An Exorcist Tells His Story

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One thing I was surprised to learn was how much demons suffer during exorcisms and yet, not so much as they will in hell. It contained very interesting anecdotes, new information, and some of the Church positions on the existence of devil. And here I thought this would be a serious book, yet I am reminded of a Jerome Jerome novel where the main character read a list of medical illnesses and concluded he suffers from them all.

While I enjoyed listening to the experiences in exorcism throughout the book, I feel that this could have been even better had he just relayed the alleged stories, instead of preaching his religion. Last night, I watched the movie "The Pope's Exorcist" based on this book with Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth. In his objective and humble way, Amorth deals with issues as demonic possession, diabolical oppression (physical symptoms), diabolic obsession (psychological symptoms), diabolic infestation, and diabolical subjugation (voluntary submission to Satan); temptation, angels, prayers of deliverance (mostly in prayer groups), the Ritual (containing the prayers and norms of the Church for exorcism); spiritism, sorcery, evil spell, warlocks, witchdoctors, card readers, soothsayers, magic, witchcraft; spells by means of strange hidden objects, cooperating seers and sensitives; Satan’s influence on groups, communities, and nations with human assent; diagnosis of possession, signs of evil influence, speaking with the demon, his behavior, tactics and tricks, before he is driven out, names of demons; sacramentals like holy water, or rather exorcised water, oil, and salt. It is well worth the couple of hours anyone with an open mind might spend reading his little book it be they clergy or lay folk.An exorcist in Rome, he claimed to have performed thousands of exorcisms, but this book is mostly laying out his theology.

I could've been more patient with the pieces of the story (because it is a story) that don't make sense to me. If people deny his existence, it is easier for him to do his work, because no one protects against him. I have no issue whatsoever with religion, but I do take issue with people who let their religion influence their treatment of other people. There are a lot of anecdotes about exorcisms in this book that will make one realize that evil can approach and attack you from anywhere, especially if you are far from God. Rather, it touches on many factors: the nature of Christ, the angels, and the demons; forms and characteristics of diabolic activities; and the basic theories of exorcism---what it is, who can do it, when should it be done, why it should it be done, and how it should be done.An Exorcist Tells His Story was the perfect length for a seven-hour (approximately) car trip my husband and I took yesterday including pauses for discussion. The author (died in 2016), chief exorcist of the diocese of Vatican, adheres strictly to the Catholic faith and interprets his experiences in this frame of understanding. Newsflash - mental problems take years to heal and some never do despite having nothing supernatural about them. I read this book out of a genuine wish to understand how - in this day and age - normal, intelligent people can still believe in demons and witchcraft.

In this it largely fails as a lot of the time exorcism does not resolve the problem, or it takes years. The two books An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories are not official Roman Catholic documents, rather personal accounts of his office as Exorcist. If getting in touch and receiving power from demons was so easy, it would have been a recognized truth of the world, a commonly known fact like the shape of the earth (which some still deny). It is difficult to believe this is an in-demand service if the church is acquiescing to its gradual extinction.There's no question in his mind that African religions are false and open people to demonic possession. The importance of the ministry to "expel demons" is clearly seen in the Gospels, from the actions of the Apostles, and from Church history. I was drawn to this audiobook primarily because it was free on Audible, and also because I thoroughly enjoyed The Pope's Exorcist and wanted to know more about Fr. The author suggests that the human species has only been capable of exorcising demons or devils for the past 2000 years, which is a claim that lacks logical support. Unlike, the flamboyant, megalomaniac American Exorcists who claim to have more powers than God himself, and who have converted this warfare into an ugly commercialized market, Fr.

It is a matter of fact presentation of the reality of the spiritual realm by a man who touched it without fear every day. Many cases misdiagnosed as mental illness, however, are cured by the Rite of Exorcism, which is spiritual medicine. At first the author talks how years are needed to exorcise a demon, yet later says possession is a gradual process, it can't immediately be made distinct from demonic oppression and other demonic influences. Amorth's book should be considered as the primary reference to understanding the weaknesses of Man against this powerful entity, who was once the perfect angel created by God. To me the chapter from a viewpoint of a formerly possessed person was absolutely indistinguishable from a PoV of a mental health patient.Gabriele has mentioned in this incredible book why would any priest need to be afraid of dealing with possessions/obsessions or even to give a homily on demons when they are servants of God.