September 12, 2007

The Return of the Unclean Spirit - A quick glance into The Christian Demonology

Table of Contents


1. Introduction. 3
2. Demonology in General 4
3. Demonology in Christianity. 6
3.1 In the Bible. 7
3.1.1 Scriptural references to demons. 8
3.1.2 Demons are. 8
3.1.3 Expressions of demonic activity. 8
3.1.4 Exorcising of demons. 9
3.2 Magisterium of the Church. 9
3.2.1 Fathers of the Church. 9
3.2.2 Councils of the Church. 10
3.2.3 Catechism of the Catholic Church. 11
3.3 Symbols and symbolism in Christian demonology. 12
3.3.1 Demons and colors. 13
3.3.2 Demons and food. 14
4. Contemporary Situation. 14
4.1 Quotes from Pope Benedict XVI 15
4.2 Quotes from Pope John Paul II 15
4.3 Rome’s chief exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth: Hitler Knew the Devil 15
5. The Return of the Unclean Spirit 19
5.1 Setting. 19
5.2 Exegetical study. 19
5.3 Message and Application. 20
6. The Fearful Results of a Spiritual Relapse. 21
7. Conclusion: Our house must be occupied. 25
8. Bibliography. 27
9. Index 28
Chapter 1

Introduction
Luke 11, 24-26 & Matthew 12, 43—45


1. Introduction

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.” (Lk 11,24-26) & (Mt 12,43—45)

The above quoted Bible texts forced me to search after the meaning of the words unclean spirit and the state of a person, the detailed reading about this guided me to further to demonology and the official position of the Church on it. In this paper an investigation in to the Christian demonology and the proper understanding of the Church’s position regarding this is intended by me. A detailed investigation based on the available resources from various books both in printed and digital forms are used. The idea of this investigation was stirred in me by some of my friends who did their secular post graduation with me.

Unfortunately, in the last few decades numerous authors have denied the existence of the devil. The death of Satan has been proclaimed, and those who lack a proper understanding of demonology will very likely believe this lie. Even some of the theologians who promulgated the false teaching do not realize that they have in fact become collaborators and instruments of the devil whom they claim to have abolished.

Chapter 2
Demonology in general

2. Demonology in General

Demonology is, as its name suggests, the study of demons: which prompts the question, what a demon is. The word itself derives from the Greek daimon, meaning simply a supernatural spirit or power of an inferior sort, i.e., not a god. Thus eudaimonia, having a good daimon, which is translated as "happiness" or "fulfillment" or even "a flourishing life". When Socrates, in the Apology, claimed to be advised by a daimon, he meant more or less what we now call "the voice of conscience". In Latin, the word became dæmon. The general rule, as Latin degenerated through the Middle Ages, was that the diphthongs "æ" and "oe" became "e"; this gave us edifice from æedificum, celestial from coelestis, and demon from dæmon. None of which actually says what the word came to mean.

In a basic sense, the meaning remained unchanged: an inferior sort of supernatural being. But such a statement carried one set of implications for the pagans, and another for others, very different one for Christians. We don't know how the other sorts of monotheists in the classical world - Jews, Zoroastrians, Manicheans, the sundry Gnostic sects, etc., used the word. In the Christian tradition, there was only one category of supernatural beings inferior to God, namely the angels, who were divided between those who joined in Lucifer's rebellion, a third of the heavenly host and were condemned to Hell, and those who remained loyal to their Creator stayed in Heaven. The existence of the pagan gods was not, for the most part, denied by the Fathers of Church (for instance, St. Augustine): they were real alright, and really did work miracles for their followers, they just happened to be fallen angels who lied. This applied all the way down the line, from the Olympian Gods to the most minor fountain nymph, so the dæmones of the pagans were really fallen angels. Thus "demon" came to mean "fallen angel, inhabitant of Hell." Demonology, then, took the form of saying what these fiends were like, and what they were up to.

In a sense, this took a respectable form in the writings of the Scholastics. Demons being a species of the genus of angels, anything which was true of angels was, of course, also true of demons. We may pursue this thread in the writings of, St. Thomas Aquinas; nothing like his discussion of the problem of resurrecting cannibals who eat only human flesh, and whose parents did likewise, but still interesting. It is the unrespectable side of demonology which is spicier.

This took the form of people writing about the details and particularities of Hell and its inhabitants. Some of this writing professed to be of service to good Christians; a much larger volume of it was frankly for practitioners of ritual magic who wished to make use of the supernatural powers of demons. It is in these sources that we read of the elaborate hierarchy of Hell, with its Dukes and Counts and Grand Dukes and Presidents and Chancellors, in fact, all the accessories of the terrestrial feudal order. All of these beings were given names, descriptions, habits and habitations.

In the earlier parts of the Middle Ages, the Church's attitude towards such demonologists and the traditions of ritual magic they were a part of was actually half-way reasonable. While not denying the existence of demons or the rest of the mythology, it was in St. Augustine, it did tend to look very skeptically on anyone who actually claimed supernatural powers or to deal with demons. This began to change as the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance, and especially as inquisitors and other authorities already familiar with traditions of ritual magic began to have to deal with the supernatural practices of peasants in remote, backward areas. For fairly obscure reasons, Churchmen began to actually believe the claims to magical powers; which, within the orthodox Christian scheme, could only be explained by recourse to demons.

