Lucifer is a real person, a spirit with will and intelligence, but no body. He is not a symbol. His is the greatest intelligence ever created. His will is purposeful, focused and powerful. Freely he rejected his status as a creature and determined to self-invent and lead an autonomous kingdom of darkness against God. His purpose: to draw us into that dark world and away from God. He is quintessentially The Liar or The Deceiver. His tactics are: possession, oppression, obsession, temptation, and deception. He has significant influence over the entire world and substantial control over many. His primary deception in our secular world is that he does not exist. This allows him to anonymously take control of our souls.
The good news: Christ has defeated Satan and his armies on the Cross. The victory is definite. But by God's permissive will he continues to reign powerfully in the world as we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, within the Church, to wage war against him and complete the victory of Christ. "The gates of hell will not prevail" against the Church, we hear from Jesus. This means that our offense will overcome the grip of evil. Since Calvary, Lucifer is on the defensive. We are the aggressors. We have and will, in Christ, triumph over evil. Even if it doesn't seem that way sometimes.
It is for us to be alert, vigilant, knowledgeable about the tactics of Satan as to protect ourselves, but then go on the offensive on behalf of the Kingdom of God, with Jesus, Mary, St. Michael the Archangel, all the angels and Church(militant, suffering and triumphant).
Possession
In this first of three letters we will consider possession.
It is real, but very rare in our largely secular world. It is more common in Africa and less sophisticated cultures as it was in the ancient world of Jesus. Is this because those societies are less scientific and mistake psychotic conditions for demonic activity? That is probably true to some extent. Surely Judaism at the time of Jesus and large areas of Africa are unfamiliar with schizophrenia, bipolarity and other diagnoses. But that is not an adequate explanation. The recognized cases of possession in our scientific world are always clearly evaluated by psychiatrists who rule out such psychological diagnoses. Only after such thorough examinations does the Church consider an exorcism. It is similar to the miracles involved in canonization of a saint: copious scientific evidence must determine that there was not possibility of a natural explanation for the cure.
My theory: Lucifer realizes that he gets more work done, in our non-believing world, anonymously and covertly, by convincing us that he does not exist. He is the Great Deceiver and this may be his greatest single deception since he talked with Eve about the fruit of the Tree in the Garden. In primitive societies, where there remains a sense of the supernatural, he gets more mileage out of possession as he torments, intimidates, discourages and overwhelms. But in our world he works secretly.
As you know from the movies, in possession the demon takes control of the personality and acts out, often in obscene, dramatic ways: cursing, speaking foreign languages, vomiting, showing unnatural strength, and demonstrating supernatural powers. I have myself never seen a possession but have spoken to people who have: exorcists and even rational, skeptical people who would be inclined to disparage such reports.
The person possessed, for example a child, may be innocent of sin and entirely a victim. In that sense, possession, despite its horror to us, is actually less grave than mortal sin. We really have no clue as to why the demons afflict certain people: if there is a logic or strategy, it is opaque to us. However exorcists and those in deliverance ministry identify the primary paths the demons take into the soul. These might be practiced by others, such as parents or family, rather than the victim.
1. The Occult. Any intentional evoking of spirits (outside of prayer and liturgy of course) opens a door into which demons happily enter. This includes: ouija boards, fortune telling, astrology, tarot cards, and communication with ghosts or demons. So, for example, if a family member is practicing this an innocent child might become the target of a devil. Even seemingly harmless practices like having your palm read or playing with a ouija board can be openings to the demonic. Therefore these practices are absolutely forbidden. Any use of such must be confessed as soon as possible. Some worry about the popularity of things like Harry Potter in its positive portrayal of magic. These concerns are not irrational but my view is that if used simply as entertainment they are not objectionable.
2. Mortal Sin. This also can open a door to the diabolical. Sexual sin is particularly vulnerable since such intercourse for the human is never merely physical but an opening of one soul to another. Therefore, a sinful interchange, outside of marriage, is an opening of the soul to the evil of the partner. Sex as conjugal love within marriage is a holy act; outside of that, it is gravely evil, however good the intentions of the participants.
3. Trauma. As the devil is a coward, he attacks always the one who is weak. When a person is traumatized, she is vulnerable, wounded and defenseless. It is at that point the demon takes advantage and attacks. This can be possession, obsession or oppression (which we will discus in the next letter.) So, if a young person is abused and violated, almost certainly there is legion of demons ready to pounce on one without protection and remain there to torment her forever.
