The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-20

possible for man to obtain such DOW
ers to the detriment of his own soul?
Could he use such powers to take the
life Of a fellow-creature, or keep him
under that power for any length of
time? If so, what could Gods motive
be in permitting it? | have been in
formed that should a person become
an enemy to ''conjurer," the latter
would be able to have that person in
his power by means of ''conjuration,"
and thereby deal with him as he
pleases. | was given many instances
on good authority. In some of them
the results of COMPUTATION" have been
proved to be fatal. When the ami
mostly is bitter the ''conjurer" keeps
him in that state, in which he keeps
lingering and suffering till his body
Withers away and life is ended.
What | wish to know is this. Say,
for instance, court OF law is trying
a case in which the ''conjurer' is the
defendant and another man the impor-
the defendant The latter seeks to re-
venge himself by 'c9njuring' the wit
ness who eventually succumbs to the
effects. Is it in the power of the
"cOnjurer' to work such extreme
effects? Similar instances are very
common in India, especially the Mala-
bar district. Again take a case, in
which the important witness is a man
of great virtues and sanity DISPOSE
tons Is it possible for the coniurer
to get such a man in his power by
means Of Influencing the Devil?
like to know further if a man under
the influence of combination must
necessarily remain in quite an uncon-
scious state? One more question.
Would q person who is possessed or
''conjured" be guilty of wrong and
sinful act if he approached conjurer
to have the evil one expelled from
him?
Yours, etc.
(SIGNED.)
Comment on the Foregoing Letter.
The evidence for the preternatural
such as is here asked about is so
strong and convergent in India that
one cannot pooh-pooh it. Without
passing any judgment of act, we can
at least give some principles for
thinking on the subject.
The Bible vouches for the possibili-
ty of the devil taking possession of
men, as is seen by Christs act of
casting devils out. That ordinary
men can possess the power of induct-
ing the devil into other men is not
SO clearly shown in Scripture; but it
is borne out by much evidence at
various times and places. We may
therefore assume it as fact. How a
man acquires such a power we can
not say, but it must be by some agree
ment of wills. Either the man must
desire to have that power and the
devil responds, or the devil makes the
first advance which the man accepts.
Obviously the man cannot exercise
any control over the free spirit of
Satan, unless Satan for evil ends of
his own subserVes and submits him.
self to the conjurer, and enters or
leaves the conjured subject according
ly. The evil purpose of the devil will
be chiefly to impress on people a
vivid belief in his existence and
power, so that they may reverence
and serve or propitiate him in some
way.
All friendly or cooperative dealings
with the devil are of course treason
to God, and expressly forbidden by
the Christian religion. Hence il any
person should become possessed or
obsessed, he must not resort to a
conjurer who is in league with the
devil. The only thing he can do IS
to come to the Catholic priest for
exorcism, or use holy water or other
sacramentals such as the sign OF the
cross and the invocation of the Holy
Name; and above all practise his re-
ligion devoutly by going to confession
and communion. The Catholic priest
does not, however, enjoy any absolute
power to dispossses the devil by eX-
orcisms: and God may possibly per-
nit the affliction to continue. In that
case it must be taken with resigna-
ton, and in the spirit of penance and
persevering prayer till the torment
comes to an end.
Father HnHJ S. =. In Bombor Examiner 4
: Z ~ Z + ~