Now modern occultism tends to be fairly diffuse and intellectually squishy, and, most important, to reject Christianity; it has, therefore, no reason to couch itself in terms of demons and fallen angels. Today, therefore, demonology is mainly pursued by those who share a credulous belief in the supernatural with an acceptance of the Christian tradition, i.e., by the most benighted of the Protestant sects. This Republic is already over-supplied with these people, and they have been gathering numbers and strength for decades.










Chapter 3
Demonology in Christianity

3. Demonology in Christianity

Christian demonology is the study of demons from a Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible, the exegesis of these scriptures, the scriptures of early Christian philosophers and hermits, tradition, and legends incorporated from other beliefs. Like theology, demonology is not a science; therefore, strict scientific method has not always been applied.

In monotheistic religions, the deities of other religions are sometimes interpreted or created as demons. The evolution of the Christian 'Devil' and pentagram are examples of early rituals and images that have been attributed 'evil' qualities by the Christian churches.

Since early Christianity, demonology has evolved from a simple acceptance of demons to a complex study that has grown from the original ideas taken from Jewish demonology and Christian scriptures. Christian demonology is mainly studied within the Roman Catholic Church, although some other Christian churches do not deny the existence of demons.

According to Christian tradition, demons can be angels, are spiritual, immutable and immortal. Demons are not omniscient, but each one has a specific knowledge, sometimes on only one subject, sometimes on more than one. Their power is limited to that which God allows, so they are not omnipotent. No reference has been made about omnipresence, so it is as yet unclear if they can be in different places at the same time, but it is deducible from some passages of the Bible that they are not omnipresent[1].

Christian demonology states that the mission of the demons is to induce humans to sin, often by testing their faith in God. Christian tradition holds that temptations come from three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Demons have also the duty of punishing the souls of those people that died out of God's grace (in sin), by torturing them in Hell[2].

It is also believed that demons torment people during their life, like the case of Job or through possession, causing disgraces and diseases, or simply showing themselves before persons to frighten them, or by provoking visions that could induce people to sin or to be afraid. (Lk 13,16; Mt 17,15-16)

Demons are also believed to try to make people abandon the faith, commit heresy or apostasy, remain or turn themselves Pagan or venerate "idols", and gain the highest number of "Satans" or adversaries of God. (Ephesians 6,12)

Demonic supernatural powers are believed to include Fabrication, Levitation, Divination, Demonic possession, seducing spirits, ESP, telepathy, mind probing, witchcraft, curses, and hexes, as well as binding, magnification, and making contracts, weather control, animal control, and provocation. Demons use variants and combinations of these powers to harass, demoralize, confuse, and disorient the victim, or the willing subject of demonic interest. Many of these attacks can be limited by God for duration, effect or scope of these Demonic attacks[3].

Demons are believed to have the power to physically or mentally hurt people, but only within the boundaries of what God will allow. Demons can destroy anything material on the earth; these supernatural powers are always inferior to the power of God. God may use His will to cancel or destroy any effect the demon chooses to invoke. Demons, however, are granted permission to test, bring about trials, and to tempt people through the use of their destructive powers, to make people prove their faith, sometimes as a means to carry out the will of the Lord. Often Demons are said to creating negative emotions, wrecking havoc, ensuing chaos, and disrupting peace[4].

According both to Christian theology and Christian demonology, all evil in the world is caused by demons with God's permission[5], as their mission serving God; for example in the narratives of the Book of Job and the Temptation of Christ.
3.1 In the Bible
Satan is first mentioned by "name" in Job 1,6-7:
One day the angels came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came with them. Yahweh said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered Yahweh, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
Here God asks where it is that Satan comes from; however, it is not a question of ultimate origins, but of "what have you been doing lately?" From the story of Job, we learn that Satan is responsible for bringing misery and suffering to people. In 1 Chronicles 21,1 we see him active in tempting a person to sin. The only other place that Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament is Zechariah 3,1-2, where he is seen accusing the saints; and of course that is exactly what his name "Satan" means: "the accuser". In fact, in the Old Testament "Satan" is always preceded by a definite article, from which we gather "Satan" is more a designation of his character than an actual personal name. His actual first appearance in the Bible is generally assumed to be at the very beginning, in the form of a serpent, when he convinces Eve to doubt God's goodness. If this serpent is indeed Satan, there is no explicit biblical indication that it is, then Satan is responsible for creating all the misery that exists in our world today.
3.1.1 Scriptural references to demons.
A. Greek words based on daimon. 1. daimon - Mt. 8,31 2. daimonion - (63 usages in New Testament) 3. daimoniodes - Jas 3,15 4. daimonizomai - "possessed by a demon" - Mt. 4,24; 8,16,28,33;
9,32; 12,22; 15,22; Mk. 1,32; 5,15,18; Lk. 8,36 5. deisidaimon - deido = to fear - Acts 25,19 6. deisidaimonia - Acts 17,22 B. Greek phrases using pneuma. 1. pneuma - Mt. 8,16; 9,33; Lk. 9,39; 10,20; Acts 16,18;
I Cor. 12,3; I Jn 4,1-3 2. unclean spirits - Lk. 7,21; 8,2 3. evil spirits - Mt. 12,45; Lk. 7,21; 8,2; 11,26; Acts 19,12 4. deceitful spirits - I Tim. 4,1 5. sickness caused by a spirit- Lk. 13,11 6. spirit which makes mute - Mk. 9,17 7. spirits of demons - Lk. 4,33; Rev. 16,14
3.1.2 Demons are
A. spirit beings which can possess men (in many places) B. subject to Satan - Mk. 3,22 C. destined for judgment - Mt. 8,29
3.1.3 Expressions of demonic activity
A. Particular expressions in New Testament accounts 1. screaming - Mk. 5,5; Lk. 9,39 2. violent behavior - Mt. 8,28 3. self-destructive behavior - Mt. 17,15; Mk. 5,5,13; 9,18; Lk. 8,33 4. social nudity - Lk. 8,27,35 5. seizures - Mt. 17,15; Mk. 1,26; 9,18,20,26; Lk. 9,39 6. mute - Mk. 9,25,32; 12,22; Lk. 11,14 7. deafness - Mk. 9,25 8. blindness - Mt. 12,22 9. involuntary speaking - Mt. 8,29; Mk. 1,24; 5,7; Lk. 4,33; 8,28;
Acts 16,16-18 B. Connection to physical illness 1. Stated connection - Lk. 13,10-17 2. Demonic and physical illness separated - Mt. 4,24; 8,16;
Mk. 1,32-34,39; 3,10; Lk. 4,40; 6,17; 13,32; Acts 5,16; 10,38 C. Connected to idolatry - Acts 17,18; I Cor. 10,20; Rev. 9,20
3.1.4 Exorcising of demons
A. Examples of 1. Jesus. a. demoniac in synagogue - Mk. 1,23; Lk. 4,33-36 b. Gerasene demoniac - Mt. 8,28-34; Mk. 5,1-20; Lk. 8,26-39 c. daughter of Syrophoenician woman - Mt. 15,21-28; Mk. 7,24-30 d. epileptic young man - Mt. 17,14-21; Mk. 9,14-29; Lk. 9,37-43 e. mute demoniac - Mt. 9,32-34 f. blind and mute demoniac - Mt. 12,22; Lk. 11,15 g. Mary Magdalene - Mk. 16,9; Lk. 8,2 2. Jesus' disciples - Mt. 10,1; 17,16,19; Mk. 3,14; 6,7; 9,18,28; 16,17;
Lk. 9,1,40; 10,17-20 3. Paul - Acts 16,16-18 B. Procedure of 1. Command to "come out" - Mk. 1,25; 5,8; 9,25 2. Done "in Jesus' name" - Lk. 10,17; Acts 16,18
3.2 Magisterium of the Church
3.2.1 Fathers of the Church

