Anyone who doubts satan is alive and well, taking control of lives in the modern world, need only look at andrea yates.
Posted on 03/03/2002 11:17:13 AM PST by H.R. Gross
March 03, 2002
Pope takes fight to Satan with third exorcism
ALTHOUGH he is 81, Pope John Paul II is still doing battle with the Prince of Darkness — he has recently performed the third exorcism of his papacy.
The pontiff's intervention in a case of satanic possession reflects a growth in occultism and a rising demand for exorcism, according to clergy involved in what is known as "deliverance ministry".
His latest attempt to exorcise evil took place during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square. Among the crowd of thousands, sitting in a row of the lame, was Valeria, a 19-year-old whom Italian exorcists believe has been possessed by demons since the age of 12.
As the Pope blessed the faithful, Valeria's demons stirred. She twisted and screamed, attracting the attention of the pontiff. A bishop tried to calm her with an effigy of the Virgin Mary and holy water, but she merely raged at him.
Valeria was then taken for a private encounter with the Pope, who prayed for the devil to leave her body. He took her in his arms, blessed her and promised to say mass for her the next day. His
actions appeared to soothe the woman.
According to Father Gabriele Amorth, 75, president of the International Association of Exorcists, there was no doubt Satan had inhabited her body. "I saw immediately she was possessed to an extreme degree," said Amorth, who describes the typical symptoms of possession as violent aversion to the sign of the cross, inhuman strength and speaking in tongues.
In his office, he keeps a bag of the objects he claims sufferers have vomited during exorcisms, including locks of hair, shards of glass, ropes and pieces of radio equipment. His only weapons against evil are the cross, holy water and extra-virgin olive oil.
The Pope's attempt at exorcism, which took place in September, was also inconclusive. Papal intervention, however, has been seized upon by exorcists as approval from on high for their activities.
"His action is wonderful news because most bishops and priests who have never done an exorcism don't believe they are any use," said Amorth. Demand appears to be running ahead of the supply of exorcists.
The Pope has ruled that every diocese should appoint at least one exorcist, but that is not always enough according to some British priests. One said he had been appointed to assist a busy exorcist in an English diocese and was "almost drowned by the endless telephone calls".
The Vatican, however, remains wary of a practice many see as more akin to superstition than religion. Dr Mark Blackwell, a consultant psychiatrist at Sutton hospital, Surrey, believes mental illness is nearly always the problem, not diabolical possession.
"As a practising Catholic I believe possession is possible, but I have never seen it," he said. "Whenever I see people who think they are possessed, they usually turn out to have a psychotic illness."
Recognising this, the Vatican has redrafted its rules with a recommendation that exorcists consult psychiatrists before taking on the Accursed Dragon, the Foul Spirit or the Enemy of the Faith — some of the names used for Satan during exorcism.
The Vatican declined to discuss the Pope's exorcisms. But it is known he has conducted at least two others: one in 1982 and another in 2000.
Anyone who doubts satan is alive and well, taking control of lives in the modern world, need only look at andrea yates.
There are times when evil manifests itself in the most supernatural of ways, and that justifies the rare use of exorcism. Other times, evil manifests itself in completely natural ways, and GOD expects us to use the common sense, wisdom, strength and knowledge he has given us to combat such evil. Thankfully , we have a president who is willing to do so...
....and Tom Daschle and Hillary and Bill and Monica and Chuck and AlBore and Carville etc.....
seriously, I am curious if the olive oil mentioned has been consecrated or is just off the shelf stuff. Is it Italian, Greek, Israeli ?
I think a hit on this link ought to answer that question.
As far as Hillary possessed..you might find this to be an interesting read...
J6P
Surprised it wasn't Extra, Extra Virgin Olive oil??? I've been told the holy water is just ordinary tap water that's had the hell boiled out of it.
My impression is that the power comes from Christ and garnered via the faith of others, but nonetheless He is the power which gives reason for fallen spirits to depart from possessions of other persons. The issue isn't as superstitious, as much as it is supernatural.
And your impressions are generally correct. I've had it satisfactorily explained to me by an old Franciscan as follows...
