The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-11-18
CAsTINQ OUT DEVILS.
Minute Description OF tho Operation, BY .
Believer.


Minute Description Of tho Operation, BY
Believer.
The possessed woman of Gif Is cured
now, not by the doctors, who were un-
able to do anything for her, but by the
theological science of the cure Of the
parish and the frmncss of Monsignor
Goux, Bishop Of Versailles, which
shows that exorcism has its reasons for
existence and that possession" is as
real us hystcria. As a matter Of fact,
the church has never laid down her
arms in the presence Of the devils.
There are four principal signs through
which the possessed one Is recognized.
First, no known remedy relieves him;
second, he speaks of incidents and facts
beyond his natural reach, and which
nobody has revealed to him; third, he
foretells events and speaks several lam
guages unknown to him before his
affiiction; fourth, in the presence Of q
priest and at sacred ceremonies he
trembles, suffers pain, writhes and
blasphemes.
The Catholic priests, and especially
the Dominicans, have, from away back,
practiced exorcism. According to the
canons the cXorcist belongs to one Of
the minor orders which precede the
priesthood. He must be humble of heart
in his ministry, and, if he operates with
any thought of display, he risks for
himself the contagion Of the evil spirits
that still remain to be cast out.
Ordinarily the ceremony takes place
in the church in the presence of the
faithful assembled ut prayer, particu-
larly at the feasts of the Nativity, of
the Resurrection, of the Ascension, of
Pentecost, of the Virgin Mary, and of
the Apostles. After the morning mass,
to which the possessed one assists, the
exorcist puts on the surplice and assists
the priest who puts on the violet-colored
cope, the symbol of the pains of pur-
gatory. The patient who has con-
fessed then approaches. A stole Is
passed around his neck to tie the devils
that have become the masters of his
body. Then the sign of the cross is
made upon him and he Is sprinlxled
with the holy water. In Latin the
devil is commanded to tell his name,
to say whether or not he is alone, and
why he is there. Finally he is ordered
to depart The conjuration in any
other language, and especially in He
brew, is useless. Hebrew is reserved
for Satan himself.
The Flagellum d9monum contains
the most complete formulas of exor-
cism, consisting of well-known prayers
mingled with the most ancient and the
strangest appellations of God, such as
Oh, Adonal Tetragrammaton, and 9TH
ers, which come in part from Chaldea,
from Phenecia, and from Greece. The
words are supposed to possess in them
selves certain power of evocation OF
celestial virtues which terrify the in
fernal legions. The words of Christ,
according to Saint Matthew, 1, 3, 8,
are the most in use to drive out evil
spirits.
If the demon does not retire imme-
diately, the exorcist takes painted
image representing him and throws it
into the consecrated fire along with
incense, rue and sulphur with strong
mystic odors, intending to prove by
this act that he will send the evil
spirit back into his natural element,
hell. This done, he places upon the
head of the possessed one the Book, the
Relics, the CrucifiX, and sometimes
even the Host, the last and invincible
remedy. According to the authority
of certain demonographs, the devil
then comes out through the nose OF
the natient