It would be difficult to find a Father of the Church who did not make some reference to the devil. It seems that the first book to treat of the devil in the patristic period was written by Melito of Sardis[6] in the second century. Most of the early theologians were opposed to Origen’s theory of Apocatastasis, and they rejected the Manichean teaching of two co-eternals and contrary principle of creation.
[Origen states metaphorically that, although some angels fell and became humans or demons, all hope is not lost. By practicing virtue, men and demons can again become angels. While considered an early Father of the Church, Origen was deemed a heretic as a result of some of his writings and teachings, which did not conform to accepted scripture or tradition. Mainly, his concept of Apocatastasis, the belief that all beings (humans, fallen angels, demons and Satan) will return to God through God's love and mercy, was deemed unacceptable at that time. His excommunication was posthumously reversed.]
The teaching of the Fathers of the Church is substantially faithful to the doctrine found in the New Testament. The reason is “They drew their doctrine from Scripture and, while they were competent in guarding against the judeo-apocalptic myths or pagan Greek beliefs, they did sometimes come under those influences as regards minor details”[7].
Following the teaching of the Sacred Scripture, the Fathers of the Church were concerned primarily with the pastoral aspect of demonology, namely, the devil as tempter and evil doer, and how the faithful could avoid his influence. But in the first century the cases of diabolical possession were often cited in order to defend the Church and to prove the truth of the Christian religion. There are numerous passages in the works of the fathers that fit into that category. It will be adequate to list some of the titles: Apologia and Dialogus cum Tryphone judaeo by St. Justin; Contra Celsum by Origen; Apologeticus by Tertullian; Ad Demetrianum By St. Cyprian.
3.2.2 Councils of the Church

Throughout the centuries the Church has always taught and defended the teaching of Sacred Scripture. At times this was done by a solemn declaration, especially when combating erroneous doctrine. We see the official condemnation of the Manichean heresy by the First Council of Braga in Portugal (551-561 AD) and the declaration of the spiritual nature of the devil, who voluntarily became evil, by the Fourth Ecumenical Lateran Council (1215 AD) which was against the Catharists and the bogomils, who had received the Manichean heresy. Ecumenical Council of Florence and the Council of Trent also issued statements concerning the devil.

The documents of the II Vatican Council refer to the devil eighteen times. These references, supported by the Scripture, were included because the II Vatican council was eminently pastoral. The first reference we find in the document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium , promulgated in 1963: “Just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also He sent the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit. This He did that, by preaching the gospel to every creature they might proclaim that the Son of God, by His death and resurrection, had freed us from the power of Satan and from death, and brought us into the kingdom of His Father”[8]. In the dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, promulgated in 1964, there are seven references to the devil and four references to the devil in the document Ad Gentes, which treats of the Missionary activity of the Church, issued in 1965.
3.2.3 Catechism of the Catholic Church
In the 2nd part (391-395) of the paragraph 7 (Fall) of the CCC speaks about the Satan or the devil
THE FALL OF THE ANGELS[9]
391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."
392 Scripture speaks of the sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".
393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."

394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.

395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature- to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."

