ST. MICHAEL CENTER

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Jacopo Tintoretto, Battle of Archangel Michael and Satan, 16th century Italian I was in the midst of an abortion rally. There were hundreds of pro-life advocates and a few handfuls of pro-choice demonstrators. We were in front of a location where much evil and death had been facilitated. I was a low-key presence with a mask covering my face and my jacket zipped up to my neck on that chilly day. Sotto voce, I inconspicuously began the Leo XIII deliverance prayers. After a few minutes, I began to experience spiritually some demonic oppression. So, I figured the prayers were hitting the mark and thus important. So, I launched into the prayers a second time with even greater focus. This time I explicitly included the names of demons sometimes associated with abortion: Baphomet, Baal, Moloch, Abyzou and I added, "All the demons of abortion." I followed with an invocation to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn. Quickly a group of abortion advocates moved next to me and started loudly chanting their slogans. An accident? Likely not. Their chanting was a bit deafening and I was having a hard time concentrating and recalling the prayers, which I was saying by memory. It was a struggle. A group of pro-life young people came over and started their own pro-life chanting. I saw, in them, the angelic Powers of heaven coming to my rescue. Fairly quickly, the pro-abortion group dissipated and it became quiet again. I was able to continue on and finish the prayers. St. Paul instructs us: "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens" (Eph 6:12). The fight against abortion is waged on many levels, but we ought not underestimate the underlying spiritual battle. On that chilly morning, I experienced it. I also experienced that the holy angels are never far away and come quickly to our aid.

Ghent altarpiece, Singing Angels in Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, 1432. Lucifer, the original "light bearer," was created higher than the other angels, with extraordinary intelligence, brilliance and power. But, for him, it was not enough. He could not accept what God would give to humans. He could not accept that the Incarnate Son would become human and die for them. The light in Lucifer, who is now called Satan, turned to darkness. The praise of God in his heart was replaced by rage. St. Faustina was granted a vision of the seven tortures of hell. The last was a hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. Out of Satan's mouth, and the damned souls, come an eternity of rage against God. They blame God for their hellish lot. On the other hand, the Saved are full of gratitude and thanksgiving. They are forever: "Singing to the Lord ... in [their] hearts, giving thanks always and for everything" (Eph 6:19-20). Mystics having had a glimpse of heaven often speak of the heavenly music of countless souls joyfully praising God and giving thanks. A great sign of the Elect on this earth is a grateful heart. It is no accident that the word for the great sacrament of the Church comes from the Greek, eucharistia, "thanksgiving." A critical part of an exorcism is healing any anger and unforgiveness embedded in the hearts of the possessed. I take them through a short forgiveness ritual. "Repeat after me," I say, "In the holy name of Jesus, I willingly forgive [insert names], and I ask God to bless them." As the Scriptures say, "Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them" (Rm 12:14). Without letting go of inner angers and the cursing of others, I have little hope the possessed, or anyone, will be freed. In our day, we see waves of rage and violence sweeping over the land. At times, I become discouraged at the direction of our nation. But on Thanksgiving Day, a sea of souls gathered around the Table to give thanks to their Creator. I thought I heard an echo of the song of heaven. And I gave thanks.

Arson suspected at San Gabriel Mission, California. July 11, 2020. Fr. "David" came to us after having suffered for years with difficulty saying Mass. It began when he was on the altar and just about to say the words of consecration. He experienced what felt like a panic attack. Another priest had to finish the Mass, as he was unable to continue. Since then, presiding at the Eucharist has felt excessively like an effort and a burden. He added, "The origins of which, until now, were a complete mystery." As we prayed over him, it became apparent that he was suffering from a demonic obsession. We prayed deliverance prayers of a minor exorcism and he felt something lift. He felt a new sense of freedom. At the end of the prayer, he said, "I feel great!" Since then he has felt a "huge relief" from the previous burden and a "renewed enthusiasm" for his priestly ministry and the Eucharist.* Satan has always targeted priests and the Holy Eucharist. He especially hates those uniquely configured to Jesus who are the instruments of the Holy Sacrifice. It is difficult to imagine a more concentrated attack on the priesthood and the Church than what we are now experiencing.** For example, in the last year, the U.S. Bishops' Conference reported an unprecedented 95 attacks against churches in the USA. This good priest, Fr. "David," subsequently shared with me a poignant story. A pious layman and friend told him how important it was to have priests and that he prays for him and all priests daily. He then said, "On Good Friday, the door to the Tabernacle is open and it is empty. The Eucharistic Christ is gone. That is how it will be if there are no more priests." *Used anonymously with his permission. ** In Blessed Conchita's Priests of Christ, Our Lord tells her: "They [seminarians] should be forcefully warned about the temptations to which they will be exposed and the unending war the evil one will wage against them every day of their lives...about the persecutions, calumnies, etc., that they will be exposed to." St. Pauls, 2015, p. 1592. See also: In Sinu Jesu, A Benedictine Monk: "The movement of persecution that is about to break out against My Church...In fact, this has already begun. I will be attacked in My priests; they represent My Eucharistic Face...I will be dishonoured in the Sacrament of My Body and Blood...", Angelico Press, 2016, p. 117.

