The Negro world., 1892-07-23
CASTING OUT A DEVIL.
A Bayarian Priest Gives Detailed A
count OF the Process.

A BaYarfan Priest Gives Detailed Ae-
count OF the Process.
One really has to stop and inquire
whether he is living at the close of the
nineteenth century when one reads the
official report drawn up by Catholic
priest of Vending, in Bavaria, of the
driving out of devil from hey. The
poor boy would not pray or go to
church. had fits of temper, paid no re-
spect to sacred things and, among other
misdeedS. ill-treated his parents. The
latter sought the advice of doctors. and
when the latter could do nothing,
Father Aurelian. the priest of the VII
lage. pronounced the benedietion oTer
the boy, but without any good effsct.
Then the boy was sent to a convent,
but no reformation followed.
When the bishop of Augsburg y year
ago visited the place the father, as a
last resource, brought. the boy to him,
hoping he might cure him. The bishop
approached the boy with great dignity
and consciousness of power, and ex-
claimed: Thou eanst not deceive me.
unclean spirit!' But the boy remained
as obstinate as ever, and now the con-
clusion was come to that he was pos
sessed of devil, and the operation of
driving it out was determined upon. 1t
lasted two days and was, of course, not
without great pain to the boy. The Of
fetal report says about the result of
the operation:
after applying the same r1e4ns as
in the morning, I exhcrted the devil to
confess the whole truth, whether he
would leave the boy. After long exor-
cism he at last, with groans aad sighs,
said in humble tone, Yes On receiy-
ing this answer l became more cmbold-
ened, and adjn,ed him by God, by the
Holy Virgin and the Holy Ar,hangel
Michael to declare whether he would
go at once Yes was the answer. l
adjured him the third time 10 tell the
whole truth, whether he would really
go. He again ansv cred with decisive
yes. When the devil the first time
consented to leave the body of the boy
| eXhorted him not to enter into any of
the persons presens, nor into any other
being who might wish TO have him, but
to go to that spot which God had ap-
pointed. After pause, asked. Hast
thou left the boy? Yes was the re-
ply. Thy companions also?' Yes
The third time conjure thee to declare
the whole truth. Hast thou and thy
companions left the boyP Yes Where
art thou now?' In hell Thy compan-
ions also?' Yes In the name of the
most Holy Trinity adjure thee for the
third time to give some sign thereof.
Yes, we are in hell came back the
answer in fearful tones
AT first the devil had answered in an
impudent and spiteful tone, but the last
answer was quite melancholy. Now the
boy began to weep 1t was the sign
that the evil spirit had really left him,
for only at the moment when he de-
clared for the third time that he was in
hell did the spirit go Until then he had
lied unto me, for he is the Father OF
Lies. | now made the boy make the
sign of the cross, contemplate the cruci-
fix, repeat the holy names of Jesus and
Mary, as well as that of the Archangel
Michael He did so, weeping bitterly.
handed him the pieces of the cross and
sacred relics to kiss. He kissed them
with many tears. He then said the
Lords Prayer and the Ave Maria, sigh
ing loudly. This ended the exorcism,
and thanksgiving mass was then held.
Father Aurelian then explains why the
devil took possession of the boy. The
father, Catholic. had married Prot.
estant and was married in a Protestant
church, and the children had been
brought up in the Protestant faith. The
father has now, says the report, made
good his fault The marriage ceremony
has been celebrated again according to
have been rebaptized, and it is thought
that the mother will go over to the
Catholic Church. h."-London Daily News.