3.3 Symbols and symbolism in Christian demonology

Christian demonology has associated demons and symbols, attributing a variety of them to these entities. In general, the most important demons are said to have a signature or seal, which is personal and generally used by them to sign the acts of the diabolical pacts. But those seals can also be used as a protection against them by a conjurer when summoning demons. Some grimoires like The Great Book of Saint Cyprian, Le Dragon Rouge and The Lesser Key of Solomon provide these seals.

The Devil in particular has been popularly symbolized as various animals, including the serpent, the goat and the dragon.

Inspired by the Book of Revelation 13,18 the number 666 (the Number of the second Beast) was attributed to the Antichrist and to the Devil. In early Christian times, there were also used three letters instead of three numbers: FFF; F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet, and early Christians named the weekdays with the first seven letters of the alphabet to avoid calling them by the name of Pagan deities; Friday is the sixth day of the week; so the F became a good substitute of the 6, but this form of writing the 666 soon was forgotten and the numbers remained in their original sense. The pentagram, which has been used with various meanings in many cultures (including Christianity, in which it denoted the five wounds of Christ), is sometimes considered a diabolical sign when inverted (pointing downward). Such a symbol may appear with or without a surrounding circle, and sometimes contains the head of a male goat, with the horns fitting into the upper points of the star, the ears into the side points, the beard into the lowest one, and the face into the central pentagon. If the star depicting a goat includes five Hebrew letters inside the circle it is not a diabolical symbol, since the purpose then becomes to constrain and protect against the demon. It has to be noted that the diabolical pentagram does not derive from the Pythagorean one but from the Babylonian and Celtic. Ancient Babylonians used to represent some deities with the right hand upward and the left downward, meaning respectively life and death, creation and destruction, good and evil, this practice is still upheld by many modern Hindus. Thus, the pentagram with a point downward was associated with the Devil. The Celts had a representation of a pentagram (without the surrounding circle) that was said was the footstep of a ghost or a witch with one leg of a goat instead of human; the belief in the "witch's foot" lasted for centuries in Christian folklore.

An inverted (upside-down) cross or crucifix has also been considered a symbol of both the Devil and the Antichrist. This is a late symbol, and was probably derived from the same origins as the inverted pentagram. The inverted cross is also a symbol of Saint Peter.

The trident or pitchfork is another symbol of the Devil, sometimes drawn with a line crossing the lower part of the handle to combine the inverted crucifix. This symbol may derive from Hinduism, in which it is the symbol of Shiva; his trident is sometimes depicted with a crossed stabilizer that forms the same figure.
3.3.1 Demons and colors

Christian demonology has assigned colours to Satan: red and black. According to this the diabolical pact had to be written with blood (human or animal) or red ink, and it was believed that books on black magic were written with a red ink which colour was so intense that blinded any person that was not familiar to that art.

Satan and other demons were often depicted as black men, and/or riding a black horse, and dressed in black or red. It was said that black animals were sacrificed to them. When demons appeared in the shape of animals, generally they were black.

Nonetheless, sometimes demons were depicted riding pale horses, perhaps due to a folkloric tradition that associated the pale horse with Death, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Demons have also been depicted riding all manner of animals and objects, and dressed in different ways.

The association with red and black possibly derives from the idea of the red fire of Hell, a place of darkness. The association with red might be due to an exegesis of the Book of Revelation 12,3-9, referring to a red dragon compared with Satan. Black, the colour of darkness, might also be due to many allusions to Hell in Matthew's Gospel. Many representations of the Devil depict him with red skin.
3.3.2 Demons and food

Although demons, being spiritual beings, do not need food, according to Christian demonology, demons and especially the Devil have been believed to hate salt, and thus it was claimed by the Christian church that no food was served with salt during witches' sabbaths. Bread, if not made with rye, and oil, were also said to be prohibited.

This is possibly explained in the fact that salt is a natural preservative and antiseptic, which has long been used as a purifying agent in folk magic. In some Christian rituals of baptism, especially in Catholicism, salt is put on the lips of the child during the ceremony of the baptism as a symbol of wisdom. The dislike for bread might be explained by the fact that it represents the body of Jesus and is transubstantiated into his flesh during the Mass.

Nevertheless, wine is the Christian symbol that during the mass is transubstantiated into the blood of Jesus and there is no common belief that demons dislike wine. Some demons are said to be able to turn blood into wine and vice versa. At some period it was believed that offering bread and wine to a demon was an invitation to him to stay in that house and to possess that person; of course this could be without knowing that the incomer was a demon, so it was common not to offer those things to any foreigner[10].


Chapter 4
Demonology: Current views of Catholics
4. Contemporary Situation

In modern times the views of individual Roman Catholics have tended to divide into traditional and "new-shape Catholic" understandings of the subject. An example of the new-shape perspective, which offers a theologically liberal and unsupernatural view of the demonic, is found in the work of the Dominican scholar Richard Woods' The Devil.

