St. Gordius, Martyr of Caesarea, Patron Saint of Our Ministry

This is an account, written by Saint Alphonsus De Liguori, of Saint Gordius, a Roman centurion and my Patron Saint, who keeps his watchful eye on this ministry.

Saint Gordius, who was born in the third century, followed the military profession, and obtained the rank of centurion, or captain. Saint Basil the Great, who wrote a homily in praise of this saint, relates that at the time of his martyrdom there was a great persecution of the Christians at Caesara; in the public squares idols of wood and stone were exposed, and those who refused to sacrifice to them were tortured and put to death. The consternation of the faithful was very great, for their houses were, with impunity, sacked by the idolaters, the prisons filled with Christians, and while the churches were deserted, the woods and mountains were peopled with the fugitives.

Hereupon Saint Gordius renounced his profession, laid aside the military insignia, and retired to the desert, to unite himself to God by holy prayer and penitential practices. He casually heard that on a certain day public games were about to be celebrated at Casearea, in honor of Mars; he accordingly proceeded to the city, and beheld there a great concourse, not only of Gentiles, but of Christians, who, weak in faith, were not ashamed to assist in these festivities of the devil. The saint, inspired by the Holy Ghost, proceeded to glorify the Christian religion, and to reprobate that of the pagans, who adored and sacrificed to false gods.

The Gentiles at this interruption of the games vociferated that the saint should be put to death for this temerity; they seized upon him, therefore, and led him to the governor, accusing him of all that he had said. The governor, knowing that he had retired to the mountains, asked him why he had fled, and afterwards returned.

Saint Gordius replied: “I have returned, because I am anxious to die for Jesus Christ; and knowing thee to be the most cruel of men, I thought that this afforded me the best opportunity of satisfying my desire.”

The tyrant, hearing him speak thus, ordered the executioners to prepare their tortures. The saint, nothing daunted, fervently offered himself to Jesus Christ, and implored strength to suffer for his sake. Scourges, the rack, and fire were used to shake the constancy of the holy martyr, but he said:

“Torture me as much as thou pleases; the more excruciating my agony the greater my reward in heaven; for the wounds which now cover my body, I shall there be covered with a garment of glory; and by the pains which now afflict me, I shall earn everlasting joy.”

The governor, perceiving that he could not cause him to prevaricate by tortures, endeavored to gain him over by promises of riches and honors; but the saint answered:

“Thou art deceived if thou thinkest that I will barter the joys of heaven for the miserable advantages this world can afford.”

Finally, the judge, perceiving that promises were as ineffectual as threats, pronounced upon him sentence of death.

While the saint was proceeding to the place of execution, his friends exhorted him to yield, for the present, to the wishes of the governor, and not perish thus miserably in his youth.

The saint replied: “Weep not for me, but for those who persecute the faithful, since for them eternal fire is prepared; for my part, I am prepared to die, not once, but a thousand times, for Jesus Christ.”

They urged that, to avoid death, he might deny Jesus Christ with his tongue, though he continued to adore him in his heart.

The saint replied: “Far be it from me to deny my God with that tongue which he himself hath given me.”

He then armed himself with the sign of the cross, and went boldly to encounter death, which, according to Saint Basil and the Menologies of the Greeks, was that of fire, in which he gloriously consummated his martyrdom.

What is Spiritual Warfare?

Before we can answer this question properly, it is imperative that we first understand who Jesus Christ is, as well as the Divine Mission which God the Father gave to his "only begotten Son". By understanding the nature of the Kingdom of God and its relationship to the demonic kingdom, we begin to understand the foundational principles of spiritual warfare, and it is only in this context that we can truly define the term "spiritual warfare" and learn how these daily battles must be fought by the faithful of Christ's Church.

The Kingdom of God

The primary purpose of Jesus Christ on the Earth was to inaugurate the Kingdom of God. The Sacred Scriptures, in Luke 4:43, tell us: "But [Jesus] said to them, 'To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.'" It is quite clear here that the Messiah understood His mission with clarity and Divine resolve. He was to announce the arrival of His Father's kingdom to the whole world. 

We are given again more insight into this mysterious kingdom in Luke 17:20-21, where it reads: "Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, [Jesus] said in reply, 'The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.'” Christ Himself, as this dialogue suggests, brings the Kingdom of God to us.

In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict wrote that "the Kingdom is not a thing, it is not a geographical dominion like worldly kingdoms. It is a person; it is he. On this interpretation, the term ‘Kingdom of God’ is itself a veiled Christology. By the way in which he speaks of the Kingdom of God, Jesus leads men to realize the overwhelming fact that in him God himself is present among them, that he is God’s presence.” In other words, the Kingdom of God comes to us through the direct Presence of Jesus Christ, the Pope mirroring the Gospel of Luke's message above.

Furthermore, we discover that, when this kingdom comes, it has a profound spiritual impact on those who are touched by it. As the writer of Mark 2:12 describes of those who personally witnessed the authority and miraculous power of Jesus's ministry: "They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this.'"

What is the Kingdom of God?

So, what is the Kingdom of God? It is obvious from the Gospels that it is not an earthly dominion, one whose boundaries can be found on a map. Christ hints in John 18:36: “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”

Again, Pope Benedict helps us understand this principle even more. "Those who pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God pray without any doubt for the Kingdom of God that they contain in themselves, and they pray that this Kingdom might bear fruit and attain its fullness. For every holy man it is God who reigns … So if we want God to reign in us, then sin must not be allowed in any way to reign in our mortal body … Then let God stroll at leisure in us as in a spiritual paradise and rule in us alone with his Christ." 

The Kingdom of God, the Pope instructs, comes to dwell within us! It re-makes us so that "whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are new creations when Christ comes to rest within us, when He has established His Kingdom in our hearts. This is when He begins to fashion us in the image of His likeness, that we might bear the light and love of Christ to the whole world.​​

How are Members of the Kingdom Identified?

In Matthew 13:37-43, Jesus is approached by His disciples, who have just listened to Him preach the famous Parable of the Sower, in which He describes a man sowing seed in a field. Some of the seed is eaten by birds before it can take root in the ground, while other seed prematurely grows without a good foundation as they fall upon hard, rocky ground, and this causes them to wither and die when the sun comes up as they cannot be nourished by water. A third kind of seed also falls along the field, and the "thorns of life," so to speak, spring up around it as it blooms, choking the plant and depriving it of vital nutrients, which can ultimately kill it. And finally, the fourth and final kind of seed, Christ describes, falls on good soil, is watered, and springs up to a full and abundant life.

The disciples, who are confused by this parable, ask their Teacher to explain it. Christ responds: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Now the field is the world. And the good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of wickedness. So the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And truly, the harvest is the consummation of the age; while the reapers are the angels. Therefore, just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the consummation of the age. The Son of Man shall send out his angels, and they shall gather from his Kingdom all who lead astray and those who work iniquity. And he shall cast them into the furnace of fire….”

Here we have a clear line in the sand, drawn by Christ Himself, which helps us identify those who are members of the mystical Kingdom of God based on their good works. Christians are the "good seeds" which grow into healthy, fruitful plants, and it is by the very fruits produced during their season here on the Earth (their good works, in other words) which Christ will specifically use to judge them at the end of all things.

But in this very same passage there is also, troublingly, another kingdom mentioned. 

The Kingdom of Darkness

Just before His crucifixion and Passion, Jesus prayed to the Father, "I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them" (John 17:9-10). Now why would Christ not pray for the world?

Romans 5:12-14 helps us to understand: "Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned—for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come."​

The world is full of sin and death. Christ does not pray for it because it is evil, filled to the brim with unrepentant sinners. And it is a world that is made in the likeness of its god. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the passage reads: “…the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

And who is this god? Who is the ruler of this world full of death and evil?

Christ explains who. "The father from whom you are is the devil, and the desires of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his very nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8: 44).

The Devil is the ruler of this world, the god of this age, the voice which seduces us to wickedness and disobedience. In the Gospel of Luke 4:5-6, it reads: “Then [the Devil] took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, ‘I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish.’”

The Church teaches us that the Devil is a fallen angel named Satan. He rules a kingdom of darkness that possesses a certain amount of power and influence over the Earth. In Catechism 391 & 394, it reads: "Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy… called 'Satan' or the 'Devil'… Scripture witnesses to [the Devil’s] disastrous influence…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." 