"The Torment of St. Anthony" believed to be the first known painting by Michelangelo when he was 12 or 13 years of age. It is becoming apparent to me that more than a few of those mentally tormented by their sins and failings of the past are actually suffering from demonic obsessions... There is a normal type of real-event OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) where a person obsessively ruminates about a real, or imagined, failing from the past. In the more severe cases, these ruminations, and unsuccessful attempts to rid one of them (compulsions), can be debilitating. Such individuals are usually best treated by a combination of CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) and medications. But there is sometimes, masked within the deceptive trappings of an OCD disorder, an actual attack by the Evil One. One senior exorcist estimated that 25 percent of the population is suffering from some form of demonic obsessions. I have no reason to believe that figure is exaggerated. For example, "John" was tormented by evil and blasphemous thoughts to the point of no longer being able to function. Years of psychotherapy brought no relief. It was noteworthy that these obsessions began after his having relapsed into pornography. Confession, amending his life, and several deliverance sessions all but extinguished the mental obsessions. Similarly, "Alicia" was tormented with thoughts of self-hatred and despair, often bringing her to the brink of suicide. While psychotherapy was helpful, the mental attacks were intense, out of proportion to her psychological state, and the attacks began whenever she tried to pray or go to Mass. She, too, found considerable relief through renunciation of the demonic and subsequent deliverance prayer sessions. In both cases, the mental obsessions are not completely gone, because their root is in their normal psychological weaknesses. But it became clear that Satan, being an opportunist, was exploiting these human weaknesses. He exaggerated these weaknesses to the point of complete dysfunction, despair, and suicidality. Now, Alicia and John suffer with a much reduced, normal, human weakness. The demonic ferocity of the attacks has dissipated. Demonic obsessions can be distinguished from psychological OCD ruminations by their intensity, being out of proportion to one's human state, and often brought on by engaging in holy practices. Also, there is usually an opening to the demonic that can be identified, especially in recent sinful practices and/or occult practices. Finally, the intensity of the mental attacks dissipates in the wake of deliverance prayers. At the end of one's life, this demonic obsessive assault is no longer hidden. As one enters the final judgment, Satan, the great accuser, accuses the soul of all of its infidelities in life. He demands that it be justly consigned to hell. As St. Catherine of Siena relates in The Dialogue, the Lord revealed to her that: "In the moment of death...the Devil accuses them with great terror and darkness...the Devil torments him with [his] infidelity in order to bring him to despair." The soul's recourse in extremity, and always, is the mercy of God. Jesus paid the price of our sins. We are saved in this life, and the next, by the Love of our merciful God.

Regina Angelorum, William-Adophe Bougeureau, French, 1900 Today I was in the presence of an angry man who believed he was being ill-treated. I was stunned by the anger and violence in his voice. He distorted the words and actions of those around him, and responded with arrogance and disdain. Just hearing him, I felt wounded. I recognized the voice. When demons manifest in the midst of an exorcism, their presence is unmistakable. The look in their eyes is murderous. The hatred and arrogance is their voice is palpable. Their hearts are blacker than any darkness we know. The true ugliness occasioned by sin, demonic or human, is beyond words. In this life, based upon our choices, we already begin to manifest heaven or hell. St. Catherine of Siena in her Dialogue relayed that God told her that souls receive the "earnest money" of the next life while still on this earth. Those who do evil already experience the "earnest money of hell," while the servants of the Lord "taste the earnest money of eternal life." Already in this life, we begin to sing the song of the angels, or we begin to rage with the demons. In the Rite of Exorcism is the Trisagion- "Holy, Holy, Holy." It is the song of the angels praising God that the demons refused to sing (Rev 4:8). Exorcists have found it a powerful moment in an exorcism and often repeat these words many times. Just hearing the words is a great torment to the demons. The longer I spend in this deliverance ministry, the more sensitive I am to the presence of the angelic and to the demonic. I am temporarily wounded by dark encounters with the demonic. I am daily buoyed up by many more people who reach out with a kind gesture and caring words.

