Posted on 08/09/2014 1:52:48 PM PDT by NYer
Don Gabriele Amorth recounts his mentor's advice on how to talk to the Devil.
In 2012, the cause of beatification and canonization for Fr. Candido Amantini, a Passionist priest who served as the exorcist for the diocese of Rome for 36 years at the Scala Santa, was taken up in Rome. His most famous disciple (who is considered to be his successor) is 87 year old Don Gabriele Amorth, who wanted to participate in the opening ceremony of the process. The Pauline priest, who recently published the book, The Last Exorcist, wished to remember the Passionist Father and told us about the time when then devil argued with his teacher about Hell.
Don Amorth, are you happy? Fr. Candido will become a blessed.
It is a great joy because Fr. Candido was a man of God! He was always serene, always smiling, never angry even with the devil! Everyone was talking about him, he was extremely well known in Rome, where he served as exorcist for 36 years without ever quitting.
What do you remember about your teacher?
He was endowed with special charisms. For example, it was enough for him to see a photograph to determine whether a person needed an exorcism or medical treatment …
In what sense?
I’ll relate one episode. One day I was with him and he showed me three photographs that had been brought to him. He took the first, which portrayed a man, and he said to me: “Do you see, Don Amorth?”. And I replied: “I don’t see anything”. And he responded: “This man doesn’t need anything”. Then he took the photo of a woman and asked me again: “Do you see, Don Amorth?”, and again I responded: “I don’t understand anything, Don Candido”. His response was: “This woman greatly needs medical treatment, she needs to go see the doctors and not the exorcists”. Finally, he took the third photo picturing a young lady: “Do you see Fr. Amorth? This young lady needs an exorcism, do you see?”. and I replied: “Fr. Candido, I don’t see anything! I only see if someone is beautiful or ugly. And to be quite honest, this young lady isn’t bad at all!”. And he burst out laughing! I had made a joke, but he had already understood that that girl needed God.
You’ve said before that Fr. Candido never got angry, not even with the devil. Was Satan afraid of him?
He was very afraid of him, he trembled before him! He would immediately run away. In reality, the devil is afraid of all of us, one only needs to live in God’s grace!
Obviously you witnessed Don Amantini’s exorcisms…
Of course! I went to them for six years. I was appointed exorcist in 1986 and I began to perform exorcisms with him beginning that year. Then in 1990, two years before he died, I began performing exorcisms alone because he wasn’t practicing anymore. When someone went to him he responded: “Go see Fr. Amorth”. That is why I am considered to be his successor…
Was Fr. Candido ironic even with the devil?
I want to tell you about one very important episode to help you understand a truth. You need to know that when there’s a case of diabolical possession, there is a dialogue between the exorcist and the devil. Satan is a great liar, but sometimes the Lord obliges him to tell the truth. Once Fr. Candido was liberating a person after many exorcisms and with his typical irony he told the devil: “Go away for the Lord has created a nice warm home for you, he has prepared a little house for you where you won’t suffer from the cold”. However, the devil interrupted him and replied: “You don’t know anything”.
What did he mean?
When the devil interrupts with a saying like this, it means that God has obliged him to tell the truth. And this time it was extremely important. The faithful often ask me: “But how is it possible that God created Hell, why did he think of a place of suffering?”. And so that time the devil responded to the provocations of Fr. Candido by revealing an important truth about Hell: “It was not Him, God, who created Hell! It was us. He hadn’t even thought of it!” Therefore in the plan of God’s creation the existence of Hell had not been contemplated. The demons created it! During exorcisms, I have also often asked the devil: “Did you create Hell?”. And his response has always been the same: “We all cooperated”.
What advice did Fr. Candido give you?
He have me a lot of advice, especially in the final two years of his life. The most important? To be a man of faith and prayer and always to ask the intercession of Mary Most Holy. And then to always be humble, because an exorcist has to know that he isn’t worth a quid without God. It’s the Lord that makes the exorcism work. If he doesn’t intervene, the exorcism isn’t worth anything.
Are you an exorcist?
Which book exactly are you referring to? I found one named “An Exorcist Tells His Story” by Fr. Amorth on Amazon, published in 1999. Is this the one you were referring to?
Yeap - make sure you read during the day - say your prayers before bed...and have holy water near...
Angels that fell - still have their powers...and they come in groups...never alone...
The Rolling Stone song that talks about the devil through time begin at all these places where people were killed...I can only image the darkness that has blanketed Iraq...
When women and little girls are targeted for sex slaves...that is a direct attack against the Holy Mother...
This book is a great place to start...I even quote it in my own book about OIF...a great deal of useful information...
These are angels that fell and did not lose their power...we were all given free choice...manipulation can knock that off track...
This is confirmed by other exorcists...demons that were familiars and not possess an actual person would say that about others...
Much in this article contradicts the scriptures.
Nope! The devil - if it even WAS him and not another demon - was lying still. God knows the end from the beginning, before He made anything He knew how it would all come to pass. This calls into question everything else this priest claims if he can't even get God's omniscience correct. God's NOT surprised by anything or anyone. To suggest that He is or was is to discredit God's own infinite power.
The demons don't "create" anything, they will inhabit the final hell created by God along with ALL the fallen angels, the false prophet, the Antichrist and the lost humanity who rejected the gift of God which is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
I agree!
You should get an anointed St Benedict medal. A prayer is written on it against the enemy that becomes “alive” after it is Blessed. Since wearing one for years now it has been an amazing spiritual peace.
“Are you an exorcist?”
I do not do them. They are done through me. I am just a tool.
I just reread your excellent post of October 28th, 2004:
An Interview With Fr Gabriele Amorth - The Church’s Leading Exorcist
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1260364/posts
Thank you for your continued work.
Yep, what we are seeing RIGHT NOW in Iraq is the enemy’s efforts made very, very visable.
That is why I have to get more into prayer and in a special way, prayer with what is now going on in the Middle East against both Israel and the Christians so I can stay CALM and at PEACE.
I carried one on my dog tags around my neck...I’ve had since pre-deployment over to OIF I...and had it with me always...but yes, everyone should have one!
Prayer is more powerful than the strongest military weapon.
The most important prayer is merely an expression of Love and gratitude to/for our Father.
If you’re speaking to demon entities you are in great error and on very dangerous ground in Gods eyes.
Amen. I wear it at night when I sleep. I have not had any disturbances in sleep like I did before I wore it. Bad dreams from the enemy. I also have a house St Benedict at the front entrance. I give it out to christian friends. Never a complaint. Good things happen in Christ.
“If you’re speaking to demon entities you are in great error and on very dangerous ground in Gods eyes.”
Per Jesus’ own words:
The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
AND
satan has no power over my Father and Jesus that exist within me. My only strength is in my weakness. While Jesus does not know everyone who casts out demons in His name, I ask, would satan cast out satan through me? A house divided against itself will perish.
Jesus is already here, but those who do not abide in His Love cannot see Him. He is as real as any person in a physical body.
Per Jesus: In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
Repeat....“If you’re speaking to demon entities you are in great error and on very dangerous ground in Gods eyes.”
All the rest you spoke of you’re pulling out of context.
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