The Devil, as the Catechism shows us, is diametrically opposed to Christ's mission on the Earth, because Christ's mission on the Earth, His purpose in bringing to it the Kingdom of God, is to "destroy the works of the Devil"--in other words, all that the Evil One has worked towards throughout history, starting with his rebellion in Heaven and his seduction of man, which has led the whole world astray. Christ has come to destroy Satan's kingdom. "The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it" (Revelation 12:9). Satan's kingdom of darkness, which consists of his fellow rebel angels, called demons, and his human followers on the Earth, whom Christ refers to as the "sons of wickedness," seek to oppose in every way the Kingdom of God.

But why does this cosmic battle of good and evil involve us?

You see, sin and death entered the world through Adam and Eve's first sin, and all of mankind has been enslaved by the kingdom of darkness because of their willful decision to follow the "god" and ruler of an unrepentant world. Jesus once said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34). What does Christ mean by this, that the human condition is now one of slavery?

In Romans 6:17, it reads: “But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.”

The writer of Romans, St. Paul, explains that those who are members of the Kingdom of God have been set free from slavery and bondage to sin, to death, and to the power of Satan and his demonic kingdom! The work of Christ, the work of the Kingdom of God, then, is to destroy the works of the Devil, in particular by setting those who have been enslaved to the Evil One free from their condition.

Christ said, "But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mathew 12:28). Notice here that Jesus tells the crowd listening to Him that it is, in fact, the authority Christ has to cast out demons which demonstrates the power of the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness.

This is the ultimate purpose of the Kingdom of God: to drive out demons, to break the power of the Evil One over humanity, to convert human souls to the Truth and to the worship of the One True God, through his Christ, for the Kingdom of God is greater than the kingdom of the one who is in the world.

Further Proof: The Exodus of God’s People

For further proof of this, we turn to the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament and the remarkable story of God's deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery.

As the story tells us, the Israelites, who are God's people, have been enslaved by a tyrannical Egyptian king, the Pharaoh. But God sends a deliverer named Moses to set them free. He gives Moses great power and authority over the Egyptians, and the Prophet makes a fool of them time and time again through God's miraculous wonders. Biblical scholars have noted that the plagues God sends upon Egypt through Moses seem to correlate with the different pagan gods of the Egyptian pantheon, and while the magicians, who gain their power from these so-called "gods" (who are, in truth, demons in disguise), are able to copy some of Moses's initial miracles, they quickly find themselves outmatched, as God demonstrates quite handily that he and he alone is the Creator of the Universe. This is another interesting nod at the gap in power between the Kingdom of God and the demonic kingdom. Satan can act upon the world in a limited fashion, but in the end, he is still nothing more than a creature, and cannot even approach the power of God.

As the Ten Plagues continue to fall upon the Egyptian nation as punishment for the Pharaoh's disobedience to God and for the mistreatment of God's people, Moses is commanded to have each Hebrew family slay a lamb and mark the lintel of their doorway with its blood. Through this sacrifice, the people are spared from God's wrath that very night when the angel of death passes over each of their homes. But the Egyptians remain unprotected when this final plague strikes, and the firstborn of every Egyptian household is struck dead as a result, including the Pharaoh's son.​

In his grief, shame, and humiliating defeat, the Pharaoh frees the Hebrews at last.

But a few days after this, the Pharaoh's heart is again hardened. He gathers his armies and pursues after the Hebrews, trapping them along the edge of the Red Sea. God rises up and defends his people, destroys Pharaoh's armies, and the Hebrews escape forever to enter the land promised to their forefather Abraham centuries before.

Typology for Christ and the Spiritual Battle

This story is very similar to the current condition of the world in the grip of the cosmic spiritual battle between the Kingdom of God and the demonic kingdom. In fact, it is actually a “type” (or symbol) pre-figuring the victory of Christ.

The entire human race, who were made in the image of God at their creation (Genesis 1:27), are God's people, symbolized by the Hebrews in the Exodus story. But they have been enslaved by an oppressive tyrant, who causes them only great suffering. This tyrant is none other than Satan, the ruler of the kingdom of darkness. But God sends a deliverer, who is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He performs many miracles, including demonic exorcisms, to show the world His authority over Satan, and finally, at the end of His ministry, just before Jesus entered into His Passion and Crucifixion, He demonstrates to the entire world His power over death itself, the most horrific of Satan's works, for when the Devil tempted Adam and Eve and succeeded in convincing them to sin, death was the ultimate result.​

Then Christ becomes the sacrifice which protects us from the Second Death, which is eternal damnation (Revelation 21:8). John the Baptist identifies Jesus as such when he declares: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). Through His Crucifixion and death at the hands of the Romans, Jesus becomes the sacrificial Lamb of God, much like those lambs which were slaughtered by the Hebrews. It is Jesus's Precious Blood, shed for our sins and for our freedom from bondage to the Evil One, which saves us from eternal death, or damnation. The "angel of death," so to speak, can no longer touch us. We are freed by this redemptive act, and are no longer enslaved to sin and death. We have the chance to attain everlasting life and freedom to be with and know God in an intimate relationship again, as we once did long ago in the Garden of Eden.

But, like the Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, who pursued the Hebrews after they fled his kingdom and gained their freedom, Satan has also turned back after us, despite his grand defeat and humiliation at Christ's Resurrection. The Devil seeks to re-enslave us again. And he can!—but only if we choose to sin and place his yoke about our own necks again with our own free will, as some of the faithless Hebrews proposed to do when they saw Pharaoh's huge armies descending upon them, and they forgot what God had done for them.

Christians, despite their choice to pursue a life of righteousness and obedience to God, despite even their Baptism, can turn away from that choice at any time and become enslaved to sin and Satan again. This is because of their free will. As the writer of James declares: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Notice that he is referring to baptized Christians here. He is saying that they can, in fact, become enemies of God again by befriending the world through their actions. 

And as St. Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). Again, St. Paul is warning these Christians, who are already baptized, that they will not inherit the kingdom of God if they keep sinning, thereby enslaving themselves to Satan and the demonic kingdom.

Spiritual Warfare Defined

With this background in mind, that of a Greater Kingdom of Christ expelling the demonic forces of the lesser kingdom of Satan from the lives of men, we now come to a proper definition of spiritual warfare. 

You, like every other person in history, have been born in the midst of a battle over your soul. Every day, whether you realize it or not, you are locked in a struggle to reject sin, death, and Satan in order that you might be able to receive the message of salvation preached by Christ and His Apostles, who are now, through apostolic succession up and into the modern era, the college of bishops under the leadership of the Pope (in other words, the Catholic Church).

Spiritual Warfare: Evidence & Official Church Teachings

Maybe you are still skeptical of this whole idea of spiritual warfare and whether it concerns you or not. I want to briefly demonstrate a tiny fraction of the available evidence in Sacred Scripture, the writings of the Patristic Fathers from the earliest days of Christianity, the writings of Church Councils, the writings and speeches of the popes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church that spiritual warfare is real and you, as a believer, are engaged in it—whether you want to be or not.

Evidence from Mental Health and Medical Professionals:

·      Alfred Lechler, MD, a noted German physician and psychiatrist with vast experience in working with patients victimized by the occult, observed: “People are today recognizing more and more that the demonic is by no means just some outdated biblical concept… (but is) rather a terrible reality with which one must ever increasingly reckon today." He also wrote, “...we are duty bound, when dealing with the mentally and emotionally disturbed, to stress the need to differentiate between disease and the demonic.

·      Two physicians quoted by Dr. Kurt Koch in his book, Occult Bondage and Deliverance; first, a neurologist, who said, “...Sixty-percent of the inmates of my psychiatric clinic are not so much suffering from mental illness as from occult subjection or even demonization”; and then an English psychiatrist, who wrote, “If I were able to obtain forgiveness for the sins of the patients in my clinic, I would be able to discharge half of them tomorrow.”

Evidence from the Bible:

·      “Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” —Luke 10:19-20

·      “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” —Ephesians 6:12

·      “For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.” —2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Evidence from Patristic writings:

·      “As we do battle and fight in the contest of faith, God, His angels, and Christ watch us. How exalted is the glory, how great the joy of engaging in a contest with God presiding, of receiving a crown with Christ as judge.” –St. Cyprian of Carthage (Bishop in 249 A.D.)

