The Devil's Habits and Exorcism in the Catholic Church: Father Amorth's Account

The Italian priest Fr. Gabriele Amorth (1925-2016) gave a singular contribution to the life of the Catholic Church: the rediscovery of exorcism's importance after many years of oblivion. Through his many publications, he divulged his lifelong experience of being an exorcist. Although the devil's existence and his evil activity are a matter of Christian faith, they were often theoretically or practically denied even inside the Church. The devil and other demons can operate in multiform ways: ordinary activity, like temptation, and extraordinary activity, like possession, vexation, obsession and infestation. These phenomena have to be distinguished from mental illnesses that can present similar symptoms, but whose causes are different: natural for the former, supernatural-diabolic-for the latter. Consequently, these problems must be addressed with different solutions: medical care for common illnesses, and exorcisms and other spiritual aid for diabolic pathologies. The devil often works with the cooperation of people, who, more or less consciously, approach the world of occultism: magic, spiritism, Satanism. Exorcism and prayers of deliverance can help a person to liberate oneself from a possession or other demonic disturbances. However, a sincere conversion to God and a strengthening of the faith are required to obtain a complete and durable liberation. Exorcism is not magic, but a faithful prayer to the Christian God.

關鍵字

Catholic Church ； demonic possession ； occultism ； magic ； spiritism ； Satanism ； exorcism

並列摘要

義大利籍的阿摩特神父（1925-2016）所做的重大貢獻之一是讓天主教會重新發現驅魔的重要性。阿摩特神父寫了許多書分享他畢生從事驅魔師的經歷。雖然教會的信仰裡提及魔鬼的存在和作為，但不管就理論或實際的層面，教會內部經常否認這個信仰。魔鬼和其他惡魔有許多作為方式：常見伎倆，如誘惑；特殊技倆，如魔鬼附身（附魔）、魔鬼迫害、魔鬼擾念（著魔）、魔鬼感染。這些現象即使和精神病有些相似的癥狀，但兩者是不同的。其差別在於起因的不同：疾病由自然原因造成，魔鬼干擾則來自超自然的力量。因此也需要使用不同的治療方式：用醫藥來治療一般疾病，以驅魔和其他（屬靈的輔助）則用來對付魔鬼的作為。魔鬼有時候也會和人類合作，這些人，多少都是有意識地，去接觸一些秘術的世界，如：巫術、招魂、撒旦崇拜等。驅魔儀式以及從邪靈中釋放的祈禱能將一個人從魔鬼附身和其他干擾解脫。不過，他／她必需真心悔改並堅強對天主的信德，才能得到一份完整而又長久的釋放。驅魔並不是魔術，而是向天主的虔誠祈禱。