The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist (6 page)

Every angel is a distinct being endowed with intellect and free will. However, as Aquinas explains, this doesn't mean that the angels are composed only of intellect, but rather that their knowledge is derived from the intellect, compared to a human soul that attains knowledge through both the intellect and senses. As theologian A. M. Lepicier notes, “An angel possesses such penetration that he is able, at one glance, to take in the whole field of science laying open to his perception, just as we, at a glance, can take in the entire field of vision lying exposed to our eyes.”

For the ministry of an exorcist, perhaps the most important distinction that Aquinas makes is that since angels (or demons) do not occupy space, therefore they cannot be physically present in a place like a person can. In this way, they are not anywhere. Instead, when a demon is alleged to move an object (slam a door, for instance, or slide a chair across a room), the demon is
acting
on that object.

Their being immaterial means that angels do not move from point A to B by any kind of locomotion, but instead suddenly shift their activity from one point or place to a different one. Some theologians have likened this movement to the human mind, which can instantly transfer thoughts over long distances or onto random objects.

Since the Church teaches that God never rejects his creatures, even when they use his gifts for evil means, the Devil still retains his former angelic stature and powers. As Saint Augustine established, though, God does not give Satan a free hand, otherwise “no man would be left alive.” Theologians stipulate that the Devil and the fallen angels are limited in their actions in two main ways: by the limits of their nature as created beings, and by the will of God.

LIMITS OF THE DEVIL BASED ON HIS NATURE

The Catholic Church teaches that no matter how superior he is to humans, the Devil is still a finite creature. He cannot, for example, perform true miracles, because by definition a miracle is something that surpasses the power of all created nature. To perform a miracle requires “supernatural” power, and Satan has only “preternatural” power. He can, however, create the appearance of a miracle since his powers allow him to surpass the limits of human abilities.

The Devil is also limited in his ability to know the secrets of the inner heart, a field strictly open to God, who is all-knowing, say theologians. However, according to exorcists, the Devil can tell what we are thinking by using his superior powers of observation, just as a physician might glean some information about a man's health by checking his pulse.

The Devil cannot foresee the future, say exorcists. He can, however, fake the appearance of psychic ability by accurately “predicting” what will happen based on his knowledge of human nature and the powers he has as a spirit.

LIMITS OF THE DEVIL BASED ON GOD'S WILL

The second limitation on the Devil's power comes from God's will. In the Christian tradition, an important distinction is made between the Devil's status as a lower being created by God and his false reputation as “god of evil” (a view held by many satanic cults). As a result, the Catholic Church emphasizes that even though the Devil, because of his angelic stature, has more power than humans, he can do nothing unless God allows it. The book of Job attests to the fact that God can restrain the Devil: “The Lord said to Satan, Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him” (Job 1:13).

Many have asked, Why would God allow the Devil to harm us? While this question is not easy to answer, Catholic theologians such as Thomas Aquinas have tried to show that ultimately God permits the Devil to act in order to turn evil to good.

Typically, the Devil is permitted to act in ways broken down by exorcists into two categories: ordinary and extraordinary.

ORDINARY ACTIVITY OF THE DEVIL

The ordinary activity of the Devil is temptation. Temptation is essentially nothing more than an attraction to commit a sin. In order to sin, we first have to realize that whatever act we are committing is a moral evil, otherwise we would be guilty of only ignorance, not sin. Saint Paul says in the letter to the Romans: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells within me. […] I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do” (Romans 7:15-23). It is in this capacity of tempting us to go against the good of our nature that exorcists assert the Devil is most active. However, theologians are quick to point out that it would be a mistake to assume that all temptations come from the Devil. As Thomas Aquinas says, “The devil is not the cause of every sin: for all sins are not committed at the devil's instigation, but some are due to the free-will and the corruption of the flesh.” The Catholic Church teaches that overcoming temptation is a normal way for the soul to strengthen in grace and virtue.

EXTRAORDINARY ACTIVITY OF THE DEVIL

Any demonic activity that is considered more powerful than temptation is “extraordinary.” Over the years, numerous terms have been used in the field of exorcism and deliverance to describe the various ways in which the Devil and demons can afflict people directly. When the new rite of exorcism was promulgated in 1998, the Conference of Italian Bishops asked the International Association of Exorcists to come up with a list of terms that could be used by everybody. The Devil's extraordinary activity was lumped into four major areas: (1) infestation, (2) oppression, (3) obsession, and (4) demonic possession.

I
NFESTATION

Infestation is the presence of demonic activity in a location or object, such as a “haunted house.”