The traditional outlook is represented by Father Gabriele Amorth who has written two instructive books on his personal experiences as an exorcist for the Vatican: An Exorcist Tells His Story, and An Exorcist: More Stories. Francis MacNutt, who was a priest within the Roman Catholic Charismatic movement, has also addressed the problem of the demonic in his writings.
4.1 Quotes from Pope Benedict XVI

"Whatever the less discerning theologians may say, the devil, as far as Christian belief is concerned, is a puzzling but real, personal and not merely symbolical presence."
"The more one understands the holiness of God, the more one understands the opposite of what is holy, namely, the deceptive masks of the devil"
4.2 Quotes from Pope John Paul II

"Begone, Satan!' The Messiah's resolute attitude is an example and an invitation for us to follow him with courageous determination. The devil, the "prince of this world", even today continues his deceitful action. Every man, over and above his own concupiscence and the bad example of others, is also tempted by the devil, and the more so when he is least aware of it." (Angelus 17 Feb 2002)

"In the inner heart of every person the voice of God and the insidious voice of the Evil One can be heard. The latter seeks to deceive the human person, seducing him with the prospect of false goods, to lead him away from the real good that consists precisely in fulfilling the divine will." (Angelus 9 Mar 2003)

"'Spiritual combat' is another element of life which needs to be taught anew and proposed once more to all Christians today. It is a secret and interior art, an invisible struggle in which (we) engage every day against the temptations, the evil suggestions that the demon tries to plant in (our) hearts." (Address of the Holy Father 25 May 2002)
4.3 Rome’s chief exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth: Hitler Knew the Devil

Did Hitler have an unusually intimate familiarity with the devil? That’s what Rome’s chief exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth says — and Pope Benedict at one point, seemed to agree.
When Rome’s chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, told Vatican Radio in August 2006 that he believed Hitler and Stalin were “certainly” possessed by the devil, it made headlines around the world.
Regarded as the Church’s most experienced and prominent exorcist, Father Amorth warned Vatican Radio listeners Aug. 27 that the devil can possess not only individuals but also entire groups and populations. “I am convinced that the Nazis were possessed by the devil,” he said. “If one thinks of what was committed by people like Stalin or Hitler, certainly they were possessed by the devil. This is seen in their actions, in their behavior and in the horrors they committed.”
After his comments were made public, some accused the veteran exorcist of making excuses for the slaughter committed by the two infamous dictators, and essentially of defending them by using the “devil-made-me-do-it” excuse.
Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger also spoke about the influence of the demonic in the life of Hitler — but explained that it absolved nothing. In the Book God and the World (Ignatius, 2002), he is quoted treating the subject at some length. “There are reliable reports by eyewitnesses that suggest he had some kind of demonic encounters,” the future Pope said of Hitler. “He would say, trembling: ‘He was there again,’ and other such things. We cannot get to the bottom of it. I believe one can see that he was taken into the demonic realm in some profound way, by the way in which he was able to wield power and by the terror, the harm that his power inflicted.”
In an interview with one magazine[11], Father Amorth restated his belief. When asked if he still believed the dictators were possessed, he answered, “Certainly,” and denied that the statement abrogates culpability. “It’s both,” he said. “They have full responsibility for their actions, but they have followed the promptings of the devil — and they have done so willingly. Therefore they are guilty, completely responsible.”
When asked if there were any leaders today who could be similarly possessed, Father Amorth said there are “many who listen to the temptations of Satan and follow him.” Because of that, he said, “the world goes bad.” Instead of leading others “towards peace and well-being, the world moves towards war and unease,” he said.
Cardinal Ratzinger addressed the question when one journalist asked him about it. “What about Hitler?” asked the journalist. “Was he, as many people think, ‘Satan incarnate’? Sartre once said, ‘The devil is Hitler, that is, Nazi Germany.’ Cardinal Ratzinger answered: “On the one hand, Hitler was a demonic figure. One only need read the history of the German generals, who time and again made up their minds, just for once, to tell him to his face what they really thought, and who were then yet again so overcome by his power of fascination that they did not dare to. But then, when you look at him from up close, this same person who has a demonic fascination about him is really just a quite banal hoodlum.” He pointed out that “the power of evil makes itself at home precisely in what is banal” because, when it comes to evil, “the greater it is, the more pitiful.”
One exorcist who fully backs Father Amorth is Father Hermanagild Jayachandra, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Boulder, Colon. Having spent many years dealing with cases of possession in India, Father Jayachandra is convinced the devil can misdirect political leaders, and twist their philosophy into thinking their fascist ideology was right. “Once you are corrupt to evil ideas, the door is open for the devil to get hold of you,” he said. He added that temptation is given by the devil, but in cooperation with God’s grace it can be overcome.
However, dictators such as Stalin and Hitler turned away from God and refused such cooperation, he said. He also believes that mental illness and possession can often exist at once in the same person, and that psychological illnesses are frequently caused by persistent sinful behavior.
In his interview, Cardinal Ratzinger pointed to a deeper relationship between Hitler and the devil. “Hitler was able to foresee demonic situations,” he said. “For instance, I once read an account of how the preparations were made for Il Duce’s (Italian dictator Benito Mussolini) visit to Berlin. Those who were responsible for various aspects of it made their suggestions, and after a long time he said: ‘No, none of that is right. I can see how it ought to go.’ And in a kind of ecstasy he delivered a lecture about it, and it was all done like that. That is to say, there is some kind of demonic power that takes possession somehow, that makes what is banal great — and makes what is great appear banal — and above all makes it dangerous and destructive.”
In the past, Father Amorth has warned of a lack of awareness of the devil in modern society. He has also criticized the application of the liturgical texts of the Second Vatican Council and, in 1999, he had some criticisms of a new Rite of Exorcism. His views on the application of the council have not changed: He blames bishops for “exaggerating” the reforms and for “wanting to make everything new.”
But he accepts the new rite and has grown to like it. “It’s good; it’s an official Church document so it’s valid and it functions well, but it has its defects,” he said, adding that he still uses the old rite as it is still allowed. He lamented that there are “too few” exorcists around today. “Many bishops and priests don’t practice the material, and they don’t believe in it, or they believe only a little, despite the fact that canon law is very clear, as clear as the Gospel where it says pray and cast out devils and evil spirits,” he said.
Father Jayanchandra agreed: “They don’t believe in demons anymore, but it’s a biblical doctrine, and it’s a big problem,” he said. “It’s a ministry, and canon law says it is so.”
At his general audience address Oct. 18, Benedict XVI gave some salutary advice on how to overcome the devil’s temptations. “Truly, there are many ways in which the human heart can be perverted,” he said. “The only way to avoid them is to be in full communion with Jesus.”