·      “For the rest, what else is waged daily in the world but a battle against the devil, but a struggle with continual onsets against his darts and weapons.” –St. Cyprian (Bishop in 249 A.D.)

·      “As to the Devil, he as being an Apostate Angel, hath that power only, which he discloses in the beginning—to seduce and withdraw man’s mind unto transgression of God’s commandments, and gradually to blind the hearts of such as make it their business to serve him, to the forgetting of the true God, and the worshipping of Satan himself as God.” –St. Irenaeus (second Bishop of Lyon in the 2nd century)

·      “Their business is to corrupt mankind; thus, the spirit of evil was from the very beginning bent upon man’s destruction. The demons, therefore, inflict…upon the soul sudden and extraordinary outbursts of violence.” –St. Tertullian (written late 2nd and early 3rd century)

Evidence from modern papal documents, writings, and speeches:

·      “It seems darkness is about to fall on the world. Humanity is in the grip of a supreme crisis.” –Pope Pius XII

·      “It is a departure from the picture provided by biblical Church teaching to refuse to acknowledge the devil’s existence; to regard him as a self-sustaining principle who, unlike other creatures, does not owe his origin to God; or to explain the devil as a pseudo-reality, a conceptual, fanciful personification of the unknown causes of our misfortunes.” –Pope Paul VI

·      “We cannot simply regard the devil as a symbol for evil…those who suggest that we can no longer believe in such things have not thought very deeply about the 20th century.” —Pope Benedict XVI

·      "I believe that the Devil exists" and "his greatest achievement in these times has been to make us believe that he doesn’t…” —Pope Francis

·      "Because of the growth of the New Age Movement outside the church and within it, Catholics have some basic choices to make. We can bemoan the problem helplessly and await the Second Coming of Jesus as the only possible solution. Or we can respond to the New Age Movement with fire, vigor, and creativity.” —Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. (from his important book, Catholics and the New Age)

Evidence from the lives of the Saints:

·      “Christianity is warfare and Christians are spiritual soldiers.” —Saint Robert Southwell

·      “I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations, on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.” —Our Lord to Saint Faustina Kowalska

·      “It is a bigger miracle to eject passion from your own body than it is to eject an evil spirit from another’s body. It is a bigger miracle to be patient and refrain from anger than it is to control the demons which fly through the air.” —Saint John Cassian

·      “I have sent him [the devil] in this life to tempt and molest my creatures that they may conquer, proving their virtue and receiving from me the glory of victory.” —Our Lord to Saint Catherine of Siena

·      “Let us always keep before our eyes the fact that here on earth we are on a battlefield and that in paradise we shall receive the crown of victory.”—Saint Padre Pio

·      “The entrances to Heaven are open and death is subdued by life in the holy battle.” —Saint Agnes of Montepulciano

·      “Be ever looking for the enemy, but do not breed a war, for this is not the attitude of a soldier but of a [rebel].” —Saint John Chrysostom

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

·      “This dramatic situation of the whole world, which is in the power of the evil one, makes man's life a battle: The whole of man's history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 409

·      "Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy… called 'Satan' or the 'Devil'… Scripture witnesses to [the Devil’s] disastrous influence…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." —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 391 & 394

·      “Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1673

And finally, from St. Louis de Montfort, who provides us with our marching orders:

·      “Mary will raise up apostles of the latter times to make war against the evil one. . . . But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity. Superior to all creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God's assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph.”

We, at The Catholic Centurion, take heed of these warnings and observations, and accept our duty to participate in the battle over souls while at the same time knowing that Christ has already won the war. We accept the calling of of St. Louis de Montfort to take up cause, by the power of Mary to aid her in crushing the head of the devil and to bring about his final end, as she raises us up as Apostles of the Latter Times.

Fighting & Winning Spiritual Battles

In his wonderful book, Interview with an Exorcist, José Antonio Fortea, a Spanish exorcist and priest, wrote the following concerning the fall of Satan and the heavenly battle between the angels that occurred at the dawn of history: “How can purely spiritual beings fight among themselves? What weapons do they use? Angels are spirits, so their battles must be purely intellectual. The only weapons that they can use are intellectual arguments. The angels gave reasons to the rebels for why they should return to obedience to God. The rebel angels countered with their reasons to support their position and spread their rebellion among the faithful angels. In this epic angelic battle, some who were inclined to rebel returned to obedience, while some of the faithful angels were seduced by the evil arguments of the rebels.”

Now, stop and think about that for a moment: Angels (and therefore, fallen angels, or demons) are not physical creatures. They do not have bodies. They are entirely spiritual beings. So, because they are not tangible, they do not use earthly weapons, like guns or knives or swords, to fight their battles. Instead they use intellectual arguments to defeat enemy angels.

And demons use these arguments to defeat you and me.

The Image of the White Rider

When I was a 12-year-old boy, I used to read the Bible into the late hours of the night, and there was a description in the book of Revelation which always both confused and fascinated me. It's the image of Christ as the White Rider on a white horse in chapter 19:11, 14-15: “Then I saw the heavens opened, and there was a white horse; its rider was [called] 'Faithful and True.' He judges and wages war in righteousness…The armies of heaven followed him, mounted on white horses and wearing clean white linen. Out of his mouth came a sharp sword to strike the nations.”

What really got me every time I would read this passage is that a big sword was sticking out of Jesus's mouth. I tried picturing this to the best of my ability at that age, but not only did the imagery that I ultimately came up with look rather silly in my mind, but it just didn't make any sense. I knew there was some deeper meaning behind this illustration. But I wasn't smart enough or wise enough to figure it out.

Twenty-three years later, with Fr. Fortea's help, I finally understand.

The sword coming out of the White Rider's mouth is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:12-17 says: "Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”​

See, the sword is the Word of God. But it isn't an actual sword. It is an argument. 

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, St. Paul writes: “For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.”

Notice that St. Paul describes spiritual warfare as a war of words! This is the key to winning the battles we fight in spiritual warfare. We must destroy the arguments of demons, who with their wicked reasoning whisper to us nothing more than seductive lies that are not founded on the Truth. They do this, like Satan did in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve, in order to persuade us to disobey God, which leads to our sin and death and eternal ruin. And this battle, it should be noted, always takes place entirely in our minds.

How to Win Our Spiritual Battles

So how do we win an argument with a demon, who is far more intelligent than we are? The clue to this answer lies in the Gospels. At the beginning of John, the text reads: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Earlier we read how the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, what Christians would refer to as Sacred Scripture. Well, here we see that Jesus Christ is Himself the Word of God.​

In other words, Christ Himself is our Eternal Argument! Out of His mouth, he dismantles and destroys the flawed arguments of the Evil One. He strikes down Satan's arguments and the wicked arguments of the world. We put on Christ like a garment, like a suit of armor that protects us from the snares of the Devil. How do we put on Christ? By living the good, Catholic life: partaking of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist as often as our station in life allows us to; praying every day; doing charitable works; almsgiving; fasting; reading sacred writings or other holy texts; studying the lives of the saints; volunteering at the local parish. The more we put on Christ, the more He defends us against the wiles of the Devil, and we keep our minds far from sin and disobedience.​

It is just like King David when he battled Goliath: "...I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty." We must rely on the name of Jesus Christ, and when we do, He wins our arguments against the demonic for us.

And that's not all. Acts 2:1-4 says: “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”

This event, known as Pentecost, was the Holy Spirit's descent from Heaven that He might be received by all the faithful on the Earth. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to proclaim to demons and to the fallen world the Eternal Argument of Christ, which is the Truth, and which cannot be defeated by the father of lies.

Our Victory in Christ

And this is really the heart and secret to victory in spiritual warfare: a quiet dependence on the Lord, a silent humility and obedience to Him in all things, a tireless resistance against temptation and a determined avoidance of all sin, great or small. This is how we win our spiritual battles and receive the crown of glory.

As St. Peter wrote in his First Epistle, 5:8-10: "Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little."

And if we, as sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God, do all these things as St. Peter counsels, then God, through Sacred Scripture, guarantees us this: "Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).

A Papal Homily on Spiritual Warfare

On Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, in the Chapel of St. Martha, Pope Francis gave a homily covering Ephesians 6, which is a passage of Scripture focused on spiritual warfare. He clearly labels in his speech that the greatest threat we, as Christians, face is the literal Devil. Below are a few important excerpts from his homily and my commentary on them.