"Our Lady of the Rosary," Simone Cantarini, 17th C., Brescia, Italy "The demons were attacking me," said the Exorcist, "So I grabbed my rosary and held it up. Instantly, the demons were undone and fled." St. Bartolo Longo, the Apostle of the Rosary, was being crushed by demonic obsessions. He had been converted to the Faith from his practice of Satanism. But he was haunted by the idea that he remained consecrated to Satan and destined for hell. He was on the brink of despair and suicide. In desperation he began to pray the rosary. His devotion to the rosary cast out the demonic mental attacks and was the instrument of his road to sanctity. Pope Pius XI wrote, "“The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight." Padre Pio said, "The rosary is the weapon for these times." In our exorcism sessions, as the priest prays the solemn rite, we often have the laity praying the rosary. Fr. Gabriel Amorth, former exorcist of Rome, recalled an encounter with Satan. The Evil One, being forced to tell the truth, said, "Every Hail Mary of the Rosary is a blow to the head for me; if Christians knew the power of the Rosary, it would be the end of me!" As exorcists, we are a particular target for Satan. Overall, we are protected but there remains a demonic bullseye on our back. Nightly I sprinkle my room with holy water and invoke the Virgin and St. Michael. And I sleep, just as I go throughout the day, with the rosary in my hands.

"Jesus Exorcizing the Gerasene Demoniac," Hitda Codex, Germany, 11th Century It was a wild, dark week... First, at the beginning of a prayer session, an afflicted person received a text from the witch tormenting him. She sarcastically texted: "I am ready for the prayer session. My deity too." She knew the precise moment we were going to begin, which was humanly impossible. The demons gave her this occult knowledge. She was trying to frighten and torment us, suggesting that she and her deity were powerful and in charge. Second, during the week one of our gifted spiritual sensitives was engaged in a holy endeavor which threatened the demons. So, in front of her eyes, they picked up her ceramic dish and flung it across the room. It smashed into pieces against the wall. The demons were asserting their power and trying to frighten her into submission. Third, in the midst of one of our most intense cases, our team received a long demonic text. The message contained typical demonic taunts: "You can't help her; You...failed; Your imaginary truth that being righteous and god fearing...really will work; She'll be dead by the end of the month." A friend of the afflicted was in the room and saw the cellphone on the table by itself. He said it typed out the text without any human nearby. The demons were again trying to make their point: we are in charge and you should fear us. Dishes smashing. Demons texting. Witches cursing. It was wild and dark week. But in each case, our faith-filled team members pressed on with their ministry, undaunted by the demonic threats. They are full of confidence in the Risen Lord. I am blessed to be with such courageous people.

(See: Matador Network) I was walking down the hallway of a deeply infested building with one of our most gifted spiritual sensitives. We were planning on exorcizing the building soon thereafter. She said to me, "I can hear them. They are crying out in fear." I asked, "Why is that?" She answered, "They know what you do." In discussions about this ministry, people often ask me, "As an exorcist facing demons, aren't you afraid?" I respond, "No. It is the demons who are terrified." In a similar vein, I will often ask possessed people how they feel as they approach our chapel for an exorcism. Not uncommonly, the closer they get, the more frightened they become. I explain to them that these emotions are those of the possessing demons. The demons are the ones who are terrified of what is about to occur. Beneath all the bravado and arrogance of Satan and his minions is an underlying terror of Christ and all that is holy. It causes them incalculable pain. And they know that their "time is short" (Rev 12:12). They are rightly terrified of the second coming of Christ. As the demon named Legion said to Jesus, "Have you come to torment us before the appointed time?" (Mt 8:29). Perhaps one of the errors of our day is unwittingly glorifying Satan and his demons. Demons are only angry, narcissistic, evil, little creatures bent on chaos, rage and destruction. There is not a drop of courage in them. Underneath it all, they are cowards. On the other hand, I am often edified by the courage of the possessed people who come to us, many of whom are young people in their 20's and 30's. They are taunted, threatened, and tortured by demons. In the midst of their exorcisms, again and again, they renounce the demons to their face and tell them to leave. The demons retaliate and make them suffer. But these people do not yield. It is a battle. Cowardly demons are no match for such courageous human souls, filled with the strength and confidence of the Spirit. There is no doubt who will win in the end.

