- Feb 5, 2002
- 182,365
- 65,998
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
We are pleased to share an excerpt from Adam Blai’s new book, “The History of Exorcism,” by Sophia Institute Press.
When we say exorcism, we usually refer to the solemn exorcism we have seen in movies and television: a liturgical rite performed by priests intended to drive demons out of a possessed person. Historically, it was not always a fixed liturgical rite, and it was not always performed by priests. In addition to solemn exorcisms there are also exorcistic prayers contained in other liturgical rites that are not solemn exorcisms, such as Baptism and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Finally, there is the “minor” exorcism, written in 1890, intended to free homes, locations, or objects from demonic attachment and manifestation. There are also sacramentals that have exorcistic properties that drive away demons, such as holy water, Church bells, and the St. Benedict medal.
The form of exorcism that has required the most attention in the history of the Church is solemn exorcism. It is the form given the most prominence by Jesus, in action and word. It is also the form most fraught with danger, as it is the circumstance when the Church directly clashes with a demon that is inhabiting a body with which it can strike out, speak, tempt, and manipulate others.
Exorcism has come into a new prominence in Western culture since the 1960s. This is the result of a number of events, as well as tensions within the Church and between the Church and the world. The Church of Satan was founded in 1966, as well as a number of less famous black magic cults. Witchcraft was recreated by Gerald Gardner in the 1960s, spawning the myriad forms of Wicca seen today. Deliverance prayer came to the fore in the Catholic world with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal starting in 1967. William Peter Blatty wrote his book, The Exorcist, based on a real case (Robbie Mannheim, exorcised in 1949), in 1971. The movie The Exorcist, by William Friedkin, was released in 1973, and it had a huge global impact. Anneliese Michel died after an exorcism in Germany in 1976,and in the same year, Fr. Martin’s famous book Hostage to the Devil was released worldwide. The “satanic panic” occurred in the 1980s and 1990s in the United States. Fr. Amorth’s book An Exorcist Tells His Story was released in English in 1999. All of this is not to say that exorcism had entirely left the awareness of the West before the 1960s. There were earlier examples, such as the pamphlet Begone Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession, originally published in 1935.
Continued below.
ignitumtoday.com
When we say exorcism, we usually refer to the solemn exorcism we have seen in movies and television: a liturgical rite performed by priests intended to drive demons out of a possessed person. Historically, it was not always a fixed liturgical rite, and it was not always performed by priests. In addition to solemn exorcisms there are also exorcistic prayers contained in other liturgical rites that are not solemn exorcisms, such as Baptism and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Finally, there is the “minor” exorcism, written in 1890, intended to free homes, locations, or objects from demonic attachment and manifestation. There are also sacramentals that have exorcistic properties that drive away demons, such as holy water, Church bells, and the St. Benedict medal.
The form of exorcism that has required the most attention in the history of the Church is solemn exorcism. It is the form given the most prominence by Jesus, in action and word. It is also the form most fraught with danger, as it is the circumstance when the Church directly clashes with a demon that is inhabiting a body with which it can strike out, speak, tempt, and manipulate others.
Exorcism has come into a new prominence in Western culture since the 1960s. This is the result of a number of events, as well as tensions within the Church and between the Church and the world. The Church of Satan was founded in 1966, as well as a number of less famous black magic cults. Witchcraft was recreated by Gerald Gardner in the 1960s, spawning the myriad forms of Wicca seen today. Deliverance prayer came to the fore in the Catholic world with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal starting in 1967. William Peter Blatty wrote his book, The Exorcist, based on a real case (Robbie Mannheim, exorcised in 1949), in 1971. The movie The Exorcist, by William Friedkin, was released in 1973, and it had a huge global impact. Anneliese Michel died after an exorcism in Germany in 1976,and in the same year, Fr. Martin’s famous book Hostage to the Devil was released worldwide. The “satanic panic” occurred in the 1980s and 1990s in the United States. Fr. Amorth’s book An Exorcist Tells His Story was released in English in 1999. All of this is not to say that exorcism had entirely left the awareness of the West before the 1960s. There were earlier examples, such as the pamphlet Begone Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession, originally published in 1935.
Continued below.
The History of Exorcism
We are pleased to share an excerpt from Adam Blai’s new book, “The History of Exorcism,” by Sophia Institute Press. When we say exorcism, we usually refer to the solemn exo…
ignitumtoday.com