Chapter 5
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
5. The Return of the Unclean Spirit
(Luke 11,24-26) & (Mt 12.43—45)
5.1 Setting
Jesus, after healing a demon-possessed man, is drawn into an argument with the Pharisees about his source of exorcistic power (Mt 12, 22-37). The Pharisees claim Jesus receives his power for casting out demons from Beelzebul, the ruler of demons. Jesus quickly highlights the absurdity of Beelzebul casting out himself, for, if he did so, he would not last long.

Later, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign, but Jesus gives them only the Sign of Jonah (12,38-42). He goes on to claim that Nineveh and the Queen of the South will accuse this generation, because they repented. Now someone greater than the prophet is present, but this generation refuses to repent.

It is within the larger context of Jesus’ discussion with his opponents about his exorcisms that this parable falls. During this discussion, Jesus’ mother and brothers come looking for him, but when Jesus is told about their presence, he claims that the ones who do God’s will are his family.
5.2 Exegetical study

The synoptic Evangelists adopt the common Jewish phrase “unclean spirit” to refer to demons. This unclean spirit was likely exorcised. Demons in that culture were associated with “waterless places,” the wilderness or desert. Yet, the unclean spirit cannot find “rest” in the desert; it is its nature to “torment” others, so it is restless until this purpose can be fulfilled.

Having found no one else to torment, the unclean spirit remembers the man from whom he was driven out, still referring to him as “my house,” and decides to return. Upon return, he discovers the house “unoccupied, swept, and put in order”. Things have been cleaned up, but the house remains empty; nothing good has entered to take the unclean spirit’s place. The Greek word rendered as “put in order” can also mean “to adorn” i.e., redecorated.

Seizing the opportunity afforded by the empty house, the unclean spirit takes with him seven other demons more wicked than him to live in the house with him. Seven is the “perfect” number, representing “every form of demonic seduction and wickedness”. This suggests that the demons’ “domination is complete”.

Though the phrase “when it comes” appears to imply the inevitability of the demon’s return, this phrase should be understood as a conditional phrase. If the demon finds the house empty, then he takes with him seven other demons. This relapse is not predetermined; instead, the blame for the returned spirit rests on the person who remained empty and susceptible, since no good thing replaced the evil that was exorcised.

In the end, “the last state of that person is worse than the first;” instead of just one unclean spirit, now that person has eight. Though both gospels state that the last state of the person is worse than the first, only Matthew adds, “That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” Jesus used similar terminology in Mt 12, 39 to refer to the scribes and Pharisees. So Matthew in his conclusion could indicate Jesus’ indictment against the Pharisees. Some say that Jesus’ comment implying the worse state of the Pharisees refers to the fall of Jerusalem, but this could just be a generalized statement about the “sorry state of those who rejected” Jesus.
5.3 Message and Application

Jesus’ ministry included exorcisms, but many to whom he ministered did not respond with repentance, making them in the end more susceptible to evil. Despite his ministry, Jesus failed to convert Israel; her rejection of Jesus will bode more serious for her than her previous ignorance. People cannot remain neutral concerning Jesus. Humans cannot live without a master. Perhaps this parable formulates a warning against backsliding, for it is better for people to remain possessed and unaided, than for them to know healing and yet end up in a worse state.

Jesus may deliver and heal us, but we must respond with commitment and faith; if we do so, we need not fear the demon’s return. Emptiness is a dangerous position; the evil may be gone, but good must replace that evil or we are left vulnerable. We need the indwelling of another spirit, the Holy Spirit, to provide the power to do the hard work of “cleaning up” our lives, of dealing with sin and addiction.



Chapter 6
The fearful Results of a Spiritual Relapse
6. The Fearful Results of a Spiritual Relapse
The immediate occasion of Mt 12, 43-45 was the manifest and great backsliding of the Jewish people generally after the temporary awakening which was occasioned by the preaching of John the Baptist. It is obvious from the history that the nation had been extensively moved under John's preaching. Great multitudes flocked to hear him. Public attention was aroused and a solemn impression made. More still than this, it should be said that their minds had been specially directed to One who should come after him--far greater than himself--indeed the same whom the good men of their nation had long expected as their promised Messiah. Yet when the great Messiah came, the people were unprepared to receive him. A great change had passed over the spirit of the nation. No sooner did Christ begin to preach than a strong opposition began to be manifested. There had evidently been a great backsliding. We must suppose that many who had been aroused under John's preaching were now bitterly hostile to Christ's doctrine.
When this fact became apparent, the Savior illustrated its guilt and danger in the language of our text, by a figure taken from the then common occurrence of demoniacal possessions. An unclean spirit has had possession in a man; he goes out; finding no rest elsewhere, he returns, and here finding all things so well prepared for his reception, he is encouraged to get more company; goes and gets to go with him, seven other spirits more wicked than himself; they all enter in and dwell there, so that the last state of that man is worse than the first. The poor man did not take advantage of the absence of the unclean spirit, and put himself at once in a position in which no such being could ever come near him again, but rather prepared himself the more for their reception. Consequently he soon had enough of them to make his last state worse than his first.
But theirs was no unusual experience. It happens to all who relapse in like manner, rejecting the truth which they had begun to receive. Hence the text reveals a general principle. In discussing this principle and bringing out clearly its present application[12], we must:
1. Consider what is represented by the departure of the unclean spirit.

