- Demonic possession
is no accident: “From both these
cases I would conclude that possession is no accident. I very much doubt
that somebody can go walking down the street one day and have a demon jump
out from behind a bush and penetrate him. Possession appears to be a gradual
process in which the possessed person repeatedly sells out for one reason or
another. The primary reason both these patients sold out seemed to be
loneliness. Each was terribly lonely, and each, early in the process,
adopted the demonic as a kind of imaginary companion.” (People of the Lie,
Dr. Scott Peck, p. 190)
- Persisting in
serious sin will result in possession:
“… we can become completely possessed by
demons if we persist in giving in to temptation and particularly serious
sin, as in the example of Judas Iscariot.” (An Exorcist: More Stories,
Fr. Gabriele Amorth, p. 94)
-
It is possible for the possessed to receive Holy Communion: The Roman Ritual on exorcism states that it is possible for the possessed to receive Communion. Norm #9 from the exorcism ritual states: “Sometimes the devil will leave the possessed person in peace and even allow him to receive the Holy Eucharist, to make it appear that he has departed. In fact, the arts and frauds of the evil one for deceiving a man are innumerable. For this reason the exorcist must be on his guard not to fall into this trap.” This fact is confirmed by several exorcists we contacted."The more experienced exorcists are better able to recognize with certainty most forms of demonic manifestations. For example, the three signs that the Ritual cites as symptoms of satanic possession are talking in unknown languages, exhibiting superhuman strength, and knowing what it hidden; it is my significant experience, and that of all the other exorcists whom I questioned, that these signs always surfaced during an exorcism, never before. It would be unrealistic to expect the manifestation of those signs before proceeding with the exorcism.”
- An Exorcist Tells His Story, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, pp. 46-47.
-
Spectacular signs of possession (as
listed in the Roman Ritual) seldom show up before the exorcism takes place:
Fr. Amorth writes, “The signs listed in the Ritual are limited to the
most spectacular manifestations of possession, such as the ability to speak
or understand unknown languages perfectly, to know the hidden and the remote
or to demonstrate a superhuman physical strength. As I have already
mentioned, I was able to detect these signs only during the blessings
(this is how I always refer to exorcisms), never before.” (An
Exorcist Tells His Story, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, p. 69) Fr. Amorth also
cautions that sometimes these manifestations will only occur after many
exorcisms: “It is also the result of complete inexperience to expect,
before exorcisms, certain types of signs that are usually present only
during, after, or as a result of many exorcisms. I have encountered some
cases that required years of exorcisms before the sickness manifested all
its seriousness. It is useless to try to reduce to standard models the
behavior of those under evil influence. The more experienced exorcists are
better able to recognize with certainty most forms of demonic
manifestations. For example, the three signs that the Ritual cites as
symptoms of satanic possession are talking in unknown languages, exhibiting
superhuman strength, and knowing what it hidden; it is my significant
experience, and that of all the other exorcists whom I questioned, that
these signs always surfaced during an exorcism, never before. It
would be unrealistic to expect the manifestation of those signs before
proceeding with the exorcism.” (An Exorcist Tells His Story, Fr.
Gabriele Amorth, pp. 46-47)
- The possessed do
not always react to holy water, especially before the exorcism has taken
place: “If a person is
sensitive to blessed water or clothes, it may be a sign of an evil presence.
I cannot make the opposite statement. In other words, if there is no
reaction to these tests, it does not necessarily mean the absence of an evil
presence. Demons go to any length to avoid detection.” (An Exorcist Tells
His Story, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, p. 120)
- Demonic possession
is much more prevalent than is commonly believed:
Our Lady of the Roses has warned us, “They
have entered into the House of God, and they possess the body of many men to
do the will of satan.” (Our Lady, August 14, 1973). Also, “The demons
possess many.” (Jesus, September 13, 1974) The exorcist Bishop Andrea Gemma
states, "[The] devil's action is much more common than people may think. He
added that he performs at least four exorcisms a week, and that youngsters
are particularly at risk." (Washington Times, "University teaches
course in exorcism," October 16, 2005).
Priest exorcist Fr. Jose Francisco Syquia of the Philippines says that possession seems to be a common occurrence because of occult practices, such as going to an 'albularyo' (quack doctor) or consulting people who claim to be witches.
("Women prone to demonic possession", Inquirer News Service, by Christian V. Esguerra, November 1, 2005) A priest exorcist we talked to said he was once told by a naive priest, "You know, possession is very rare." This priest exorcist (who does many exorcisms every week) replied, "No it isn't."
- An exorcist does
not automatically know if a person is possessed just by talking to the
person: “When someone comes, or
is brought by family or friends, to be exorcised, one starts with an
examination to determine whether or not there are reasonable grounds for
proceeding with an exorcism. Diagnosis can be made only by such an
examination. Therefore, one begins by studying the symptoms that are
presented by the person or his relatives, as well as their possible cause.”
(An Exorcist Tells His Story, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, p. 69)
- Even exorcists
have made a wrong judgment, and been deceived into declaring that a person
was not possessed when in fact the person was:
Fr. Gabriele Amorth, one of the most famous exorcists in the world, has
admitted in his book that he has been deceived into declaring a person not
possessed: “I clearly remember one person who had consulted several
exorcists, including myself, without any indication of an evil presence.
Finally, one time the demon was forced to reveal himself, and after that the
exorcisms proceeded fruitfully." (An Exorcist Tells His Story, Fr.
Gabriele Amorth, pp. 92-93)
- The possessed can
hold a crucifix, if possession is partial:
Fr. Martin mentions that one of the
possessed was able to hold the crucifix, indicating that the possession was
incomplete. (Hostage to the Devil, Fr. Malachi Martin, p. 225)
- An innocent person
can also become possessed: In certain
circumstances, the demon can enter an innocent victim. Innocent victims may
include children who are not loved, who are mistreated or abused or rejected
by other children, siblings, parents, etc.
Possession can also occur through sexual molestation and incest. When a sexual act is committed against the innocent victim, the one performing the act curses them. The innocent victim, at the time of the act, is filled with fear and terror. Through this fear and terror the demons can easily enter the victim. Unwanted, unloved children can also become possessed. They may look for “familiar” spirits. These evil spirits become their secret friends, a surrogate family, a place where they can find refuge. This type of bond is similar to forming a “pact” with satan, and subjugates the person to this tyrannical servitude (see www.stmichael.pair.com website, advised by the priest exorcist Fr. Cliff Graham).
- Deeply-rooted
possessions are not always the most violent:
“As an aside, I would like to mention that
the most deeply rooted possessions are not always the most violent, and
their healing does not require the greatest length of time. Sometimes, the
strongest reactions to exorcisms come from individuals whose liberation
requires only a few appointments. On the other hand, I have encountered
seemingly minor reactions in victims whose demonic possession was so rooted
that it required several years of exorcism before a successful conclusion.”
(An Exorcist: More Stories, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, pp. 123-124)
- Moral certainty of possession (or lack of possession) can only be obtained through exorcism: “I have already stated that, before all else, exorcisms are diagnostic: only later the goal becomes liberation. It is only through the exorcism itself that we can reach the moral certainty of an evil presence or absence.” (An Exorcist: More Stories, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, pp. 129-130)
“Many demons can only be dispelled by much fast and penance, the greatest source being prayer.” - Jesus, December 31, 1973
“Keep pure and holy thoughts entering your mind, for it is also the focal point of entrance for the evil spirits.” - Jesus, November 24, 1973
“Demons from hell shall enter into the body of any man, woman, or child who has fallen from grace.” - Our Lady of the Roses, June 16, 1977