The various kinds of phenomena that can occur in this situation are vast and include unexplained sounds or noises like mysterious footsteps, loud bangs, laughter, screams; the temperature of a room dropping or the feelings of a cold wind with no discernable source; objects disappearing suddenly and materializing in other parts of the house; strange presences felt; the presence of offensive odors; interruption of electric current or the malfunction of electronic devices; pictures that mysteriously bang or fall off the wall; doors and windows that open and close on their own; dishes or other objects levitating and flying about the room.

One exorcist described going to bless a house and seeing mysterious, bloodlike spots appearing on various objects, including articles of clothing tucked away in drawers and even a set of brand-new bed sheets that were still sealed in plastic. In the same instance, a rosary that had been strung with ornate glass beads was found hanging on the back of a door with all the beads mysteriously removed. Later that night, the beads were found crushed into a fine powder and placed into a neat little pile outside the house.

In another instance, a woman baked a cake and placed it on the kitchen table; but when she reentered the room, the cake was mysteriously high on top of the cupboard even though no one else was in the house.

Generally, say exorcists, such disturbances occur for a number of reasons, including the presence of a cursed object in the house or the house itself being cursed; use of the location for occult activities such as seances or for a criminal activity of some kind, such as prostitution or drug dealing; performance of a satanic ritual on the premises; or gruesome murders or suicides having taken place there. Often, say exorcists, manifestations are caused by a person being attacked by an evil presence rather than attributed to an evil spirit being attached to the house.

Typically, instead of performing an exorcism, exorcists prefer to do a simple blessing and say a mass on the premises.

O
PPRESSION

Also called “physical attack,” oppression often takes the form of mysterious blows raining down on the individual or scratches inexplicably materializing on the body. Some people have had strange signs or even letters appear on their skin, while others claim to be pushed down stairs or out of bed by an invisible force. The Bible attests to the power of the Devil to inflict physical infirmities. In the Gospel of Luke, for example, Jesus heals a woman who has been bowed over and deformed by a “spirit of infirmity” (Luke 13:10-16). Typically, this kind of direct attack is aimed at people who are closest to God, such as the saints. Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), Saint John Vianney (1786-1859), and Saint Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), to name a few, were all the objects of demonic oppression at some point in their lives, as was Saint Paul, whose “Thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7) is generally considered to have been caused by a demon.

As in the book of Job, victims of this kind of attack may also suffer in their work, health, or relationships. The purpose is to drive these people toward isolation and despair so they may turn their back on God.

O
BSESSION

Obsession has also been called “demonic temptation,” and it involves an intense and persistent attack on the mind of the victim. Generally these attacks include random and obsessive thoughts that, though often absurd, are so intense that the victim is unable to free him- or herself. Victims feel tormented by a fixation that completely dominates their thoughts. These thoughts can make the victim think he is going insane, which only compounds the feelings of sadness and desperation. As Italian exorcist Father Francesco Bamonte notes, “Some are thoughts and impulses that urge people to harm others; some make people think that only a pact with Satan can get them out of their troubles or bring them success; some are thoughts to profane the Eucharist; others are thoughts to drive one to suicide.” Often the obsessions affect a person's dreams, and terrible nightmares are common.

P
OSSESSION

Also known as “involuntary possession,” demonic possession is by far the most spectacular activity of the Devil and also the rarest. Some exorcists believe they have never seen a full demonic possession, while others encounter the phenomena with some frequency. Almost all exorcists are unanimous in their belief, however, that more people are becoming possessed today than in the recent past.

In a demonic possession, the Devil takes temporary control of a person's body, speaking and acting through it without the person's knowledge. This control, however, doesn't last indefinitely, but rather occurs only during “moments of crisis” in which the victim enters a trance state. Generally speaking, after the crisis passes, the victim will not remember what transpired (rare individuals will be conscious during the ordeal and will remember). As a result of this “loss of control” the individual is considered blameless for whatever happens. However, having a free will, they are responsible for their actions when they are not in the trance state, and so, say theologians, demonic possession in no way exculpates them from guilt.

In between their crisis moments, it is also possible for victims to carry on as if nothing is wrong. This does not mean, however, that they are not affected by the demon. “People who are possessed can keep undergoing influence of the demon in their mind,” says another Italian exorcist. “As the Holy Spirit acquaints one with divine things such as good feelings, pleasant sensations, a state of physical well-being, a state of calm, inner peace and also an intuition of things, an evil spirit through his ugliness can do the same thing though in the opposite way, like agitation, anxiety, desperation, hate, or thoughts of suicide.”

During moments of crisis, the Devil can manifest in various ways: bodily contortions that defy rational explanation; unnatural strength; knowledge of hidden things; or abilities to speak or understand foreign languages. In stronger cases, the demon will speak through the person, usually in an odd or unnatural voice that is full of rage and hatred.