2. That the state of things consequent on his departure cannot continue long.
3. Point out the dangers and results of a spiritual relapse.
1. The first and great thing represented by the departure of the unclean spirit is, the breaking up of the spell of sin. Sinners who can live stupidly in sin are spell-bound. Sin has a charm - a power of infatuation over them. They don't see their sins nor at all understand their spiritual condition. They can even say--"I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; but they know not that they are wretched and poor and miserable and blind and naked." Poor souls! they do not know the first thing about their true condition as they ought to and need to know it.
But the thing represented by the going out of the unclean spirit is, the breaking up of this spell of self-delusion. The man becomes troubled on account of his sins. He is convicted and begins to bestir himself. Perhaps he sets about some external reformation, taking the greatest pains to make some clean spots on the outside of the cup and platter, yet leaving the inside full of all uncleanness. Pressed by conviction of sin, he comes towards the gate of mercy, yet pauses there and lingers long through indecision. He thinks; he prays some; he waits and deliberates on the very threshold of the kingdom of heaven. This seems to be precisely the state represented by the case of the man out of whom the unclean spirit has gone. There is a temporary suspension of the reign of evil; and a consequent opening for new relations with the good. The sinner might now have life, and he makes some approximation towards it; perhaps he does all, but the vital thing, viz., to close in finally and fully with the conditions of salvation. He is almost persuaded, does everything else but give his whole heart to God, yet failing of this, nothing is so done as to secure any permanently good results. The Jewish nation had gone so far that they seemed quite prepared to receive their expected Messiah--yet when He came, where were they?
2. The fact that this state of mind, illustrated by the temporary absence of the evil spirit, cannot continue long.
The Spirit of God is soon grieved away. His convicting work is scarcely ever continued long unless his monitions are heeded and obeyed. With awful emphasis God has declared--"My Spirit shall not always strive with man." When a man resists God's efforts through his Spirit to convict and save his soul, he may expect to be left soon to the bitter folly of his own infatuation.
Restrained propensities, unless soon subdued by submission to God, will reassert their terrible sway, and if so, will do it with augmented force. They will not brook restraint long, unless grace comes and lends her strong arm for their subjugation. If the man will let Christ come into his breast and barricade his soul all around about to fortify him against all temptation, and withal, to become a fountain of strength within, then restrained propensities are brought under and victory is both sure and permanent. But not otherwise. It is all in vain for a convicted sinner to suppose that without divine help, he can keep his propensities long under such restraint as conscience and reason dictate.
The conscience soon becomes seared. It is found to be less and less active--less quick and less vigorous in its rebukes. He who has one day found its fangs almost intolerable, finds ere long that its voice is almost entirely silent. This result of resisting truth is a law of mind. It must take place where conscience is unheeded and truth, seen, is disregarded. How often do we see this terrible law of mind exemplified!
3. The dangers and results of a spiritual relapse.
Of its dangers how can we say less than that it is infinitely fraught with danger, of the worst kind. The worst forms of evil are sure to follow. Seven other spirits more wicked than the first are sure to enter in, and what is more, they go in to dwell there, little expecting to be ever ousted from their secure abode.
The sinner's dangers will be as numerous as his temptations, for probably each temptation will now get the mastery over him. After the action of the mind in its convicted state, there naturally comes on a reaction, and this is generally fatal. When persons, having been partially reclaimed, have relapsed into any particular vice, there is small reason to hope they will come up again. How often has this been seen in the progress of the Temperance Reform? Thousands have been caught hold of by the strong arm of affection and lifted up to the edge of the awful quagmire; but unless they have themselves caught hold of the arm of Jehovah's strength, they have in many, many cases slipped from their treacherous footing and slumped back in to that awful Slough of Death - a Drunkard's Relapse. They are developments of a general law of mind. Unless the effort of reform is backed up by grace, reaction will certainly ensue and its power will be terrible. Relapse bursts these flood gates of death. The power of the mind to resist temptation seems to be broke down. The mind seems to have given itself up to be overcome, and the genius of evil is not slow to seize his opportunity of making his victim sure. Nor is there an encouraging hope of deliverance. The mind has once met the question--Shall I give myself wholly up to God and take hold of promised grace to subdue all future sin? It met this question, but failed to decide it right. It is henceforth averse to meeting the question again. A sense of shame perhaps forbids. A feeling of self-respect rises up and seems to demand that a position once taken shall be maintained. The mind is irked and vexed with the perpetual recurrence of an unwelcome question, once set at rest. Hence there is small reason to hope that the mind will return to the subject and make a right decision, and thus secure the deliverance needed and provided.
All these influences combine to put the relapsed soul on an inclined plane, down which it glides smoothly and swiftly to the gulf of ruin. The house does not stand long, waiting to be filled; soon a seven-fold evil comes in, and comes to dwell there[13].
The case as given by our Lord illustrates a great principle. If the Jewish nation falls back from the moral elevation gained under John's preaching, temptations rush in again with their augmented returning waves, and the fearful crisis of its moral ruin hastens on apace.-- The individual soul that gives way again to temptation after a partial rescue has less power to resist than before; the mind becomes chafed and restive, or perhaps discouraged; it hates restraint more then ever, and sometimes seems to come all suddenly to the decision--"I will not be restrained any longer."
Chapter 7
Conclusion: Our House Must be Occupied

7. Conclusion: Our house must be occupied

By means of this parable our Lord is warning us against self-destructive carelessness. So when these periods occur, we must understand that it is time to get busy and see that when these forces come back our house will not empty.