From the Homily of Pope Francis

"From whom do I have to defend myself? What must I do? Paul tells us to put on God's full armor, meaning that God acts as a defense, helping us to resist Satan's temptations. Is this clear? No spiritual life, no Christian life is possible without resisting temptations, without putting on God's armor which gives us strength and protects us."

Pope Francis points out that our greatest defense is God. When we wear God's armor, when we put on Christ, we are strengthened and protected in the battle raging around us.​

The Pope continues: "Saint Paul underlines that our battle is not against little things but against the principalities and the ruling forces, in other words against the devil and his followers. But in this generation, like so many others, people have been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figure, an idea, the idea of evil."

Here the Holy Father slaps in the face any notion that the Devil isn't real. And he directly identifies that we, as Catholics, are struggling against the demonic kingdom.

"But the devil exists and we must fight against him," the Pope goes on to say. "Paul tells us this, it's not me saying it! The Word of God is telling us this.  But we're not all convinced of this. And then Paul describes God's armor and which are the different types that make up this great armor of God. And he says: 'So stand your ground, with truth a belt around your waist.' The truth is God's armor."

Again, we see how Christ is our Eternal Argument. He is Truth. And if we wear Him around us, like a belt, He protects us against the Devil's wiles. The Holy Father also admonishes us to not be afraid and stand our ground. While it isn't our job to actively seek out a fight with the Devil, we are to stand and resist him when he approaches us, and we defeat him, not by our own power, but by Christ who defends us.

"Life is a military endeavor. Christian life is a battle, a beautiful battle, because when God emerges victorious in every step of our life, this gives us joy, a great happiness: the joy that the Lord is the victor within us, with his free gift of salvation.  But we're all a bit lazy, aren't we, in this battle and we allow ourselves to get carried away by our passions, by various temptations. That's because we're sinners, all of us! But don't get discouraged. Have courage and strength because the Lord is with us."

​Notice how the Pope describes our spiritual life. It's a "military endeavor," and we are its soldiers. He even uses the word "beautiful" when referring to the battle we each face. Why is it beautiful? Because we are not alone in the trenches. Christ is right there with us! And He uses the tribulations of the battle to shape us into His likeness, to prune away our defects so that we can become all that God wants us to be.

"There are some priests who, when they read this Gospel passage, this and others say: 'But, Jesus healed a person with a mental illness'. They do not read this, no? It is true that at that time, they could confuse epilepsy with demonic possession; but it is also true that there was the devil! And we do not have the right to simplify the matter, as if to say: 'All of these [people] were not possessed; they were mentally ill'. No! The presence of the devil is on the first page of the Bible, and the Bible ends as well with the presence of the devil, with the victory of God over the devil."

The scourges of modernism and the elevation of reason and science above theology, as the Pope tells us here, have even infected the priesthood, especially among the younger seminarians. We as faithful Catholics are to resist these patently false ideas, that the Devil isn't real, that demons are medieval. But this doesn't mean that science and reason are at odds with our faith. The Church is clear on this in the Catechism. They go hand in hand, and never contradict each other.

The Pope also makes clear that Christ defeating Satan and his demonic kingdom is a central theme of the Bible. It starts with it. It ends with it. We need to take it seriously.

"There is always the temptation to want to diminish the figure of Jesus, as if he were 'a healer at most' and so as not to take him 'so seriously'. Do not confuse the truth. Jesus fights the devil: first criterion. Second criterion: he who is not with Jesus is against Jesus. There are no attitudes in the middle. Third criterion: vigilance over our hearts because the devil is astute. He is never cast out forever. It will only be so on the last day. Vigilance, because his strategy is this: 'You became Christian. Advance in your faith. I will leave you. I will leave you tranquil. But then when you are used to not being so watchful and you feel secure, I will come back'. The Gospel today begins with the devil being cast out and ends with the devil coming back! St. Peter would say: 'It is like a fierce lion that circles us'. It is like that. 'But, Father, you a little ancient. You are frightening us with these things' No, not me! It is the Gospel! And these are not lies: it is the Word of the Lord! Let us ask the Lord for the grace to take these things seriously. He came to fight for our salvation. He won against the devil! Please, let us not do business with the devil! He seeks to return home, to take possession of us. Do not relativize; be vigilant! And always with Jesus!"

In the U.S. Army, there is something called a "stand-to" which is a term that means "to stand ready for an attack," because an enemy is very likely to attack at dusk or dawn. Similarly, Christians must be prepared for the coming attack from our spiritual enemies. We do this by putting on Christ as our argument. We do this by preparing for the battles which are sure to come. No believer is exempt. And he who does not prepare remains vulnerable to attack.

What is a Deliverance Prayer?

Deliverance is any prayer to God, the angels, or the saints asking to be freed from the power of the Evil One and the kingdom of darkness. Technically, we pray deliverance every single time we say the Our Father. The authority to pray deliverance is derived directly from one’s Baptism. It cannot be taken away. If you have been baptized “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” you possess a general authority against demons (although you should never undertake this kind of action without considerable training and a direct calling from God).

Deliverance is also a term which is used to describe specific ministries or prayer sessions which are conducted with intent to expel demons. While ordinary demonic activity, such as everyday temptation, are largely defended against by living the good Catholic life, there are special cases where the kingdom of darkness has managed to gain a legal right to act above and beyond mere temptation in a person's life. This is called extraordinary activity. In most cases, the primary means of casting out (or removing) from someone’s life this insidious activity of the Devil comes through two special forms of prayer: minor (or simple) exorcisms and major (or solemn) exorcisms.

In this case, deliverance is a series of private minor exorcism prayers. They are permitted to the laity and normally performed by a trained deliverance counselor over those who suffer from some form of extraordinary demonic activity. After the victim of such demonic activity has willingly participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a Catholic priest, these kinds of prayers are said over the afflicted person by a deliverance counselor (or even by the afflicted person himself, if he knows how to do it) in order to break the bonds that any evil spirits may have over him. This act brings about a greater freedom for the person than if the prayers had not been said.

In fact, if you think about the process that adults undergo to become Catholic through RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), you see a parallel structure that exists between deliverance and initiation into Christianity. First, the candidate goes to Confession. Then, when he is at the Easter Vigil, he is Baptized, he renounces the Devil publicly, and then he is prayed over by the priest in the form of a minor exorcism. So the legal rights of the Devil over the initiated person are broken when he confesses his sins to God and is forgiven, then he renounces the Devil verbally, and the priest casts the Devil out with a prayer of deliverance. 

This is basically the same step-by-step process we follow in our model of deliverance.

It's also important to note that this is why it is so critical that we, as Christians, attend Confession regularly and pray the acts of penance assigned to us by the priest. The Sacrament breaks any hold the Devil might have over us after we have willingly chosen to sin, and when we perform the assigned acts of penance, which usually include the Our Father or the Hail Mary, these prayers drive out the demons attached to us as a result of our sin.

According to Fr. Fortea, an exorcist in Madrid, who spoke on the subject of deliverance prayers and the Rite of Exorcism: “God, in His wisdom, has not desired to place too many conditions on the most essential Christian practices for them to be valid (e.g., baptism or exorcism).” In other words, Christians of all kinds technically have this authority over demons because of the primary reason the Kingdom of God was inaugurated by Christ: to expel demons from our lives, freeing us from sin and demonic bondage, so that we can know and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and become baptized and enter His Church.

In fact, in many cases, Catholic exorcists rely on deliverance counselors or similar prayer groups to alleviate their heavy caseloads. This is because an exorcist is first a priest: he must still perform all the duties required of him by his office. The exorcist appointment is a secondary function, so you can see that, as busy as priests are, they cannot always handle every minor case that comes their way. The Devil often tries to wear the exorcist down through such busyness, so when a particular case is not as severe as full possession, it is often a blessing for the exorcist to direct the client towards a local deliverance counselor, who can handle the less severe cases of demonic activity.

But it is important now for me to draw your attention to something very important about exorcism in general: even the Rite of Exorcism, which is the highest form of exorcism prayer that is available within the Church, is merely a sacramental. The Rite is not a full Sacrament. This is very important to understand. All prayers of deliverance, from the Rite itself to those deliverance prayers permitted to the laity, exist upon the firm foundation laid by two critically important Sacraments: Baptism and Reconciliation. Exorcism prayers would not be possible otherwise. This is because a layman's authority to cast out or rebuke demons, which was handed down to him directly by Jesus Christ, exists by virtue of the individual's Baptism. However, even when a Christian has the authority to use an exorcism prayer such as this, the Devil's legal right to the afflicted person must be broken first. And how is this done? Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In most cases, when the Devil has an extraordinary influence in a person's life, it is because of the person’s own free will choices, their own sin, in other words. So, the person must first confess these sins (i.e., participate willingly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation) before he--or a person with spiritual authority over him--can exercise the Christian authority to cast out a demon (i.e., by virtue of the Christian's Baptism). 