It is also possible for strange occurrences to happen at the homes of possessed individuals, such as weird animals appearing or disappearing. For instance, one eighteen-year-old girl was suddenly awakened one night by a slap across her face. Looking around, she saw that she was alone. However, as she searched the room, she noticed that misshapen bugs (with antennae or wings missing, for example) began appearing on the walls. Frightened, she called out to her mother, who also saw the bugs. The two then tried to kill them with a shoe, but they kept appearing on the walls as if out of thin air.

It is important to note that, in the case of a demonic possession, say exorcists, the soul of the individual is not possessed, just the body. A great debate has raged among Christians about whether a person in a state of grace could also be possessed. According to the Catholic Church, the answer is yes (the lives of the saints bear witness to this) because the soul remains in a state of grace while the body is taken over. The only exception would be when a person “invites” a possession to take place, such as during a satanic ritual. “In this case,” says an Italian exorcist, “the presence in the soul is completed, which means that the will of the person completely identifies with the demon, having given himself completely to him. In that case the person becomes constantly possessed, and is like a demon walking on the earth.”

CHAPTER FIVE

OPENING THE DOOR

My dear Wormwood,

Everything is clearly going very well. I am specially glad to hear that the two new friends have now made him acquainted with their whole set. All these, as I find from the record office, are thoroughly reliable people; steady, consistent scoffers and worldings who without any spectacular crimes are progressing quietly and comfortably towards Our Father's house.

—
C. S. Lewis
, The Screwtape Letters

Confound the race

Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell

To mingle and involve, done all to spite The Great Creator

—John Milton
, Paradise Lost

T
he image of a desecrated church with satanic graffiti—
“666”
and upside-down crosses—spray painted on the walls filled the large white screen behind the dais.

“These photos were taken in the chapel of an abandoned hospital just outside Rome,” asserted the deep baritone voice of Dr. Marco Strano, a criminologist and psychologist with the state police. A brooding, bald man with an intense gaze made more pronounced by a set of thick black eyebrows, Dr. Strano appeared right at home next to the gruesome images—elaborate satanic tattoos, self-mutilations, shattered storefronts blocked off by yellow crime-scene tape—that paraded across the screen.

Because the blinds were shut and the lights were turned off, Father Gary didn't bother to take many notes, but instead sat back and tried to digest it all.

In recent years, satanic cults had been on the rise in Italy, and several high-profile satanic murders had grabbed attention in the Italian news. In 2001, three teenage girls stabbed a nun to death in a northern Italian town as a part of a satanic ritual. In the fall of 2005, members of a satanic rock group, the Bestie di Satana (Beasts of Satan) were brought to trial for the brutal murder of one band member and two female friends, one of whom was shot and buried alive. As recently as 2007, a man with amnesia wandered into a police station in a town near Milan covered with small puncture wounds and missing three liters of blood. Later, his blood was found splattered all over the walls of his apartment seventy miles away in the form of satanic writings. Police found upturned crosses and other satanic symbols there even though the man had no recollection of belonging to any cult.

Because millions of people are reportedly involved in the occult around the world and the numbers are on the rise, the exorcism course would explain the ramifications to novice exorcists.

M
ODERN SATANISM
, say experts, borrows from a number of historical traditions, and its tenets are hard to pin down. There is no unified belief system, as some members of the same group may become involved for more abstract practices while others do so for carnal.

The Gnostics in the mid-second century heavily promoted the notion that Satan was a godlike being with certain powers. Later condemned by the Church as heretics, the Gnostics believed that the material world was too full of evil to have been created by a good God. Therefore, they proposed a dualist system whereby God was distant and unknowable while Satan was the creator of the physical world. Later, in the Middle Ages, the Cathars took up this theory once again, even going so far as to say that the Catholic Church was established by the Devil to mislead people. This emphasis on the material world having been created by Satan wasn't for the purposes of worshiping him, but to more powerfully oppose him. But this view was easily perverted by certain groups who put the Devil on an equal footing with God.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, on the heels of the revolutions in America and France and in the midst of the Enlightenment, Satan's desire to rebel against God was cast as a bid for freedom. The Church, seen by some as being too authoritarian, was accused of repressing man's natural carnal desires. As a result, numerous groups sprang up, including the infamous Hellfire Club led by the rake Sir Francis Dashwood, which, while not necessarily believing in the reality of a personified Satan, still espoused a hedonistic lifestyle involving supposed orgies and other debaucheries done in the Devil's name.

According to Father Bamonte, who also authored a book on the occult, there are two currents of Satanism. In the first, known as “personal,” adepts actually believe that Satan is a physical entity, a god who can be prayed to and who will grant certain privileges, such as money and fame, if offered sacrifices. While in the second, known as “impersonal,” acolytes hold that Satan represents more of a force or energy, a part of the cosmos that can be developed and used to serve them.