"Song of the Angels," detail, William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1825-1905, French "K," a young woman, was recently liberated from being possessed, thanks be to God. But Satan suffers any defeat badly and is now trying to regain control. The formerly possessed need to be vigilant and live an exemplary life, not giving him an opening. Recently, K turned off her computer and was leaving the room when an image spontaneously popped up on the screen. It was a suggestive photo of a pop music star. This pop star has admitted practicing magic and her music has enticing satanic sounding lyrics. Formerly, K was a devotee of her music. Satan knows our weaknesses and preys upon them. I often get asked about the possible dangers of watching movies/tv shows positively portraying evil or witchcraft. Parents also ask about their children listening to heavy metal, black metal, or music laced with Satanic messages. Can someone get possessed doing so? In recent years, several afflicted adolescents have come in with their parents for deliverance prayers. One commonality among them has been an attachment to such dark music and shows. Some of these demonically afflicted youths had gone so far as to put demonic tattoos on their bodies or take on a Goth look in makeup and clothing. Our experience to date suggests that the mere fact of listening to such music or dressing in such a dark manner would not automatically result in being demonically oppressed or possessed. Rather, such behaviors were part of a larger, troubling picture. Taking in dark music and shows were symptomatic of their overall decline into the dark world. Some of these young people were practicing magic, divination or other occult behaviors. Others joined groups involved in New Age spiritualities. The dark music and videos were feeding their minds with evil messages and strengthened their connection with the Evil One. Satan's little computer trick of tempting K with her attachment to a troubled pop star should be a warning to the dangers of ingesting images from the dark world. As a psychologist, I understand adolescents wanting to rebel against the established society; there is much in our world which has gone awry. But our youth ought to beware of aligning themselves with the Evil One who led the original rebellion. K wisely threw out her collection of the pop star's music and memorabilia. She learned the hard way of the tortured fruits of evil. For both young and old, we ought to fill our minds with images and messages that nurture the person we really want and are called to be.

"Christ in the Wilderness" by Ivan Kramskoy, Russian, 1872 Recently, I was questioned about the efficacy of holy water in an exorcism. The notion was met with disbelief. Perhaps it seemed like Catholic "superstition." So let's take a deeper look.... There is no water in hell. Water is a necessary source of life. In hell, there is only death. Perhaps this is why demons are said to dwell in the desert (Lv 16:10; Is 13:21; Is 34:14; Tb 8:3). It is arid, barren, and lifeless. It would be a familiar abode to hell's demons. The New Testament witnesses to the waterless nature of hell. A pitiless rich man died and was committed to the "netherworld where he was in torment.... He cried out, 'Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames'" (Lk 16:23-24). He begged for a little water but, in hell, could have none. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went into the desert, not just to be alone and pray, but also to confront and conquer Satan (Lk 4:1-13). Exorcizing Satan was, and remains, an essential part of Jesus' mission of ushering in the Kingdom.* Likewise, the early monks in the 4th and 5th centuries went into the desert around Egypt, Palestine, and Syria to engage in spiritual warfare and conquer the devil, just as Jesus their model had done. The desert is a place of solitude; it is also an intensive abode of the demons. Water is an essential element in baptism for the casting out Satan's influence and ushering in God's sanctifying grace. Similarly, holy water is used to cast out demons in the Rite of Exorcism. The new Rite of Exorcism appropriately reflects the baptismal rite. Water is abhorrent to demons on the natural level. But when blessed by a priest, it becomes a source of grace on the supernatural level. The Church has the power and authority, given by Christ, to grace such sacramentals. These include blessed crucifixes, blessed salt and oil, blessed religious statues and many more. One of the lessons I learned after doing years of exorcisms is how much the demons hate the Church and try to destroy it. And I often experience how powerful the Church is because of the living presence of Christ in it: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). A little water blessed by a priest doesn't seem like much. But when it touches demons, they scream in agony. When it touches the faithful, they receive God's blessing. *See In the Name of Jesus: Exorcism among Early Christians by Graham H. Twelftree, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI. 2007.

When discerning whether someone has a demonic problem or not, I typically ask what "messages" they are hearing in their heads. Over the years, I have heard the demonically possessed and oppressed consistently relate six basic messages. Satan whispers (or yells!) these in people's heads without respite: You are a terrible person. There is no hope for you. God doesn't care about you. You're mine. I will never leave. You are going to hell. You should kill yourself. There is a little bit of this mental negativism in all of us, we who are tainted by Original Sin. But when Satan is doing it directly, the message is loud, consistent, and unrelenting. I personally believe that more than a few people take their own lives after being worn down with years of this mental battle. What to do? I recommend people confront this on both the natural and supernatural planes.... On the natural level, Satan gets a foothold in people's psyches through their human weaknesses and sins. In this case, the more damaged our psyches, the stronger this negative self-talk in our heads. Satan will exploit this weakness. So, we should engage normal human remedies for such mental negativity. For example, a variety of cognitive-behavioral interventions can be a help. There are a plethora of these on-line. Counseling by licensed professional, who is supportive of the faith, might bring some healing to the roots. For more serious cases, medications for obsessive-compulsive thinking may be indicated. Ultimately the final antidote to Satan's message is the Good News of Jesus. This supernatural battle can only be finally resolved on the supernatural plane. Once we know deeply in our hearts that God loves us personally, and that we are saved by the blood of the Lamb, then our minds can fully be at peace. There is no other final remedy to Satan's bad news than the Good News of Jesus.