In conclusion, the Sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation are twin pillars which hold aloft prayers of deliverance and make it possible for the Christian to use them against the demonic kingdom. This is why it is necessary to first become a baptized Christian in order to find freedom from bondage, and why it is necessary for an already baptized Christian who is under the influence of diabolic activity to confess their sins regularly, with haste. As you can see, while deliverance is an important ministry, and it certainly has its place within the Church, in the end, it is the Sacraments which truly free us!

Can Lay Catholics Say Deliverance Prayers?

Well…can they? This is a very good question. There are two kinds of exorcism that have been defined by the Church: major (or solemn) exorcisms and minor (or simple) exorcisms.

In 1673 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a major exorcism is defined as one that “can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop.” This is in reference to the Rite of Exorcism, which is a sacramental of the Church. The Rite of Exorcism may only be performed by a priest who has been appointed and given faculties (or written permission) by the local bishop. This priest is called an exorcist. It is the only form of exorcism that may be used on those who are fully possessed by an evil spirit.

Minor exorcisms, on the other hand, do not always require a priest to perform them, nor do they require written permission from the bishop. On the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Web site, two examples of these are given: minor exorcisms performed by a priest during a person’s Baptism at the Easter Vigil, and special prayers that may be used by the faithful or laymen.

These “special prayers” are called deliverance prayers.

Furthermore, the only reference in canon law concerning exorcisms reads:

“Can.  1172 §1. No one can perform exorcisms legitimately upon the possessed unless he has obtained special and express permission from the local ordinary.”

Notice that exorcisms cannot be performed “upon the possessed” unless “express” (or written) permission has been gained from the bishop. This wording is very important to our work as deliverance counselors. There are many different degrees of extraordinary diabolical influence that we may encounter in the world. Possession is the most severe of them, and the Rite of Exorcism is reserved for just those situations.

So having said that, we, as Catholic laymen, must only abide by two restrictions, according to this canon law statute:

·      We may not perform a major (or solemn) exorcism because it requires that we be a priest who has been given written permission from his bishop. The Rite of Exorcism is, therefore, forbidden. (It should be mentioned here that, because the formula for the Rite of Exorcism includes directly questioning the possessing demon to learn its name and characteristics, laymen are therefore forbidden from conversing with demons in this fashion, as a result. They may only rebuke an evil spirit and order it to depart, which is not the same thing as talking with it.)

·      We may not perform any kind of exorcism prayer upon those who are fully possessed.

This only leaves us with the option of performing minor exorcisms. Of course, the first kind of minor exorcism, which is performed solely by a priest during the Easter Vigil, is obviously outside our purview as laymen. That means deliverance prayers (those “special prayers” that I mentioned earlier) are the only exorcism prayers available to a Christian. They can be used on any person who is showing symptoms of obsession, oppression, infestation, vexation, or any other “lesser” degree of diabolical influence that might be caused by a demon. But deliverance prayers may not be used on someone who is fully possessed: that condition is dealt with exclusively by the Rite of Exorcism.

In fact, this is one of the reasons why laymen refer to minor exorcisms as “deliverance prayers,” so as not to create confusion about what forms of “exorcism” they can or cannot perform. Usually in the field, when a person says “exorcism,” he means the Rite of Exorcism for the possessed, but when a person says “deliverance,” he means special prayers permitted to the laity that can be used to deal with a wide-range of lesser issues stemming from a demonic origin.

Still not convinced? Father Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist in the Diocese of Rome who practiced and mastered spiritual warfare directly under the oversight of several popes, wrote in his excellent book, An Exorcist Explains the Demonic, “After exorcism, the most effective means in the struggle against the demon are prayers of deliverance and healing…. Do not be surprised if I speak of laymen. In the Gospel of Mark, before ascending to heaven, Jesus says: ‘And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons’ (Mark 16:17). Jesus gave this power first to the twelve apostles and then to the seventy-two disciples. This fact indicates that He intended to extend it to those who believe in Him. This is the scriptural foundation for carrying out prayers of deliverance and healing. Whoever it is [praying deliverance]…matters little. What matters is faith. The power to drive out demons comes directly from Jesus. No one can deny it or take it away.”

So, who can say prayers of deliverance? Any believer in a state of grace who is spiritually prepared for such an undertaking and who has been properly trained can perform a minor exorcism (or a prayer of deliverance). It is well-known that many famous saints performed minor exorcisms during their lifetimes, such as St. Catherine of Sienna, Blessed Catherine Anne Emmerich, St. Padre Pio, Luisa Piccarreta, and others. It is not just a practice that we, as Christians, can participate in, but it is a work of mercy that we are called to perform by Christ, who gave us the authority to help those truly poor and afflicted in spirit.

What is the Rite of Exorcism?

The Rite of Exorcism is over 1,700 years old. It is a sacramental, which is anything that is set apart or especially blessed by the Church. The Rite is the Church's official method of ordering a demon in the name of Jesus Christ, with the full authority of the Church, to leave a possessed person, place, or thing. It is reserved for cases of full possession only, although there are some cases where it is used over a property or region under the Devil's power. 

The authority of the Rite comes from the Catholic Church itself, not the individual Christian's Baptism. Only a priest who has been given express—or written—permission (called “faculties”) by his bishop may conduct the Rite of Exorcism. Centuries ago, the Church, in her wisdom, decided to restrict this type of prayer, which addresses cases of full possession, in order to protect the faithful from the power of the Devil. At that time, untrained laymen were getting involved in direct battle against the Evil One. The ecclesial authorities realized that, without proper training, this was (and still is) extremely dangerous, not only for the individual saying the prayers, but also for the possessed victim. This is why the Church restricted the Rite. It is very important that we, as laymen, always operate within the Church's authority and obey the regulations of the Church. These rules are like lines on a highway: if we stay within them, chances are we won't get in a (spiritual) wreck. (This is also an important reason why even saying deliverance prayers over others without any formal training can be very dangerous. If you have not been directly mentored by an experienced counselor, do not start-up your own deliverance ministry! You will be headed towards disaster.)

Fr. Chad Ripperger, an exorcist from Oklahoma, has likened his priestly duty as an exorcist to “being on the receiving end of a sewer pipe.” He says in one of his public speeches, "Being an exorcist is largely being a soldier in combat and an expert torturer. [The exorcist is] trying to cause the demon a measure of pain so that they finally fess up what they’re hiding.” The goal of an exorcism, he goes on to say, is to “get the demon under your thumb so that he will be forced to tell you how to get him out.” The exorcist accomplishes this by getting the demon’s name and ascertaining its particular kind (i.e., lust, impurity, pride, sloth, etc.). “Once you find out the demon’s weakness, you hammer him there.”

It is important to understand that Christ Himself predetermines to what extent the demon can possess the person (i.e., what body part, what powers they can manifest, etc.). Christ only allows demons to affect you to the degree that will be most beneficial to you spiritually. For example, some people are possessed but are extremely holy because they have accepted it as a Cross that Christ has asked them to bear. Remember: Christ is in full control.

Again, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is greater than the Rite of Exorcism, which is just a sacramental: the quiet is greater than the spectacular or loud.

Seven Kinds of Ghosts (Revised)

By Brother Ignatius Mary, OMSM (1955 – 2019)

Founder of the St. Padre Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling

I. Seeking out Ghosts

What does the Bible say about ghosts? We begin this discussion with an examination of some of the Scripture verses that give us clues on this subject. Scripture does not have much to say about this, and certainly, God has made it clear that this is an area we are not to seek out:

·       Lev. 19:31 tells us to not turn to mediums or to seek out spiritists. 

·       Lev. 20:6, 27 equates the seeking out of mediums with prostitution—doing so is an act of infidelity to God that is not just adultery, but involves a prurient interest in the occult things equating it with prostitution; a medium also is “hired,” which is an image of prostitution.

·       Deut. 18:10-11 gives a whole list of prohibitions involving the occult and spirit world.

