The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-29
CASTING OUT DEVILS.
TESTIMONY THAT ExoRclsM HAS
REASONS FOR EXISTENCE.

and other Strange Formulas EmpIoyot
by tho Good Monks.
!! The possessed woman of Gift is cured
now not by the doctors, who were I'M
able to do anything for her, but by the
theological science of the cure of the
parish and the firmness of Mgr. Goux,
bishop of Versailles, which shows that
exorcism has its reasons for existence
and that possession is as real as hys-
terra. AS q 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:
1. No known remedy relieves him. 2.
lilo speaks of incidents and facts beyond
his natural reach and which nobody has
revealed to him. g. He foretells events
and speaks several languages unknown
20 him before his affliction. 4. In the
presence of priest and at sacred cere-
monies 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 exorcist belongs to one of the
minor orders which precede tho priest
hood. He must be humble of heart in
his ministry, and if he operates with
any thought of display he risks for him
self the contagion of the evil spirits that
still remain to be cast out.
Ordinarily the ceremony takes place
III the church in the presence of the
faithful assembled at prayer, particular
ly at the feasts of the Nativity, of the
Resurrection, of the Ascension, of Pen
tecost, of the Virgin Mary and of the
Apostles. After the morning mass, to
which the possessed one assists, the ex-
orcist puts on the surplice and assists
the priest who puts on the violet colored
cope, the symbol of the pains Of purga-
tory. The patient who has confessed
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 sprinkled with holy wa
ter. In Latin the devil is commended
to tell his name, to say whether or not
he is alone anthwhy he is there. Finally
he is ordered to depart. The conjura-
ton in any other language and espe-
clally in Hebrew is useless. Hebrew is
reserved for satan himself.
The Flagellum demonum contains
tho most complete formula of exorcis1n.
consisting Of we'll known prayers min
gled with the most ancient and strangest
appellations of God, such as ooh, ADO
mai Tetragrammaton" and others, which
come i'll part from Chaldea, from Phoe-
necla and from Greece. The words are
supposed to possess in themselves GER
tain power of evocation of celestial vir-
| tues which terrify the Internal legions.
Certain words of Christ, according to
st. Matthew, are used TO drive out evil
spirits.
If the demon does not retire imme-
diately, the exorcist takes painted I'M
age 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 patient.
In the ancient monasteries they made
the eXorcist carry upon his person GER
tain amulets containing protective
| formulas. Sometimes these formulas.
| written upon pieces of parchment, were
| swallowed. In the process of digestion
the exorcism was accomplished without
| fatigue.
! In our days eXorcism has taken ref
uge i'll La Trappe. The clergy are
somewhat avcrse to it, while at the
! same time they do not refuse to admit
it. The man who breaks the spells is
very old. But the devils cast out by
the good monks are reduced to tho tor
| menting of animals. Pigs are their
favorites Then the old spell smasher
whips them with beads and cprinkles
them with holy water, and the pigs re-
cover and become happy, because the
devils so away.
Mr.. j. X. Huysmans has been able to
speak de visu of the power of demons
and the efficacity of exorcisms. More
over, the eminent writer was we'll ac-
quainted with one of the most learned
demonographcrs of his time, the Able
Boullan, who ran through hell in his
bare feet, holding the host in his hands.
Either at the church of Sanctot or the
church of Senneville, I received this Gu
| rious document from M. Gilbert Angus
tin Thierry the author of "Une Anne en-
Peine." The cure of Petites- Dalles in cur
ing the possessed says a special mass
called the ''red mass" or "mass of the
martyrs" Red flowers are placed upon
the altar, and the priest wears a red
stole. The church is draped in purple.