"Forgiven" by Greg Olsen I was saddened to hear of another exorcist who left our ranks. Spanish bishop and exorcist Xavier Novell admitted falling in love and intending to marry a divorced woman. It is reported that she writes "Satanic tinged erotic novels" for a living. Similarly, I know of more than one priest who left the ministry because of alleged sexual relationships with possessed or oppressed women. Is it an accident that these women had a connection to the dark world? On a human level, one can understand the human temptation. The relationship between an exorcist and the possessed can be quite intense and lasting many months. A possessed woman is likely to feel vulnerable and frightened, and latch onto the priest to be "saved." Priest exorcists may erroneously justify the crossing of boundaries to "save" the woman. It is fertile ground for Satan's manipulations. As the one providing care, the exorcist is responsible for maintaining proper boundaries, regardless of the energumen's actions. In fact, more than a few of his clients will have suffered sexual trauma in the past and will likely have a confused sense of boundaries. Satan will attempt to manipulate the weaknesses of the exorcist and the possessed to bring about moral destruction. We have thus instituted several rules in our exorcism ministry. Exorcists do not meet with female clients alone; there is always a family member or another female in the room. Between sessions, the exorcist is not in contact with the energumen. If she needs assistance, we provide a trained female spiritual director to guide her. Contact between exorcist and clients are limited to supervised prayer sessions. During the sessions themselves, physical contact is limited to the laying on of hands to their heads or shoulders. And even this should be done with prudence and sparingly. For those women who have a history of sexual abuse, physical touch by a male can trigger a PTSD reaction. These rules have worked out very well for the women who come to us and for our exorcists. In fact, it has promoted a healthier dynamic and a more rapid liberation. It also promotes a realization of who the real healer is. The petitioner and the priest must look to Jesus. He alone is our Savior.

The real confrontation between an exorcist and the demons does not take place in the prayer session. Satan knows, in a face-to-face fight with Christ and his Church, he loses every time. Rather, his best "game" is behind the scenes. As a master psychologist, the Evil One tries to manipulate everyone involved- priests, laity, the possessed and family. He tries to make the family break down in discord. He tempts the possessed person to give up. And he very subtly tries to manipulate the priest and team in a myriad of ways. One of the ways Satan attempts to manipulate the priest is to try to make him into his own image: boasting, angry, resentful, punishing, and arrogant. This is a subtle trap for the exorcist who may feel a tug toward these kinds of demonic emotions, especially when confronting angry, vengeful demons. It is an important reminder that those involved in spiritual warfare must always take on the mind and heart of Jesus. The verses below are an attempt to capture this challenge. These verses are being framed and placed prominently in our little exorcism chapel as a reminder to all, but especially for us exorcists. The Heart of an Exorcist I do not boast of casting out demons, boasting comes from the mouths of demons; I choose to serve the Lord in humility. I do not feel sorry for my little sufferings, it is Satan who plays the victim; I choose gratitude for everything that comes to me. I do not punish demons or chastise anyone for evil deeds, it is demons who accuse and cause suffering; I choose to forgive and to heal. I do not judge the hearts of others, demons constantly criticize and tear down; I choose to strengthen and build up. I do not speak ill of others or curse them, detraction and cursing are the work of witches and demons, I return a blessing. I do not hate … not even Satan and his minions, hatred has its home in hell; I choose to love, my home is in heaven. .

"Conversion of Mary Magdalene," Paolo Veronese, c. 1547 She had been suffering under a witch’s curse for a long time. The witch’s voice taunted her day and night. She had large, unexplained marks and scratches on her body. The last was a message etched on her back. In the hospital, the baffled doctors read it to her father: “She is gone. You lost.” The witch was tempting her to sin and despair, but she valiantly resisted. She confessed everything to a priest and to her Dad. Moments later, she incredibly coughed up what the medical team described as "a black fluid that came out still boiling and a mass that began to move independently and crumble." They did not know what it was. We did. It was a witch’s bolus, by which the witch helps keep the curse in place. Now, the curse was greatly weakened, if not broken. In an exorcism, we use the 70/30 rule. Liberation typically depends about 70% on the efforts of the possessed person and 30% on the work of the exorcist and team. This is not to denigrate the importance and power of the Church’s authority or the power of the Rite of Exorcism prayed by a priest with ecclesiastical faculties. It is irreplaceable. But it is not effective without the possessed renouncing sin, rejecting the Evil One, and receiving the sacraments. I dare say many demonic afflictions would eventually cease on their own if the afflicted person engaged in an intensive process of conversion and sanctification. This young woman rejected the witch and the curse; she confessed her sins; and she resisted the temptations, despite the incredible spiritual evil that was pressing upon her. Her courage and faith were the final catalyst for the witch’s bolus to be ejected. The witch’s message scratched on her back ("She is gone. You lost.") could not have been more wrong. This strong young woman is not gone; she is not lost. God and her family did not lose. She is back and at peace. Love wins...always.

