Opposing the Diabolical

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“Priests in general believe very little in the extraordinary action of Satan. If a bishop proposes to them to do the exorcism, they are frightened, as if they think: 'If I leave the Devil in peace, he will leave me in peace. If I fight him, he will attack me.' This is wrong. The more we fight Satan, the more he is afraid of us.”
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— Father Gabriele Amorth

Priestly Powers

(Taken from the booklet The Truth About the Devil by Father Dominic Szymanski, O.F.M.)

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To curb the influence of Satan, Christ has given priests necessary powers ― the powers of exorcism, but in our days they are buried deep in the ground for fear that sometime they may be used. The servant who buried his talent in the parable of the gospel was called a "wicked and slothful servant" by the Master, and he ordered him to be cast into "the Darkness outside where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Every priest is an exorcist by virtue of his ordination. This power must be used, and used very extensively, with firmness and authority, otherwise the enemy creates havoc among the sheep of God, unmolested even by those who have the duty and the obligation to guard the flock of Christ. Priests should exclude the infernal wolves, not by meekly begging them to depart, but by a firm command. "I command you to depart in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Crucified." The Church does not ordain priests with the power of forgiving sins only, but she gives them the power to exclude the assassin who is the cause of all sin. The civil government maintains a police force and the Church of God also has the authority to cast into the abyss even the princes and powers of hell who are the prime perpetrators of crime against God.

The Priest Should Not Fear

Good priests should not fear to undertake an exorcism ― and by good priests is meant those who habitually live in a state of grace. It is not required that the exorcist be a saint worthy of canonisation, or even close to it. If a priest can stand at the altar and offer the Most Holy Sacrifice with a clear conscience, he can also be a successful exorcist. This work is a spiritual one, and Christ stands ready to help whenever our strength falls short. "Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you." (Luke 10: 19).

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