4. Family Tree. We inherit from our parents and ancestors, not only our biological DNA and cultural/ethnic history, but a spiritual legacy, for better and for worse. Serious patterns and events of sin from past generations are passed onto us unconsciously, much like our DNA. So we often see in families ongoing generational patterns, some of which are not overtly taught or intended: abuse, addiction, infidelity, violence. suicide, instability, and hatred of the Church. I have read, for example, that in the aftermath of an abortion, even when hidden and unknown, an innocent adolescent is vulnerable to the eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) that directly attack especially the female body. There is evidence that certain sins, in the family line, bear fruit in particular physical maladies, just as we know that uncontrolled rage, anxiety or depression affect the body in specific ways. This is, of course, inconceivable and ridiculous to a materialist mindset. The good news: these family curses can be broken, especially if identified and specifically renounced in prayer. Also good news: if we inherit the bad, we do the same for the good!
In the Catholic Church, only priests designated by the bishop are allowed to do exorcisms. There are several fine, fascinating books by exorcists, especially those by the now deceased exorcist of Rome, Fr. Amorth. Normally the identity of the exorcist is not made public, probably to shield him from frequent, unwarranted petitions. As noted above, exorcists work closely with psychiatrists to differentiate real possession from psychiatric disorders. Fr. Amorth reported some years ago that he is flooded with requests from all over Europe because many bishops do not authorize an exorcist as they are obviously weak in their understanding of the demonic. Evangelical and Pentecostal (charismatic) Protestants often have a stronger sense of spiritual combat and engage the demonic but we will address that(in the next letter) as "deliverance" which is a less intense battle against "obsession" and "oppression."
At a birthday party an exorcist from another diocese told me of a possession. He had a group helping him and singing songs of praise and praying. The devil was resistant. He asked: "When did you enter her?" (I don't know if such conversation is "best practices". The Vatican holds training sessions for hundreds of exorcists-in-training regularly.) The demon answered "At age 12." Eventually the demon was cast out. He asked the woman: "What happened to you at age 12?" She answered: "I had my first period. My mother had wanted a son and hated that I was a girl. She cursed me terribly." In this case, the trauma seems to have been the occasion for the possession.
In the mid 1970s, my wife and I were at home in Jersey City with out infant daughter when we got a phone call from friends in our Catholic Charismatic Prayer group: Hispanic brother and sister in West NY. The sister's description of her brother I took to be classic symptoms of the demonic. I called our pastor who was experienced in spiritual combat, deliverance but not full-blown exorcism, from his jail ministry. Got no answer. I knew a fine pastor in West New York near my friends. He was chaplain at the county psychiatric hospital so he was familiar with psychosis. Lots of common sense. He of course was skeptical of supernatural activity but consented to visit them. We prayed five decades of the rosary. Later I learned what happened. Our pastor got our message and went to the home with oils, crucifix, prayer book. The other priest arrived first and was horrified by what he saw: unlike any mental illness he had seen. Our pastor did an exorcism. Both priests agreed this was the supernatural.
In college, my friend John Harper was absolutely the leader of the class: mature, wise beyond his years, kind, extremely competent and gifted. The most fun and funny man I ever knew! After his ordination he was immediately put in leadership in Maryknoll. He studied theology in the 1970s and said he learned nothing about the demonic. In those years, theology became very interested in psychology and political justice with the supernatural downplayed, but not denied. It was ignored in many ways. This contrasted of course, with the non-academic but spiritual formation I was getting in the Charismatic Renewal. He described to me an incident he did not expect. He was counseling a woman who started to manifest demonic activity. He did not understand. He did remember, however, from the seminary, that an exorcism is basically a command to the devil: "In the name of Jesus Christ, be gone!" He did that several times. The demon departed. He was dumbfounded. Theologically unprepared for the encounter.
I was myself exorcised. It was only a simple, not the solemn rite used in possession. I have no grotesque manifestations to report. Previously, I had read about, attended conferences and observed as a trainee deliverance sessions. I had learned to practice renunciation of demons in my own combat. But I was on a personal retreat at the Franciscan Friary in Newark and telling the Friar about a persistent pattern of temptation and sin. He offered me a simple exorcism. He was practiced and authorized by the bishop, but not the official exorcist (as far as I know.) I accepted. He prayed an Church formula from an official prayer book. It felt like about 20 minutes. Very quiet, no drama. Invocation of St. Michael, the saints, etc. What you would expect. Did it work? I think so.
You were also exorcised. At baptism, exorcism is part of the rite. The demons are expelled. This is a great thing. But of course, they come back. They are out to get you. They will never tire. But you need not worry much about possession. It is highly unlikely. If it happens, we get the exorcist. That's all.
Next letter we treat obsession and deliverance. Much more pertinent to you and me.
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