Something to make you go hmmmmmmmmmmm......

[Light of the East]

Did you ever look at the transcripts of the Roman Catholic exorcisms? You know, those three day, exhausting, utterly verbose struggles to get a demon to leave the possessed person?

Did you ever look at how demons were cast out by the Apostles and go

Hmmmmmmmmmmm........

Jesus: "Depart" Demon splits

Apostles: "Go...." Demon splits.

RC priest: Three days of ordering the demons to leave and they are still hanging around.

Just seems.............fishy ..........to me.

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

Luke 9:40-43

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

So, the apostles didn't always just say depart...

 

[archer75]

To be fair...our Liturgy (or RC mass) takes significantly longer than the words spoken by Christ at the Last Supper...

 

[TuxAme]

No, I don't "find it fishy".

 

[Light of the East]

So, the apostles didn't always just say depart...

You miss the entire point.

I compare the way that the Apostles ordered the devil to leave vs what RC exorcists go through now and they are very, very different.

Paul:
Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Act 16:17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

Act 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Then there is this:

http://www.bibleprobe.com/1928exorcism.htm

I just don't understand why, if the bishops have the authority of Christ by the laying on of hands, and that authority it conferred to the priests in the Church, why the same power shouldn't be available now so that with a simple command, the demons are cast out and must flee.

 

[ttcmacro]

Are Orthodox priest able to conduct an effective exorcism with a single phrase? I've never seen one, but I was under the impression that it typically took a bit of work.

Perhaps it does have to do with the holiness of the person conducting the exorcism?

 

[archer75]

Last I heard, the RCC very rarely performed exorcisms.

 

[Light of the East]

Are Orthodox priest able to conduct an effective exorcism with a single phrase? I've never seen one, but I was under the impression that it typically took a bit of work.

Perhaps it does have to do with the holiness of the person conducting the exorcism?

That is also a good question.

 

[buzuxi02]

Oops wrong post

 

[ArmyMatt]

Are Orthodox priest able to conduct an effective exorcism with a single phrase? I've never seen one, but I was under the impression that it typically took a bit of work.

Perhaps it does have to do with the holiness of the person conducting the exorcism?

sure, we do them for every baptism and the blessing of the waters.

 

[~Anastasia~]

This is speculation on my part.

But I think it depends - on the demon, and on the exorcist.

Jesus rebuked the disciples for not being able to cast out a demon, criticizing their faith but he also said "this kind only goes out by prayer and fasting".

So it seems that some demons are more difficult to cast out than others.

And it also seems that the discipline of the exorcist matters.

That's said, its not really our place to worry about the Catholics and how they conduct exorcisms. One would hope that anyone (Catholic, Protestant, etc.) would be able to get rid of demons, if that's the only faith they are going to appeal to anyway and if demons are causing them direct problems.

But I understand the position you're in yourself and desiring to make comparisons.

God be with you.

 

[prodromos]

The Apostles were pure vessels of the Holy Spirit. They had walked with Christ and we're personally taught by Christ for 3 years. He had been preparing them specifically for the mission ahead of them and there is a reason we refer to them as Saints. Read the lives of many who the Church has since recognised as Saints and you will find many who simply told demons to leave and they would obey. I don't think there are many exorcists who would be in the same league as the Saints so it doesn't surprise me that it takes a lot more for them to achieve the same result.

 

[Light of the East]

The Apostles were pure vessels of the Holy Spirit. They had walked with Christ and we're personally taught by Christ for 3 years. He had been preparing them specifically for the mission ahead of them and there is a reason we refer to them as Saints. Read the lives of many who the Church has since recognised as Saints and you will find many who simply told demons to leave and they would obey. I don't think there are many exorcists who would be in the same league as the Saints so it doesn't surprise me that it takes a lot more for them to achieve the same result.

Reasonable reply.

 

[truefiction1]

If one such as myself, who, because of my great sinfulness is ordinarily without much grace, were called upon to perform and exorcism, it may only be through personal exposure to the grace-filled words prepared by the saints (found in the prayers of exorcism) that enough of God's grace could become present within me to endow my voice with the authority of God to make the demon, or demons flee. I think that is why we sometimes make such long prayers.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Light, OP, enough focusing on the Romans and their quirks. Go Orthodox, stay Orthodox, and don’t be like Lot’s wife. Look forward!

 

[ArmyMatt]

Light, OP, enough focusing on the Romans and their quirks. Go Orthodox, stay Orthodox, and don’t be like Lot’s wife. Look forward!

that's actually a great analogy, well done.

 

[truefiction1]

Light, OP, enough focusing on the Romans and their quirks. Go Orthodox, stay Orthodox, and don’t be like Lot’s wife. Look forward!

Yes... and even more than that, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

Light, OP, enough focusing on the Romans and their quirks. Go Orthodox, stay Orthodox, and don’t be like Lot’s wife. Look forward!

that's actually a great analogy, well done.

Yes, to compare the Catholic church to Sodom and Gommorah is nothing but graceful and shed some light on what exactly the op of a different thread (the burnout thread) refers to as people calling all who differs from their own understanding heretics and so on.

Most orthodox I've met irl is far more warm, welcoming and polite. I hope they paint a more accurate picture of the EO than you guys do at times.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Yes, to compare the Catholic church to Sodom and Gommorah is nothing but graceful and shed some light on what exactly the op of a different thread (the burnout thread) refers to as people calling all who differs from their own understanding heretics and so on.

Most orthodox I've met irl is far more warm, welcoming and polite. I hope they paint a more accurate picture of the EO than you guys do at times.

the sex abuse thing actually had nothing to do with what I saw in the comment. rather, it was the OP's desire for Orthodoxy by griping about Rome. the comparison was the OP to Lot's wife waffling, not Rome to Sodom.