In both the “personal” and the “impersonal” currents of Satanism, the power of the individual is exalted above anything else, while the seven capital sins are celebrated. As Father Bamonte says, “The key to understanding them is to know their motto, ‘Do what you want; that is the only law.’” Beyond this basic view, the groups themselves can also be very diverse.

Father Aldo Buonaiuto, a member of the Pope John XXIII Community Association, has been working with ex-cult members for some time. Small in stature, Father Buonaiuto sports a collegiate handsomeness and a perpetual five-o'clock shadow. His appearance and mild demeanor seem completely out of place in the world of devil worship and murder. And yet, author of a book on the occult,
Le mani occulte: viaggio nel mondo del satanismo
(The Hands of the Occult, a Voyage into the World of Satanism), he is considered an expert on the subject and was recently asked to collaborate with the SAS.

During the course of his work, Father Buonaiuto has come up with different designations within satanic cults. The first, which he calls “Youth Acid,” consists of mostly young people into the physical trappings of Satanism, the hedonistic lifestyle mixed with drugs, selfmutilation, pedophilia, suicide, and even murder to provide human sacrifices. The second designation, known as “Power Satanism,” is more sophisticated, he claims, and counts as members very wealthy and influential people who are said to sell their souls to the Devil for the promise of power and riches, which are then used to ensure a perpetual state of strife—war, famine, economic instability, and such. The third designation he calls “Apocalyptic Satanism,” which, as the name suggests, has as its goal the total destruction of life as we know it (not surprisingly, he claims this is the most dangerous strain).

W
HILE THERE IS NO DENYING
that groups like the “Beasts of Satan” exist, and that they claim to kill in the name of the Devil, the larger question is this: Are these groups part of a bigger problem, or just deeply troubled kids?

Similar to the “satanic panics” that gripped the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s, when cases such as the McMartin Preschool trial (in which a group of teachers were accused of ritually abusing the students) turned out to be false, some critics wonder whether the Church might be overreacting to a few isolated incidents.

Italy has seen its fair share of scandals that, while garnering headlines, have failed to deliver. In 1996, for example, Marco Dimitri, the leader of a satanic cult called the Bambini di Satana (Children of Satan) was acquitted of raping a two-year-old boy and a teenage girl during an alleged satanic ritual. Likewise, in 2007, the town of Rignano Flaminio near Rome went through its very own McMartin-style scandal when fifteen students at a nursery school accused six individuals, including several teachers, of sexually abusing them in satanic rituals. A lengthy investigation, however, involving a number of child psychologists, failed to turn up any evidence.

Dr. Strano, for his part, doesn't believe the more sensational crimes attributed to satanic cults—such as human sacrifice, organ trafficking, and slavery—are going on to the extent that some people imagine. He thinks instead that many of these groups are just about rebellion, about young people doing drugs and perhaps becoming involved in petty crimes such as vandalism or theft. Most of them “do not even know what they are doing,” he says.

Father Buonaiuto, however, thinks differently. For the past five years, he has been running a cult hotline in Italy, counseling individuals and family members who are trying to get out of cults. “It's not true that they are isolated groups, that a sixteen-year-old kid suddenly wakes up and decides to start a group. There is always someone who gives them the permission; there is a territory, there is always someone who initiates the group with that doctrine,” he says. The hotline has opened Father Buonaiuto's eyes to a world that many people can't imagine exists. “The thing that is the most shocking is the amount of joy that these young kids, some of them sixteen years old, get out of suffering and causing suffering for others. They celebrate death. If you read what some of the people from the ‘Beasts of Satan’ said, you would not believe it. While they are hurting someone, they rejoice in it.” According to Father Buonaiuto, the hotline gets around twenty calls a day, running the gamut from ex-cult members on the run to people just seeking attention. It can be hard to break away from these groups, in part because the destructive lifestyle is fueled by addiction. “LSD, music, sex and violence work together to form a kind of psychological dependence,” he says.

However, even while he is convinced that satanic cults pose a threat, he is quick to point out that the nefariousness associated with these groups doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the demonic. “We have to be clear: The world of satanic cults is one thing and demonic possession another. Satanism is more about an exterior thing, a cultural movement in which people perpetrate crimes such as fraud and in extreme cases murder. Some people in these groups don't even believe in the Devil but use him as a shield to victimize impressionable people. Demonic possession, on the other hand, is an individual thing, which if it affects a person, does so on an internal, spiritual level.”

One, of course, could lead to the other, say exorcists like Father Bamonte. If a person were to enter such a group and perform magic or certain rituals, that could open the person up to demonic attack. Or, claims Father Bamonte, the individual could sign a “pact” with a demon and thereby open a doorway to “direct contact” with him.