’ve never visited a Catholic church or even read from their Bible or really even researched anything about them honestly. I saw a movie today called “The Rite” that has to do with a Priest and exorcism and it really led me to think that if exorcisms are real and the devil is real, then God has to be real … I don’t know, it just struck a cord with me… any advice?
Hello,
What are you asking? To prove God is real or if exorcisms are real?
If you want to know if God is real, I suggest realing
The Five Ways in
Summa Theologica. But I would point out St. Aquinas will confuse you until you understand him, so read
Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide by Dr. Edward Feser first.
Exorcisms? Here’s a two passages from the Catholic Encyclopedia on
Exorcism:
"We have it on the authority of all early writers who refer to the subject at all that in the first centuries not only the clergy, but lay Christians also were able by the power of Christ to deliver demoniacs or energumens, and their success was appealed to by the early Apologists as a strong argument for the Divinity of the Christian religion (Justin Martyr, First Apology 6; Dialogue with Trypho 30 and 85; Minutius Felix, Octavius 27; Origen, Against Celsus I.25; VII.4; VII.67; Tertullian, Apology 22, 23; etc.). As is clear from testimonies referred to, no magical or superstitious means were employed, but in those early centuries, as in later times, a simple and authoritative adjuration addressed to the demon in the name of God, and more especially in the name of Christ crucified, was the usual form of exorcism.
But sometimes in addition to words some symbolic action was employed, such as breathing (insufflatio), or laying of hands on the subject, or making the sign of cross. St. Justin speaks of demons flying from “the touch and breathing of Christians” (Second Apology 6) as from a flame that burns them, adds St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures 20.3). Origen mentions the laying of hands, and St. Ambrose (Paulinus, Vit. Ambr., n. 28, 43, P.L, XIV, 36, 42), St. Ephraem Syrus (Gregory of Nyssa, De Vit. Ephr., P.G., XLVI, 848) and others used this ceremony in exorcising. The sign of the cross, that briefest and simplest way of expressing one’s faith in the Crucified and invoking His Divine power, is extolled by many Fathers for its efficacy against all kinds of demoniac molestation (Lactantius, Divine Institutes IV.27; Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word 47; Basil, In Isai., XI, 249, P.G., XXX, 557, Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 13.3; Gregory Nazianzen, Carm. Adv. iram, v, 415 sq.; P.G., XXXVII, 842). The Fathers further recommend that the adjuration and accompanying prayers should be couched in the words of Holy Writ (Cyril of Jerusalem, Procatechesis 9; Athanasius, Ad Marcell., n. 33, P.G., XXVII, 45). The present rite of exorcism as given in the Roman Ritual fully agrees with patristic teaching and is a proof of the continuity of Catholic tradition in this matter."
So historical documents point out that exorcisms were done.
Enjoy