"Temptation on the Mount," detail, Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311 Several of our clients are being tormented by high-level witches. It's ugly stuff. Some of their tormentors self-identify as witches, while others claim to practice Eastern religions or pagan spiritualities, such as Wicca. But they are cursing and hexing our people, and the effects are very real. For example, one victim has intense, medically-unexplained pains plus other family members are physically and mentally suffering as well; all the while the witch sending gloating texts. Another victim nightly hears a witch's threatening voice telling her she will be damned to hell. A third person suffers from regular visitations from a witch with a variety of physical tortures and manifestations. In each case, an active witch claims to be tormenting them and verifiably so. In the process of liberation, several have dramatically excreted from bodily orifices a kind of "bolus"- a mass or blob used by the witch to curse the individual. As long as the bolus remains inside, the process of liberation is hampered. While the excretion is messy and embarrassing, getting rid of it is a great relief. If they are faithful and persevering, the saving power of Jesus Christ will eventually free them from the witch's grasp. But the liberation process can, like a case of full possession, take quite some time. What is striking in these cases is the real power of the witch. Some of these witches have intricate, hidden knowledge of the people they are tormenting and taunt them with it. Some of these witches manipulate objects by the power of demons. For example, one witch materialized a cursed object inside the victim's locked car. And they can make people suffer real bodily ailments. During the process of liberation, we stress that victims must learn to trust in Jesus. The power of the witch, like that of demons, is limited. Witches can harass, torment, and inflict sufferings, but the power of the risen Christ is supreme. Where do the witches get their power? Some of these practitioners of magic claim to be channeling natural energy from the cosmos; others say they are calling on a "feminine energy"; and still others claim to be empowered by pagan deities. But they are all deceived. Practicing magic of any kind does not come from the one true and loving God. What they think are spiritual energies, earth powers or deities are but masks for Satan. All of these pagan "deities" are demons under Satan's control. High-level witches are deeply mired in this dark world of evil. In truth, their lot can only be increasing darkness and slavery to the Prince of Darkness. While they threaten others with hell, it is they who are in the greatest spiritual danger. However, the people who come to us, if they persevere, can re-find true freedom, light and peace in Jesus. The road begins with repentance for any sin they may have committed which made them vulnerable to the witch's power. It also includes a spiritual cleansing and sanctification through the sacraments and sacramentals. It should add forgiving the witch who is tormenting them, just as Jesus forgive those who crucified him. We are truly followers of Jesus when we "bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them" (Rm 12:14). Curses, hexes, and magic are the tools of Satan and his witches. The tools of the believer are faith in God, trust in Jesus, and love of neighbor, including one's persecutors.

Christ blessing, El Greco, 1600 A possessed woman was away from her room on an errand. Not known to her, I blessed and exorcized it using holy water. I also sprinkled exorcized salt in the corners on the floor. Then I took exorcized oil and made a sign of the cross on the door, windows, and lintels. But when I left, nothing different could be seen by the human eye. The next day, she texted me: Possessed Woman: Did you do something to my room? Priest-exorcist: Why do you ask? Possessed Woman: You blessed my room. Priest-exorcist: How could you tell? Possessed Woman: Something changed. They [the demons] hated it They still do. This brief exchange was illuminative. First, it helped confirm the woman was possessed. She had "occult knowledge." There is no way she could have known I blessed and exorcized her room. She received this knowledge through the demons. Having occult knowledge is a strong sign of true possession. Second, it confirms the power and importance of having a priestly blessing, especially blessing our homes. The demons hate it and are repulsed by it. Another possessed woman said that when she goes near a blessed home, she has great difficulty entering it, much like a church. A third said when she entered a blessed house, she could see the demon, that typically tormented her, stay outside. It peered through the window while she was inside but did not enter. A blessed home is a holy place and the demons in the possessed are repulsed by anything holy. All should have their homes blessed, preferably by a priest who "should gladly cooperate." But if a priest or deacon is not available, the Church's revised Book of Blessing (1989, pp. 237-242) allows a home to be blessed by a layperson. After an Introduction, Readings from Scripture, and Intercessions, the lay minister, with hands joined, prays the Prayer of Blessing: "Lord, be close to your servants who move into this home (today) and ask for your blessing. Be their shelter when they are at home, their companion when they are away, and their welcome guest when they return. And at last receive them into the dwelling place you have prepared for them in your Father's house, where you live for ever and ever. Amen." Then the people and the home are sprinkled with holy water while the minister says: "Let this water call to mind our baptism into Christ, who has redeemed us by his death and resurrection."

