Posted on 11/26/2010 8:37:29 AM PST by mlizzy
…….many in the Church do not like talking about, or even thinking about, exorcisms and spiritual warfare. A priest from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (are alarm bells going off?) and apparently a leader at the National Federation of Priests Councils (do we really have time for such things, with the enormous shortage of priests?), has belittled exorcism as a valid rite of the Church.
The conference on exorcism comes at a time, he said, when the church is bringing back traditional practices. The Vatican has authorized the revival of the Latin Mass, and now a revised English translation of the liturgy, said to be closer to a direct translation from the Latin, is to be put in use in American parishes next year.
“People are talking about, are we taking two steps back?” Father Vega said. “My first reaction when I heard about the exorcism conference was, this is another of those trappings we’ve pulled out of the past.”
But he said that there could eventually be a rising demand for exorcism because of the influx of Hispanic and African Catholics to the United States. People from those cultures, he said, are more attuned to the experience of the supernatural.
Is that a bit condescending, perhaps even more than just condescending, but tending towards an air of effete superiority? Fr. Z then comments:
I think we are more in need now of good and holy exorcists than ever because the Enemy is bold, cunning and has succeeded with the help of men who ought to know better in belittling his malicious work to the point where the “devil” is a punchline.
But consider: the enemy has ability of fallen angels. They have knowledge and patience. They never sleep. They are never distracted. They never forget. They never flag in their malice.
Priests would do well to think about the four last things before going to bed. A priest will be judged by the Just Judge as a priest, not as Joe Sixpack. Then think about what must go through the mind of a soul during those first ten seconds in hell.
They had better think about hell good and hard, because they are going to go to hell if they by negligence prompt people to stop believing in the attacks of the enemy and the possibility of a judgment that could go very badly indeed. And he would be, in hell, also a priest forever, with particular torments, special pains.
I am very gratified that Bishop Paprocki has recognized the lack of attention paid to exorcism and spiritual warfare and is seeking to begin to redress this problem. I pray this conference is well attended, and that bishops everywhere will take exorcism and spiritual warfare very seriously. With more and more people turning away from God, and more and more influence of the occult and wicca type practices in the culture (and frequently associated with abortion), I pray that bishops will not only allow, but encourage priests to become trained exorcists, as we will likely need their services increasingly in the future. I pray that Fr. Euteneur and his 5 cohorts, the only current exorcists in the country, will have much company soon.
I was told the story of a girl in this area who may have had a demonic curse placed on her, or something similar. Anytime she came near the Blessed Sacrament, she would have serious medical problems. This is a real phenomenon. It can be very frightening, but we must put on the armor of God, stay in a state of Grace, and trust in the Saving Grace of Christ’s Body and Blood.
If you’re talking about “Exorcism and the Church Militant”, Amazon shows it as “out of print”. Don’t know about it being “pulled”.
When the church starts denying the power of God and denying that people can be possessed and set free by the power of God it’s not a good thing.
mlizzy,
I just found this, haven’t finished reading yet, but, like you, am severely bummed. I want to find this.
http://www.sanctepater.com/2010/11/fr-thomas-euteneuer-exorcism-and-church.html If you find it, please, let me know.
I’m going to check our local Catholic book store; also our library. If I can find a copy at the library, I’ll just bend the pages on it, and pay for it. That’s how we came to acquire all our O’Brien books, however, it was our dogs and cats that did the “bending.” His books are very much still available on Amazon.
You can still read Fr. Malachi Martin’s “Hostage to the Devil.”
Thank you! Have you read it?
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