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Yes, there are Catholic priests who do perform exorcisms.
The Catholics have a very specific procedure for exorcism, as set forth in "The Rituale Romanum". The ritual of exorcism, as exercised within the Catholic Church, is dealt with very deliberately and cautiously. Generally, only a very small number of unidentified priests are commissioned to perform this ritual, and under the most secretive and guarded conditions. Prior to the actual ritual being performed, a careful analysis of the situation is conducted by the priest/exorcist to determine the actual nature of the situation. Upon the basis of the priest/exorcist's judgment, the ritual may be performed. During the Catholic ritual, the exorcist is encouraged to enlist such aids and protections as a crucifix, holy water, salt and wine, holy relics (such as pieces of bones from Saints), and Biblical scripture and prayer.
The following is the generally accepted prayer as used within the Christian faiths. The words may be altered slightly, however, adherents to the faith are generally advised to stay within the text.

I adjure thee, O serpent of old, by the Judge of the living and the dead; by the Creator of the world who hath power to cast into hell, that thou depart forwith from his house. He that commands thee, accursed demon, is He that commanded the winds, and the sea, and the storm. He that commands thee, is He that ordered thee to be hurled down from the height of heaven into the lower parts of the Earth. He that commands thee is He that bade thee depart from Him. Harken, then, Satan, and fear. Get thee gone, vanished and cowed, when thou art bidden in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the living and the dead and all the world by fire. Amen.

According to Father Malachi Martin, in his book "Hostage To The Devil", much of the success of the exorcism depends on the disposition of the exorcist and his assistants. Father Martin describes the type of priest best suited to be an exorcist as being a middle-aged man of good sound judgment and good physical health, physically strong and relatively guiltless. No one should have any secret sins that the demon can use against them. Father Martin reports that in some instances the demon may shout out the sins of the exorcist or his assistants in an attempt to shame the men and ruin the exorcism.

Although all exorcisms are unique, Father Martin states that they follow similar stages. These stages are as follows:

THE PRESENCE: The exorcist and his assistants become aware of an alien entity. The actions of the alien entity (evil spirit) appear to be the victim's own conscious actions. The exorcist's first job is to break this pretense and find out who the demon really is. Gaining the entity's name is most important.

THE BREAKPOINT: The moment when the evil spirit's pretense finally collapses. This is usually a moment of complete pandemonium. There evolves a scene of panic and confusion, accompanied by a crescendo of abuse, horrible sights, noises, and odors. The evil spirit then turns on the victim, speaking of the person in third person, instead of as itself. As a sign of the Breakpoint, the demon's voice becomes "inordinately disturbing and humanly distressed babel". The demon's voices must be silenced before the exorcism can proceed.

THE CLASH: As the voices of the demon die out, there is both a spiritual and physical pressure. The demon has collided with the "will of the kingdom". The exorcist is now in direct battle with the demon, urging the entity to reveal more information about itself so that it can be controlled.

NOTE: The entity is approaching a critical point. The entity must now find a new place to dwell or return to Hell. An existence out of Hell is what the Devil and his demons are fighting for.

THE EXPULSION: In the supreme triumph of God's will, the demon or spirit leaves in the name of Jesus. All present feel the "presence" dissipate, occasionally with receding noises and voices. The victim may or may not remember the ordeal, or any aspect of what has transpired.

Father Martin emphasizes that very few exorcists choose to work alone. The exorcist is generally assisted by three other people. One is a junior priest who has been trained in exorcism procedures. He monitors the exorcism, helping the exorcist when possible not to be distracted by the demon. Others may include a medical doctor and a family member.

You may find the following book on a famous exorcism interesting reading
http://www.olrl.org/stories/bgonsatn/
Also the following news article may help you answer your question
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0500960.htm

2007-02-01 01:59:58 · answer #1 · answered by Pat 3 · 0 0

No. But this may help.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/42/story_4270_1.html

2007-02-01 06:30:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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