Catholic religion?

Question

Why do the priest have to get permission to do an exorcism? Isn't it just a prayer, Jesus didn't have to get permission to cast out demons, the holy spirit empowered him to do so

Answer 1

Every priest is under the authority of a bishop, a successor of the Apostles. The Bishop has ultimate authority of what happens in his diocese.

Catholics have been casting out demons ever since Jesus and the Apostles did it.

Modern psychology says that most of the people who had demons cast out of them were probably miraculously cured from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. But their cures were still miracles.

The Catholic Church believes that real demonic possessions are rare but possible, so they keep a few exorcists around just in case.

The Church has guidelines in place to take great care to exhaust psychological options before calling in an exorcist.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1673: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt4.htm#1673

Anglicanism, several Protestant denominations, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Judaism, Hinduism, Scientology, and Islam also practice some kind of exorcism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Priests do exorcisms all the time as part of the ritual of baptism. The church restricts exorcisms to those who are not mentally ill, so a priest must first determine if the person is schizophrenic and since the priest is not likely qualified to make that determination, must go through a process to make certain people get the correct care.

Just a note, that is the reason, but I am not Catholic.

Answer 3

The answer to the question isn't that simple. I recommend two books:

"An Exorcist Tells his Story" by Gabriel Amorth, the Exorcist of Rome and Interview With an Exorcist: An Insider's Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance (Paperback) by Jose Antonio Fortea (Author)

Answer 4

Most (if not all) dioceses have policies that any proposed exorcisms must be cleared by the diocese/bishop. I believe this is largely to ensure that the individual is not in fact suffering from a clinical psychiatric disorder, which can be construed as possession but requires different (i.e. medical) care (although clinically sick people also require spiritual care of course). As noted above, there have also been legal cases of well-meaning, but poorly-equipped priests who have caused harm in their efforts to heal. In my diocese, the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, permisson must be obtained from the bishop before a priest uses the "ministry of deliverance" (modern name for exorcism) and I am sure that this is the case in other Anglican as well as Roman Catholic dioceses.

Answer 5

Hello,

I think it has to do with legalities in this day and age. There have been a few cases where exorcisms were done and the person died.The exorcists were charged with manslaughter.
So it is more than just a prayer one has to be trained and knowledgeable.

Mike

Answer 6

Because she, like the devil, has presumed to exalt herself above all, and has become herself in need of deliverance.

(Rev 18:2) "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."

Rome, having taken on the form of the empire in which it was found, presumes an autocratic (answerable to no one) authority over all, and with it's own Caesario-papacy, it adds to the Bible and effectively it makes it a second class authority (after the "Teaching Magisterium"). Thus the Bible was effectively bound from the common people for hundreds of years, were unScriptural doctrines, from Paedo-baptism, to the Perpetuated Petrine Papacy, to Purgatory to Prayers for the dead loosed, as well as later Bingo!

But the ultimate error of Rome is that of fostering dependence upon her supposed powers, as well as one's own merits, for salvation, rather than coming before God as sinners, destitute of any merit whereby they may escape Hell and gain Heaven, and thus casting all their faith upon Christ and His blood for justification and regeneration (Rm. 3:9 - 5:8; Eph. 1:13; Titus 3:5).

And having turned from sin to Him, be baptized under water (Acts 8:37) and walk in newness of life (Rm. 6). And so to God be the glory alone!!

Answer 7

In Matthew 10, If we believe in Jesus Christ demons can be removed.

Answer 8

I like the potential for a "no" answer.

No, this person must live with his demons. Heck, I gotta live with mine.

Prediction: 3 neg flags

Answer 9

? I'm not sure what you mean. Do you have a reference regarding this permission?

Answer 10

Church politics.