Whatever Ghosts are or are not, it is clear that we are not to seek them out in any way.

II. What do We Know About Ghosts?

A. Composition of Ghosts

What are ghosts composed of? Well, we have a little hint of that in Luke 24:39 where the Apostles mistake the Resurrected Jesus for a ghost. Jesus says, “A ghost does not have flesh and bones.” Thus, we can know that whatever ghosts are, they are spiritual beings without flesh and bones.

B. Ghostly Visitations during Sleep

Is there an example of a ghostly visitation during sleep? In Job 4:15 it reads, “A spirit glided by my face and the hair on my body stood on end.”

This “spirit” was most probably an angel, but it does give us a clue of the human experience of meeting a spiritual entity and that such entities can and do come to us in that vulnerable time of twilight and dreams. 

This account is very close to the common experience many have of which can be described in technical jargon as a cataleptic somnambulism with a sensed or visual phantasmic perception.

Also in 2 Maccabees 15:12-16 is a passage about a dream (vision) of the Jewish leader Maccabeus. In this dream the ghosts of the high priest Onias and the great prophet Jeremiah appeared to him and encouraged him concerning the battle to come. Maccabeus told this dream to his men, encouraging them greatly. And afterward, they together defeated blasphemous Nicanor and his forces who thought to destroy the Jewish people.

C. Human Spirits in Ghostly Form?

Can a human being's spirit be transported? We know from accounts of Padre Pio that bi-location is possible, but those are yet unverified—so what about in Scripture? Well, there are a couple of verses that indicate this can happen. One is in Rev. 21:10 (17:3) where John was “carried away in the spirit.” But the most direct notion of this is in 2 Corinthians 12:2. It reads: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know — God knows.” From this we know it is possible for man's spirit to be apart from even his living body at God's discretion. In the occult world this is called Astral Projection.

Can a person's body be transported spiritually? In Acts 8:39, after Philip was miraculously running up along the chariot of the Ethiopian, and after Philip baptized him, Philip then disappeared. “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again...” This episode appears to be a bodily transport in the spirit, but I suppose it could also be a corporeal bi-location too. It’s hard to be sure.

D. Other Examples of Ghostly Visitations

Here are several more examples of ghosts appearing in Scripture.

·       1 Samuel 28 tells of the Witch of Endor. In this story, Saul goes to a medium asking her to contact the dead prophet, Samuel. She apparently succeeds and Saul talks with Samuel and Samuel prophecies. The Scripture specifically states that “Samuel said.” There is no indication at all that this was a demonic impostor.

·       Sirach 46:20 shows Samuel prophesying from the grave.

·       Matthew 17:2 depicts the Transfiguration, where Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus in front of Peter, James, and John.

·       Luke 16:19-31 tells of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. In verse 25, Abraham says that there is a great chasm between him and the Rich Man that cannot be crossed. This is not talking about a chasm between the earth and hell; it is a chasm between Abraham's bosom (which, in principle can be likened to heaven), and that of hell. Those in hell cannot come to the place of the saved, and the saved cannot reach down with compassion to those who are lost. It is in the next request from the Rich Man that we have a possible clue. The Rich Man wants Lazarus to go to his brothers to warn them of hell. Abraham says that there is no point in doing so: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (verse 31). This passage implies the possibility of at least Lazarus being able to go to the living (it also implies that the Rich Man in hell cannot), but Abraham refuses the request not because it is impossible to do so, but because there is no point in doing so.

III. Conclusions from the Evidence

A. Scriptural Characteristics

Here’s what we know about ghosts based on the Bible.

·       We know that ghosts do not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).

·       We know that the dead can communicate with the living (1 Sam 28; Sirach 46:20).

·       We know that at least in some context allowed by God, the dead can be conjured in some fashion (1 Sam 28).

·       We know that it is possible for the dead to appear on the earth (Matt 72; 1 Sam 28).

·       We know that is may be possible for the dead to not only appear on the earth, but appear to people and talk with them (Luke 16:27-31; 1 Sam 28).

·       We know that it is possible for the living to bi-locate (Rev. 17:3; 21:10; 2 Cor 12:2).

·       We know that it is possible for spirits to communicate in dreams and the person to have a bodily reaction to the visitation (Job 4:15).

B. Comments from Peter Kreeft

Now, let's take a look at what Peter Kreeft says about this, a well-known professor of philosophy at Boston College and The King’s College. He wrote at least two books that mention this subject, Angels (and Demons): What Do we Know About Them? and Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven. His comments stem from his study of Thomas Aquinas, Philosophy, and other Catholic saints and observers on this subject.

Kreeft makes mention that many very reputable people, such as C.S. Lewis, have reported seeing a “ghost” of their wives. He points out that there are many instances from reputable sources of ghostly experiences that do not have any flavor of the demonic.

Based upon these anecdotal accounts, Kreeft and others talk about identifying three kinds of ghosts. I would add a fourth and a fifth category (from Kreeft’s material that he talks about, but doesn't categorize) and a sixth and seventh type from my own thoughts and observations.

C. Seven Kinds of Ghosts

The seven kinds of ghosts are each described below.

1. The Wispy Ones: The first kind Kreeft calls the “sad ones” or “wispy ones”. These Ghosts seem to be working out some unfinished business of some sort, or suffering some purgatorial purification. He says that these Ghosts would seem to be the ones who just barely made it into Purgatory, who feel little or no joy yet and who need to learn many painful lessons about their past lives on earth. God, in his compassion, may realize that to allow the person to get through Purgatory, it may be useful for them to learn some lessons on this earth.

2. The Anchored: A second kind may be some of these purgatorial ghosts who might have been so material minded in their earthly life that they can't detach themselves from these same material places or possessions. God may allow them to remain attached as they initially work out their need to “let go” of these spiritual anchors.

3. The Ignorant Dead: A third type might be those who don't yet realize they are dead. Again, in God's compassion, I can see why He would allow a spirit to linger for a short while so that they may realize their fate before leaving this world completely. Of course, in both the “second kind” and “third kind,” God could force the person to let go of the material place or to come on through the “gate” into the next life and prevent them from lingering. But a compassionate Father can also allow for a “little” tolerance to help the person to adjust.

4. Demons: A fourth type of ghost are the malicious and deceptive spirits. These are the ones who probably appear at séances and the like. They are most likely demons from hell disguised as dead loved ones, and not the human persons themselves.

5. Comforting Souls: A fifth type are the bright, happy spirits of dead friends and family who appear unbidden at God's will—not ours—with messages of hope and love. They seem to come from heaven. This type of ghost may come to a loved one to say goodbye or to comfort them after a funeral, for example. Or they may come to a relative or friend in great need. God may allow these dead relatives to come to the bedside of a loved one just before death. This would be an act of compassion to comfort the person as they pass from this life to the next. There are very trustworthy empirical and psychological evidence for these phenomena.

6. The Ghost Hunter Trap: A sixth type involves the ghost performing a certain scene repetitively. For example, a ghost of this type may go from the top of the stairs to the bottom and then disappear. This may happen over and over again. It never changes. The ghost never interacts with anyone, and we cannot interact with it. It never changes facial expression nor does it ever acknowledge anything around it. There are many theories to explain this phenomenon, but no real explanations. A popular notion is the concept of a “Residual Ghost”, which I originally posited in 1999. Since that time, a more careful study of physics changed my position on this.

Recently, the notion of a Residual Ghost is well expressed by Jason Hawes of the Atlantic Paranormal Society. He said “a residual haunting is like having an impression made in time. The entity may seem to be lost in a time warp. The spirit really isn't even there, only the energy is.” The glossary on their website gives a more formal definition: it is a “psychic imprint of a scene which is repeatedly played out, where the witness of such phenomenon essentially is peering into the past. The ghostly participants of these time-displacements often seem unaware of their living observers.”

However, there are significant problems with this theory. The physics of matter and energy makes this theory nearly impossible. Cody Polston, Founder and President of the Southwest Ghost Hunter's Association, gives a very good and succinct scientific explanation of why the Residual Haunting is implausible in his article, “Residual Hauntings, a Flawed Hypothesis.”

Ockham's razor (“All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best”) advises us to avoid complex explanations. The theory of Residual Ghosts creates all sorts of problems that must be resolved before it can be plausible. In fact, a more plausible and simpler explanation is that “residual ghosts” are actually demonic in origin.