Our house must be occupied. Jesus says that the house is found swept and garnished–that is, purified and adorned. Many people “clean up” their lives and furnish themselves with all the spiritual advantages as well as the “right” beliefs and observances. But that does not mean that the heart is being lived in–either by ourselves or by God. That is, despite our external correctness of religion the “center of gravity” of our life and consciousness is elsewhere than in our spirit. Our spiritual life is not the central fact of our existence. Rather, like the parlor of Victorian days, our spiritual life is kept for occasional use only. Many only enter that chamber of their life on Sundays–and that only for the duration of a church service. Just as the parlor was dusted perfunctorily once a week, so we do with the room of the spirit. Some, more eager, dash in a couple of times a day for prayers. But it is not truly occupied. That is, we do not live there continuously. And since we do not live there, God does not. But everything is “correct” and we would be insulted if anyone hinted that all was not well with us spiritually. We belong to the right church, hold the right beliefs, and do all the right things–what more does God want? He wants to live in us and have us live in Him. That is, he wants to be one with us. But it must be a voluntary union of love on our part.

The lives, minds, and hearts of those who are not united with God–or at least striving for that union by meditation–are empty, however prettily they may be arranged. And therefore they can–and shall–be invaded by those that do not belong there.

Esoteric life, exactly like material life, operates by exact laws. Unlike a slot machine there is never a fluke or a payoff. What goes out must come back. What is sown must be reaped. Since our sins are just that–ours–then God will not dispose of them for us. As our parents used to tell us: “You made the mess; you clean it up.”

A great deal of spiritual life consists of momentarily pushing back the darkness, working to strengthen ourselves, and then conquering it upon its return. It is quite a bit like the old way of fighting wars only from sunrise to sunset.

We must then always be “filled” and ready for the enemy. Our spiritual guns must always be loaded. Even more, we must continually increase our capacity for holding the Light of Christ. Just as in war the guns and bombs keep getting bigger and bigger as the opposition increases, so the more our consciousness increases, the more we must work to fill it to capacity. Jesus warns us by this very sobering parable that without this vigilance and without this continual expansion and infilling we shall come to tremendous grief in spiritual life.

Most people fail in spiritual life because they set a limit and refuse to work beyond it or add to it. “That is enough,” they say, foolishly thinking they can simply sit down and stay at the level they have climbed to. Then the terrible fall occurs and they usually blame God or decide there is nothing real or lasting in spiritual life, when it was their aspiration that was questionable or lacking. If a farmer obtains more land he has to work even more. If a house has more rooms added to it, then more work is required to maintain it. Spiritual growth entails the same increase of obligation and labor. In spiritual life the effort gets greater, not less.

We must always remember that the road does indeed wind uphill all the way–until the very end. Therefore, we must keep extending and expanding, and empowering ourselves, and infilling ourselves more and more until we truly do come to encompass absolute infinite Being which is the Kingdom of God itself, the very Being of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the only God, existing through all eternity.



8. Bibliography


BRUNO MARIE, Satan (Sheed & Ward, New York, 1951)
NICOLAS CORTE, Who is the Devil (Burns & Oates, London, 1958)
PASCAL PARENTE, Angel: The Catholic Teaching on the Angels (Tan, USA, 1994)
WARREN WIERSBE, The Strategy of Satan (Tyndale, USA, 1981)
JACQUES MARITAIN, The Sin of the Angels (Newman Press, USA, 1959)
CORRADO BALDUCCI, The Devil alive and active in our world (Alba, USA, 1990)
EDWARD HENRY, The Grounds of Faith (London, 1980)
M.D CHENU, Faith and Theology (Sydney, 1968)
NEUNER – DUPUIS ed., The Christian Faith (TPI, India, 1976)

Catechism of the Catholic Church

WEB LINKS

Vatican, Official Site, www.vatican.va
On Church, www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/
Christian History, www.ctlibrary.com
Christian Resources, www.iclnet.org
Real Faith, www.thercg.org
Encyclopedia, www.wikipedia.com
About Devil, http://www.tldm.org/News9/TruthAboutTheDevil.htm


CD ROMs
Catholic Encyclopedia on CD-ROM
Church Fathers on CD–ROM
Word Biblical Commentary on CD-ROM
Anchor Bible Dictionary on CD-ROM
Early Church Fathers on CD-ROM
[1] Nicolas Corte, Who is the Devil, p 6
[2] Corrado Balducci, The Devil alive and active in our world, p 40
[3] Nicolas Corte, Who is the Devil, p 8
[4] Corrado Balducci, The Devil alive and active in our world, p 44
[5] CCC 395
[6] Corrado Balducci, The Devil alive and active in our world, p 41
[7] Corrado Balducci, The Devil alive and active in our world, p 41 - 42
[8] Sacrosanctum Concilium, para 6
[9] CCC Para 391-395
[10] Warren Wiersbe, The Strategy of Satan, p 50
[11] By Edward Pentin, Register, October 29-November 4, 2006 Issue
[12] Charles Moeller, Satan, p 214
[13] Charles Moeller, Satan, p 217

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