A Catholic Priest Prepares for Exorcism
They don’t take classes in Exorcism 101. How they are picked is more of an art than a science. The exorcist always has an assistant priest available in case he falters in the process. The senior priest teaches the neophyte by way of long descriptions handed down by the Experienced. A process bordering on parascience has emerged that seems to work. A corner of the Catholic church acknowledges that there are devils and that they can possess us. But they can also be evicted. Malachi Martin, author of Hostage to the Devil, brings five real cases into focus, true stories of exorcisms by various priests, supported by diaries, tapes, and meticulous interviews. The stories are too graphic to review in detail, but there are generalities that cross all denominational lines because the devil is not a denominational construct or even merely a Christian invention. In his Introduction, Martin describes the careful preparation for an exorcism, the signs that the problem is demonic rather than ...