We know from cases throughout the history of the Church that one of Satan's tactics is to instill an unhealthy curiosity into things concerning the paranormal. To experience a “residual ghost” usually creates an interest and curiosity on the part of the experiencer in the paranormal. Sometimes the experiencer will further explore contact with the spirit world or other dangerous explorations into the paranormal. God warns us of the danger to our soul by trying to contact the dead. Our Lord calls these activities an abomination (Deut. 18:9-12). Satan would love to inspire such curiosity and to lure a person into his sandbox. 

7. Apparitions of the Living: Some “apparent” ghostly apparitions or effects may be the bi-location of the living—in other words, the “astral projections” of still-living people, to use the term of New Agers. This can be postulated from scriptural evidence (Rev. 17:3; 21:10; and 2 Cor 12:2), and from verified reports of bi-location of people like Padre Pio.

D. Our Initial Demeanor Toward Ghosts

What should our demeanor be toward “any” ghostly event? In a one-liner, the answer to that question is skepticism, caution, and testing. Because Satan can so easily fool our senses, we should look upon all ghostly events with great skepticism as to the idea of whether they come from God.

First, we must recognize the very great possibility that we are imagining things. The human mind has an enormous capacity for imagination and we can psyche ourselves into seeing things that are not there or misinterpret optical illusions.

Second, we must always presume that we may be tricked by Satan and what we see as a “ghost” is really just a demon in disguise, or Satan taking advantage of our overactive imaginations or taking advantage of optical illusions.

Third, we must be aware that it is possible for the event to be ordained by God in very rare cases.

E. Telling the Difference

How can we tell the difference between a Godly Apparition and one not of God?

First, a Godly apparition will never contradict any public revelation. This means that we need to be well versed in public revelation.

Second, a Godly apparition will never lead you to disobey your elders, superiors, or the Church. This means that we need to be aware of Church teaching and the like so that we can avoid disobedience or being led astray by an evil spirit. 

Third, a Godly apparition will lead you to feel peace. If the encounter with the ghost causes fear or confusion or uneasiness, it is likely an evil spirit.

Finally, a Godly spirit will always and without hesitation affirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is imperative that we need to test the spirit with the formula found in 1 John 4:1-3 to ensure this.

F. Some Common Questions and Answers

1) In reference to the Anchored (the Ghosts of the Second Kind), how can we even begin to think that God would let someone stay on Earth to work out their need to "let go"?

To a degree, purgatory may serve this function in some cases. Letting go can even be an obstacle to Heaven completely.

“Jesus looked at him [now sad] and said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’ Those who heard this said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And he said, ‘What is impossible for human beings is possible for God’” (Luke 18:24-27).

I don't think allowing adjustment time would be a scripturally unfounded statement.

2) Referring to the Ignorant Dead (the Third Kind of Ghost), how can we even begin to think that God would allow someone to not realize they're dead, or that God would allow for a “little tolerance” to help the newly-dead person “adjust” to his new state?

When Job asks the Lord about things “too wonderful for [him] to know,” God answers him sharply: “Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Have the gates of death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness? Which is the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of darkness, that you may take them to their boundaries and set them on their homeward paths?” (Job 38:2,17,19).

Think the answer to that question is too harsh? Or that such an allowance made by God to a newly-dead soul is too impossible?

“... For stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion, its flames are a blazing fire” (Cf. Song of Songs 8:6).

“... for nothing will be impossible for God.” Luke 1:37

I do believe such a conjecture IS possible for God—the question is whether it is likely? A key to that would be whether it would be loving, for God is love (1 John 4:7).

Let us look into Church traditions of the past for precedents.

“‘A very probable opinion,’ says St. Thomas [Aquinas], ‘and one which, moreover, corresponds with the words of the saints in particular revelation is, that Purgatory has a double place for expiation. The first will be destined for the generality of souls, and is situated below, near to Hell; the second will be for particular cases, and it is from thence that so many apparitions occur.’ The holy Doctor admits, then, like so many others who share his opinions, that sometimes Divine Justice assigns a special place for purification to certain souls, and even permits them to appear either to instruct the living or to procure for the departed the suffrages of which they stand in need; sometimes also for other motives worthy of wisdom and mercy of God. Such is the general view concerning the location of Purgatory. Since we are not writing a controversial treatise, we add neither proofs nor refutations; these can be seen in authors such as Suarez and Bellarmin” (Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J., "Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints," 1893).

3) But Scripture says that if you are not alive on earth, then you are in the presence of God.

Most definitely; but what does that mean?

Case in point: we know that souls in hell are in the "presence" of God because God is everywhere. Those in hell, however, do not “perceive” God's presence because they have chosen to blind themselves to the light of God. The nature of hell is to exist without perception of God's presence (thus without Love and all good things) ... to be “free” from God, yet those in hell are still in the presence of an omnipresent God.

Similarly, souls in Purgatory only have a partial awareness of God's presence. The veil of mortality has not yet passed away, yet they are still in God's presence.

“The first point about eternal life is that man is united with God. For God himself is the reward and end of all our labors: I am your protector and your supreme reward. This union consists in seeing perfectly. At present we are looking at a glass, darkly; but then we shall see face to face” (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Credo in Deum").

The point is that even when we are in the presence of God, it does not mean that our perception of Him is clear. We also know that it is possible to be in the presence of God while on the earth. The angels can be standing right next to us yet they are also in the constant presence of God—the beatific vision. With God all is possible according to His will.

4) The Bible doesn't delineate how, why, or if God places spirits on the earth other than visits by Gabriel, the Archangel Michael, Elijah, and Moses. 

Let me use another example from tradition that responds to “if God places spirits on the earth anywhere.” I qualify this example to say that it does not necessarily prove anything regarding “hauntings,” but is one of many documented examples of ghostly apparitions.

“We read the following in the Life of Father Nicholas Zucchi, written by Fr. Daniel Bartoli, of the Company of Jesus ...

“... a fortnight afterwards, this young man died, carried away by a rapid death, that left him little time to put the affairs of his conscience in order, so that there was everything to fear for his salvation.

“One evening, whilst the three novices were engaged together in holy conversation, the youngest was called away to the parlour. There she found a man wrapped in a heavy cloak, and with measured steps pacing the room.”

‘Sir,’ she said, ‘who are you? and why did you send for me?’ The stranger, without answering, drew near and threw aside the mysterious mantle which covered him. The religious then recognized the unfortunate deceased, and saw with horror that he was entirely surrounded by chains of fire that clasped his neck, wrists, knees, and ankles. ‘Pray for me!’ he cried, and disappeared” (Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J., "Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints," 1893).

On an anecdotal side note, Padre Pio's first visit from a deceased human's soul was that of a monk who had died 300 years before in the cell Padre used at the time. The monk had been guilty of some infraction of his monkly duties, and so God sentenced him to remain in his cell until a monk would offer up some prayers and sacrifices on his behalf. I forget what laxity the monk had been guilty of, but I found it interesting that his “sentence” very much fit the “crime.”

Advice on Hauntings

There are two kinds of hauntings a person might experience at a residence or on a piece of property: violent hauntings and non-violent hauntings. Both types are discussed below.

Violent Hauntings

If you are currently going through a violent haunting, it will be prudent to follow the five following guidelines:

#1. Never challenge the entity in any way (saying things like, “If you are present, then show yourself or give me a sign”).

#2. Under no circumstances should you ever speak to the entity. Doing so can put you, your loved ones and your property in danger. We are to use instead imperative or deprecatory prayers.

#3. Specifically, never ask the entity questions. Asking demons questions or challenging it can have disastrous consequences.

#4. Never, under any circumstances, attempt to contact the entity through séances, Ouija boards, psychic mediums. shamans, or any other occult or New Age methodology in the attempt to negotiate with and/or placate the spirit.

#5. Do not use “imprecatory” commands directed toward the entity. Imprecatory prayer is prayer that contains curses. The Bible has many imprecatory prayers.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines imprecatory as “to invoke evil upon; curse.”