One of our spiritual sensitives (SS) sent the attached photo of a nasty large bruise on her body. She had been assisting our priest-exorcists in cleansing a demonically-infested building. Below is our text exchange: Spiritual Sensitive (SS): Here is the latest development [referring to the photo she sent me]. Priest-exorcist: Is that your arm? SS: Leg Priest-exorcist: How did it go last night? SS: Got rid of 8 [demons]. Priest-exorcist: Ok, thanks for doing that. SS: Then they socked me in the leg. Priest-exorcist: Ugh. Sound crazy? Look more closely at the lives of the saints. Many of them were beaten by demons. For example, in a letter to her spiritual director, Gemma Galgani wrote: "The Devil has pursued me in every possible way...He seized me by the hair and dragged me about...He tormented me like this for more than four hours, and thus I passed the night." She was so afflicted by demons that she asked for an exorcism to be performed over her. The priest rightly refused, responding that she wasn’t possessed. Similarly, Padre Pio often suffered physical beatings by demons: “These devils don’t stop striking me, even making me fall down from the bed. They even tear off my shirt to beat me! But now they do not frighten me anymore. Jesus loves me....” Some of his community members suggested an exorcism for him. Again, it was rightly refused by his superiors. The possessed and strongly oppressed can also be clawed, scratched and bruised by demons.* In fact, it is one of the discernment questions I typically ask during intake, “Do you have any unexplained bruises or scratches?” I have many photos of such. I have been asked several times, “Why doesn’t God just shut all the demons up in hell and stop them from afflicting people?” Good question. It’s part of a larger question: “Why does God allow bad things to happen to people at all?” In fact, what demons can physically do to us pale in comparison to what humans do to each other. Demons are very restrained in what God allows. They tempt everyone. They can harass and occasionally physically torment people. But they cannot directly kill or maim us, although human beings can and, sadly, do so to each other. Our spiritual sensitive generously assisted us in this exorcism ministry. She paid a price for it, just as Jesus paid the price for us all. In faith, her suffering participates in Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice. God will reward her for it. *Fr. Cliff Ermatinger, The Trouble with Magic, Padre Pio Press, p. IX.

"Checkmate," by Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch (A chess match with Satan) See https://haventoday.org/blog/closer-look-checkmate/ My book, Diary of An American Exorcist, is out and surprisingly one of the most talked about items is demons texting. This encouraged me to dive more deeply into demonic texts we have received and to look for any insights or patterns that might help us understand their behavior. We have had three cases in which demons have texted the team and/or the family of the possessed person.* Two of these cases were the most difficult cases we have had so far, and the third involved a pious family with priestly and religious vocations among the children. So, all were "high value" targets with high-ranking, powerful demons involved. This suggests that it takes considerable spiritual "energy" to cross over and manipulate such items in the physical world, and thus this action "costs" them a lot. Demons are not God and are not all powerful. Their abilities are limited and they focus their finite energy according to Satan's plan. Yes, he does have a plan, but it is doomed to fail. All evil is inherently self-defeating and self-destructive. Below is a small sample of the verbatim texts we received in these cases, minus some of the particularly vile and unrepeatable demonic comments. Case 1 Demonic texts Received by Possessed Young Woman's Priest-spiritual Director: "Her torments start now, priest...all night. While you and that friend of yours [Msgr. Rossetti] sleep...We will make her bleed. We're glad she's away from you now." "Be ready. We're coming for you and the girl." [Priest texts back: "Be gone in the name of Jesus!] "Stop. She'll die." ... "Kill her. Come on priest. Do it. If you don't, we will. We want her dead." [Priest texts back: Vade retro satanas (Get behind me Satan).] "Stop." [Priest texts back: "Blood of Jesus splashed on you."] "Stop it. We'll hurt her more." ... "We hate you. Stop leading her." ... "There is no power in the priesthood." ... "You are weak, You know there's nothing you can do to help her. And you've given up. You sleep, she'll scream." [Priest texts back: "You are crushed by Our Lady's heel. Vade (depart)!" "Stop. Let us have our fun." [Priest responds: "Forbidden, foul fiend!"] "We're abusing her. She's better off dead. Let her go....She can't handle the sexual and physical abuse." [Priest texts: "Leave."] "We're not leaving." Case 2 Demonic Texts Received by Mother of Possessed Young Woman: "Don't worry. I'll take care of her." "There's nothing more you can do to help her. You have tried to help her, but you have failed. You have failed at it. There is no more time for helping, only waiting and watching. She is in good hands...you can't protect her from us." "Just so you know it's going to be interesting ... you won't know when we will come but we will and you just won't believe it all...let's have some fun." Case 3 Demonic Texts Received by Father of Possessed Young Woman: "My baby and I are going to have a fun night...[you] should have protected her more." "You are going to give up, you are going to get worn down. You'll lose patience. She's mine." "Say goodbye to your baby soon....You don't know who I am but I'm coming for your baby." "She's mine." [A friend in the room texted the following to the father: "It's [the demon] talking to her. I heard it. Now it's laughing....Her phone is down but screen is lighting up." Comment: The friend audibly heard the demon's voice in the room and saw the phone typing out a text message with no human touching the keys.] In these texts, we get a sense of the demonic personality. They are narcissistic, arrogant and boastful. They constantly denigrate and put us down with demeaning words. They are sadists who describe their torments and tortures of others as "fun." But their words and actions are never haphazard. They always have a specific goal. A major goal in these cases was to dissuade and discourage those supporting the possessed. Their words indirectly tell us of the importance of the support of others. The possessed are buoyed up and helped greatly by their parents and friends. These are important connections which the demons try to break. Also, these demonic texts inadvertently affirm that the prayers of the priest are effective and there is great power in the priesthood. Demons often tell the priest to "stop" the prayers and threaten retaliation. All three individuals, by the grace of God, have been liberated. The demons did everything they could to convince the priests and the family to abandon them. But their loved ones did not waiver nor did the love of Christ. Ultimately, Love cast them out. *I know of at least two other exorcism teams in the USA and abroad that also report receiving demonic texts (see: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1354888/demonic-texts-the-enemy-can-use-technology-says-exorcist.) It is interesting and affirming that when speaking to exorcists around the globe how similar our experiences....Typically the texts appear to be coming from the phone of the possessed but when the phone is checked, these texts do not appear.

