There has been much discussion over the years regarding the Rite of Baptism in the RC Church and the toned down prayers post VCII. Last year, I was invited to attend the Baptism and Chrismation in the Maronite Catholic Church. When the Baptismal service approached the Rite of Exorcism, Father instructed ALL present to turn around and face the doors of the Church, thus acting as a human shield. It was very powerful.
The world belongs to Satan and his minions. He tries to masquerade himself as the invention of Middle Age thinking. Surely those who live in today's society are far more sophisticated. The intelligentia must know better, right? He is quite real and the saints who have been granted the extraordinary grace of seeing Hell, testify to his existence. I look forward to reading Fr. Euteneur's book.
This topic freaks me out too much to read a book on it, which is a bad thing, I know.
That’s the way we do the exorcism too, and it is done in the narthex before the catechumen is brought into the nave.
“If we are to fight for the salvation of souls, we must know our enemy....”
Sound advice and far too seldom heard in the West.
Very interesting! I recently was astonished to see a priest perform the old “mini-exorcism” part of an infant baptism, where he imitates Christ by stopping the ears and banishing the devil. This is not part of the ‘contemporary’ rites, but the priest said who is he to not do it and offer maximum protection to the child?
One the one hand, seems sort of medieval and superstitious, but on the other hand, how can we go wrong imitating Christ when it comes to dealing with evil?