Father Hardon's Catholic Encyclopedia refers to imprecatory in the entry on “imprecatory psalms”": Those in which the psalmist pronounces a curse over the enemies of God and God's people, as when David prays, "May no one be left to show him kindness, may no one look after his orphans, may his family die out, its name disappear in one generation" (Psalm 109:12-13). Such imprecations should be seen as the ardent expressions of the Oriental mind, and written under divine inspiration. They were not only statements of the human author, asking God to punish evildoers, but in prophetic terms foretold the divine intention, i.e., what God was going to do to those who resisted his will. (Etym. Latin in- + precari, to pray: imprecor, to call upon, to invoke on a person.) As we can see imprecatory is not a mere “command”, it refers to invoke and to curse. The very word means in Latin to pray, to call upon, to invoke on a person. These types of commands are to be avoided as they can place you and/or your loved ones in danger. This is one reason why the Holy See has officially prohibited the use of imprecatory commands by anyone outside of a formal solemn exorcism (see Inde Ab Aliquot Annis: On The Current Norms Governing Exorcisms, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, September 29, 1985).

Here are some examples of imprecatory prayer in the Old Testament:

• Psalm 55:15 - Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave.

• Psalm 58:6 - O God, break the teeth in their mouths.

• Psalm 69:28 - May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

• Psalm 109:9 - May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

• Psalm 137:9 - How blessed will be the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Here are some examples in the New Testament:

• Matthew 23:13 - “But woe to you*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.” ("Woe to you" means to call down sorrow and calamity.)

• Matthew 26:23-24 - He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe* to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

• 1 Corinthians 16:22 - If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

• Galatians 1:8-9 - But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.

Imprecations are reserved to a priest authorized to perform a Solemn exorcism only!

#6. Direct imperative commands may be used in deliverance prayers. For example, “Depart from me, demon of anger, and go where Christ tells you to go” and “I rebuke you demon of anger.” This is perfectly acceptable. It is not imprecatory as it is not calling down a curse or a calamity on the demon.

#7. Deprecatory language may be used in our prayers. Deprecatory language avoids the personal confronting of the demons, the “I” language, and replaces if by asking the Father to do the commanding or rebuking/binding/casting out. For example, follows is the imprecatory prayers listed in the last paragraph to deprecatory language: “In the name of Jesus Christ, Father, I ask you to command this demon of ...” or “In the name of Jesus Christ, Father I ask you to rebuke (bind) (cast out) this demon of ...” Also see see our Resources page for examples of prayers that use deprecatory wording.

Prayer affords the best protection for you and your family at this point. Pray the prayers that we have listed on our Resources page. Try not to be afraid. Although we do fully realize that the events that may be going on around you are terrifying, try to realize that you are being protected by God and His holy Angels. If you were not being protected, you would not be reading this right now. In addition to this, you need to seek out help, whether it be help from us or clergy.

To begin with helping yourself with violent hauntings or any other spiritual warfare problem, reach out to your local parish. Ask if a clergyman (priest or deacon) is available to bless your home or even say the Holy Mass on-site at the property. Do not be afraid to ask your Priest or another Minister for help.

The bottomline is that it can be dangerous to fight these violent hauntings alone without assistance and guidance from an experiences and trained deliverance counselor.

Non-Violent Hauntings

Not every haunting is caused by malevolent or diabolical entities. These types of hauntings typically involve more benign activity but can still be quite frightening. Although no one can say for sure why human spirits end up not “moving on”, the fact remains that sometimes they do not. One theory is that these spirits are currently undergoing a portion of their purgatory here on earth and are given a special grace from God to attract the attention of us in this earthly world. Perhaps they have no one to pray for them and God, in his mercy, allows them to make their presence known to others so that prayers will be said. After all, most people who witness paranormal events in their lives automatically begin to pray. This is only theory. (See the article, Seven Kinds of Ghosts for more information on the different types of manifestations.)

If you experience non-violent hauntings we advise that your first seek the help of your local clergy to pray with you and bless the house. If you find that your clergy are unable to deal with your situation, contact us and we will do what we can to help you. As a self-help method, you can also follow the advice and prayers below.

Special Note: As mentioned in the “Seven Kinds of Ghosts” article, sometimes demons do pose as human spirits. NEVER attempt to contact or talk to a spirit. You can pray for the situation, but under no circumstances should you attempt contact these spirits through any means. This includes consulting psychics and mediums, using a Ouija board, or asking questions of the spirit. You can make your problem far worse if you do not heed this advice. Your only recourse should be prayer. Prayer for the human soul is the best first method to try.

Here is a simple prayer that can be offered for the human soul. Please note that it will likely not be enough to say it only once. Rather, continue to pray it until the activity in your residence stops:

Lord Jesus, master of all things created and Creator of all things, I ask for your mercy on the poor soul in this place who still suffers here on Earth. In Your goodness, Lord, You have allowed this soul to make it's presence known so that (he or she) can obtain the necessary graces to enter into Your kingdom. Look now Lord, with Your eyes of mercy, upon this creature whom You love and allow them to experience the joy of Your presence for all eternity. Amen.

Here is one more prayer that you may find helpful in dealing with human spirits:

Heavenly Father, I offer you the most precious body and blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with all the Masses being said this day throughout the world, for all the holy souls in purgatory, and especially for the soul of the person who dwells in this home. Amen.

It may also be helpful to have a Mass said for the individual. The Mass is the most powerful prayer God has given to us. Since you will unlikely know the name of the person who is haunting, simply state to the priest that you would like to have a Mass offered for an unnamed departed soul; God knows the poor soul's name.

If praying for the poor human soul haunting your property does not seem to work, even after a Mass is offered for the person, or events change to indicate a suspicion of a demonic spirit instead, or the situation turns into a violent haunting, a different approach may be needed. Review our Resources page as needed. Contact us if you want our help.

Patron Saints for the Oppressed

The following Saints are recommended to those who experience spiritual afflictions, oppressions, obsessions, or other harassments from the Enemy, or any other spiritual warfare issue.

In our Spiritual Warfare prayers where we ask for the intercessions of all of our Primary Patrons, we say the follow, which you may also include in your prayers:

...with the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Gordius, Dymphna, Benedict of Nursia, Bruno, Rita of Cascia, Lucian, Marcian, Margaret of Fontana, Quirinus of Sescia, Ubaldo Baldassini, Lucy Bufalari, Teresa of Avila, Bernadette of Lourdes, Agrippina of Rome, Amabilis of Auvergne, Andrew of Segni, Columba of Rieti, Cyriacus the Martyr, Demetrius of Sermium, Denis of Paris, Dionysius the Aeropagite, Margaret of Antioch, Peter the Exorcist, and Vincent de Paul, of my Patron Saint and my Guardian Angel, all the Saints and Angels of Heaven, and powerful in the holy authority of the blessed Name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

In other instances we use the short form:

...with the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, Blessed Saints Padre Pio, Gordius, Dymphna, and Benedict, all the Saints and Angels of Heaven, and powerful in the holy authority of the blessed Name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

The Primary Patrons:

• Our Blessed Mother (Queen of Spiritual Warfare)

• St. Michael the Archangel (Prince of Spiritual Warfare)

• Peter the Apostle and Paul the Apostle (Generals of Spiritual Warfare)

• Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (Patron Saint of our mentor’s apostolate; patron of deliverance)

• Dymphna (patron of our mentor’s apostolate)

• Gordius (challenged the pagans at Casearea; martyred; Robert’s Patron Saint)

• Benedict of Nursia (founder of Western Monastism and Great Spiritual Warfare, Patron against Sorcery)

• Bruno (patron of possessed people)

• Rita of Cascia (patron of desperate & impossible causes, the sick and the abused)

• Lucian (patron of possessed people)

• Marcian (former devil worshipper, patron of possessed people)

• Margaret of Fontana (patron of possessed people)

• Quirinus of Sescia (patraon against evil spirits, obsession, possessed people)

• Ubaldo Baldassini (against demonic possession, possessed people)

• Blessed Lucy Bufalari (against demonic possession)

• Teresa of Ávila (Doctor of the Church, people in need of grace)

• Bernadette of Lourdes (against sickness and illness, sick people)

Additional Patrons (in alphabetical order):

• Agrippina of Rome (against evil spirits)

• Amabilis of Auvergne (against demonic possession)

• Andrew of Segni (against demons)

• Columba of Rieti (with St. Benedict, Patron against Sorcery, against magic, against temptation)

• Cyriacus the Martyr (against diabolical possession)

• Demetrius of Sermium (against evil spirits)

• Denis of Paris (patron of possessed people)

• Dionysius the Aeropagite (against the devil)

• Margaret of Antioch (escape from devils)

• Peter the Exorcist

• Vincent de Paul (for general Spiritual Help)