Faith is the suspension of logic...To truly believe that a man can have nails pounded through his wrists and ankles, after have been severely lashed, bled severely from the head as the result of of a helmet of thorns, then woke up three days later, as though nothing is wrong, is to suspend logic. GOD has blessed us with logic, which in a sense, seperates us from the animals, and makes us unique as humans. In comprehending HIS greatness, we must be able to suspend that logic, and therefore, there are signs, symbols, and miracles, that help us to do so. The Catholic Church is rife with symbology.
I've found the definition of faith is a tough one. The one the Franciscan provides---"Faith is the suspension of logic..." is a bit simplistic IMHO. Logic and faith are different things. Animals have the ability to perceive, generate emotion, act with simple logical patterns. Man's acceptance of logic may be able to associate meaning, naming and identity to language and deduce and induce logical conclusions. But faith also remains a separate topic.
Some associate faith akin to a set of premises from which logic may operate to provide conclusive meaningful positions.
It has been cast alongside other epistemilogical topics such as intuition, belief, psychological certainty, perception, etc. Although these are also discernible topics referenced in many classical arguments on epistemology of the past 3000 years or so.
..To truly believe that a man can have nails pounded through his wrists and ankles, after have been severely lashed, bled severely from the head as the result of of a helmet of thorns, then woke up three days later, as though nothing is wrong, is to suspend logic.
In some cases ,one might suspend logic in the acceptance of these truths, but the events as provided appear to be more of a manifest incarnation of Deity. An incredible display for man to grasp through physical perception that Christ did indeed defeat the believed permanence of death. Christ's death on the cross, the witness of that event is clearly material, carnal, bodily, perceptual combined with logical rigidity. His rising on the third day, again was put to the physical test of having to remove a large stone, pass guards whose lives were at stake if they failed in their duties, and reported by those most surprised by its occurance. Again, their reports were not so much based upon suspension of logic, but adament reporting of their testimony to observed events. The acceptance of the reports and the historicity of the events also may be based purely upon the logical conclusions and observations of human behavior in the reporting. Faith, though, perhaps also deals with a personal recognition and acceptance of those things external from us which we recognize to have meaning and substance.
"GOD has blessed us with logic, which in a sense, seperates us from the animals, and makes us unique as humans. In comprehending HIS greatness, we must be able to suspend that logic, and therefore, there are signs, symbols, and miracles, that help us to do so. "
Agreed that we have been blessed with logic or reason, (perhaps some more than others...;^)..) But in comprehending His greatness, logic frequently helps for us to understand His image. Faith need not suspend logic as it is a different thing entirely. Additionally, love is referenced in Scripture to be even more powerful than implements of the law,...perhaps also inclusive of logic.
The Catholic Church is rife with symbology. agreed
Some other epistemilogical topics which have import upon such studies include: Meaning, Truth, Intuition, Belief, Psychological Certainty, Logic, Memory, Perception, Induction, Deduction, Naming, Identity, Continuity, Universalism, Justification, Validity, Insight, and Faith.
Consider the reports of the resurrection. They are nearly always based upon rigorous reporting of physical events. So when a surprising or unexpected event transpires, any number or combination of these topics are frequently called into question regarding the occurance. Similarly the supernatural in general, is likewise called into question. In some cases of fraud or false testimony or even mistaken perceptions, some other combination of 'known' basis are given more credance than the others. Frequently, in first hand studies of the supernatural, the issues may even be more convoluted.
Satanism isn't funny. People who open their minds and souls to Satan shouldn't be surprised if the results are extremely unpleasant, for them as well as those around them. We saw it in the Son of Sam case, and we saw it again recently in the German couple who had been practicing vampirism and murdered a friend because Satan told them to. Vampirism is a common fad in our own country. Some of the practictioners may just think they are playing around and having fun, but these things are nothing to mess with.
The power of Christ compels you.
The power of Christ compels you.
The power of Christ compels you.
The power of Christ compels you.
I thought the problem with Andrea Yates was a documented mental disease, not that it excuses her, but the Devil didn't make her do it.
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