"Temptation of Christ" by Sandro Botticelli 1480-1482 A pious layman told me he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin. He was certain it was the Blessed Virgin. In fact, this gifted soul had truly seen the Virgin in the past and he said, in this new vision, she was exactly the same. The Virgin again looked radiantly beautiful and he felt the same consolation as before. But then "the Virgin" told him that he will die within a few months....hmmmm....that didn't sound right to me. It turned out to be a lie. A pious religious came with a similar story. She said she has long been receiving locutions from the Lord guiding her spiritual life. She confided that she, too, was given foreknowledge of her death which would supposedly occur within some months. The locutions urged her, in the meantime, to practice much mortification and penance for the salvation of souls, which sounded good. But, her vocation was increasingly troubled and it became clear that she becoming demonically oppressed. A possessed young man likewise claimed to have been receiving regular visions of his guardian angel and several saints, plus daily seeing the demons attacking him. We advised he ignore these visions, good and bad, until his liberation. He refused and said Jesus himself was leading him. The progress in his exorcism stalled out. Spiritual people are vulnerable to being tricked by demons with false visions. This is especially true of the possessed who have a strong demonic presence. Such false visions can inflame the possessed's spiritual pride and derail the process of liberation. Moreover, those misled by false visions are unwittingly developing a deepening relationship with the powers of evil. The Scriptures tell us that "Satan masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14). Even the spiritually mature cannot always distinguish between what is from God and what is from the Evil One; they can appear and feel exactly the same. Satan can well mimic a real spiritual experience. The antidote? First, "Do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God" (1 Jn 4:1). Are they in accord with the truths of the faith? What are the fruits of these visions? Do the predictions come true? Second, do not trust your own judgment. Rather, rely on wise spiritual direction and obedience to those mature souls whose ministry it is to discern and lead. In this exorcism ministry, I have witnessed a number of souls deceived by Satan. It is one of his most effective weapons against devout souls, who perhaps take some hidden pride in their spiritual lives.

San Severino's Release of a Woman from Possession by the Devil (15th century), Scala, Florence When we began the session, I was feeling fine. However, halfway through the exorcism, I felt as if all of my strength was gone. I could barely move or speak. I had to force myself to say the prayers. Then the possessed person likewise said, "I am feeling very, very tired." "This is strange," I thought, "What is happening?" Then it occurred to me....it's demonic. So, I commanded the "demons of fatigue" to depart. I said it again and again, "Demons of fatigue, in the Holy Name of Jesus I command you to leave." Eventually, the fatigue lifted and we both returned to the task at hand. This is yet another demonic trick. They try all sorts of things to stop an exorcism. This particular ruse is subtle. You would never think of demons being able to make you feel so tired you cannot move. Not long ago, a layman complained to me that whenever he tries to work at his ministry, he is overwhelmed with an uncharacteristic tiredness. It saps his energy and he can barely function. Very diagnostic is the fact that the tiredness only comes over this energetic person when he begins his ministry. I suspected a demonic cause and told him so. I suggested he use holy water liberally over himself and his workplace, and also begin his ministry with daily deliverance prayers. Most bouts of exhaustion have physiological and/or psychological roots, but sometimes they have a demonic origin. I am most suspicious when it occurs in the midst of an exorcism or when it occurs unexpectedly as a person begins a holy task. When demons desperately don't want something to happen, this is one of their subtle tricks.