Exorcism: The Facts
By Melissa Jones
You’ve seen it done by Hollywood, from the levitation and projectile
green pea vomit in classic films like “The Exorcist” to multiple possessions
and supernatural strength in new documentary style films like “The Devil
Inside.” The main theme of these films is exorcism, but is what all we see
in the movies really true of exorcism? Or is it all smoke and mirrors in an
attempt to appeal to audiences and add that extra scare factor? To find
out the truth, I scoured resources searching for the truth and here’s what
I found out. Exorcism is the act of casting out/dispelling demons from a
host whom is believed to be possessed. The word “exorcism” derives
from the Greek word for oath, “exousia,” to exorcise thus means
something along the lines of placing the possessing spirit under oathinvoking a higher authority to compel the spirit-rather than an actual
casting out. The demonic presence is always commanded to leave the
host in the name of the father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit rather
than the authority of the priest.
According to Isaiah 14:12, demons are former angels that are fallen and
have been cast out of heaven to earth and whose judgment is eternal
torment, 2 Peter 2:4. Although demons have been sentenced, their
punishment won’t be fulfilled until the end of times according to Matt.
25:41. Demons strongly oppose God and react violently to religious
paraphernalia during an exorcism. Exorcism is often a heated debate
among Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox believers on whether
Exorcism should be practiced regularly as part of the Christian Ministry.
There are some that believe that a possession can be mistaken for a
physical or psychological abnormality. There are many believers that hold
onto to a view between these two views, believing that demons possess
people to get back at God through his believers, not be responsible for
life’s hardships.
When determining whether the victim is indeed possessed, the priest
follows a set of guidelines issued by The Vatican listing signs of possession.
The Vatican first issued official guidelines on exorcism in 1614, and revised
them in 1999. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, signs
of demonic possession include superhuman strength, aversion to holy
water, and the ability to speak in unknown languages. Other potential
signs of demonic possession include spitting, cursing, and “excessive
masturbation.” Before an exorcism can be performed, an ordained priest
must seek permission from the local bishop as well as have the possessed
thoroughly examined by a medical doctor to rule out the possibility of a
mental illness. An exorcism is done as a last resort nowadays with the
Vatican rewriting their guidelines in 1999 and requiring a medical
examination of the victim to rule out mental illness, the possessed must
meet most,