PROPOSAL TO ALL THE BISHOPS OF THESE USA FOR YOUR NOVEMBER MEETING
These times call for action that priests and bishops are truly ordained for: wield spiritual authority given by Christ Himself.
Let’s use all our spiritual weapons. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, mortifications, etc.
But let us not exclude those aimed directly at the Enemy, the mighty prayers of the Rite of Exorcism.
The Enemy is deep into this crisis. Who thinks he isn’t? Fight demon fire with holy fire.
Respectfully, please, open your paternal hearts to read this broken filial heart’s petition.
Your Excellencies, Your Eminences,
I have a suggestion for you to carry out in your upcoming November meeting.
With grave respect for the office you each hold and for the spiritual mandate which God and the Apostolic See have entrusted to you as individuals in your respective dioceses and as a college for our nation, please consider this course of action in response to the serious crisis we face as a Church before the eyes of God and the world.
The crisis we face arises from both human weakness and sin, but also demonic activity of the Enemy of the soul.
I ask each and every one of you, individually, before your upcoming November meeting, to perform a Rite of Exorcism over your respective dioceses, or, if you are the Auxiliary or Emeritus Bishop to take part. If you are non-episcopal Administrator, invite a bishop to do it. Whether you decide to do this privately or publicly, please – just do it.
In addition, during the November meeting, together as a body, go to the National Shrine of Our Lady and perform a Rite of Exorcism over the whole nation.
While I am a priest of the Latin Church, and I do not know the specific Exorcism Rites of the Eastern Churches, I am confident that you Eastern prelates can help your Latin brethren understand how you will be able to participate with them when you gather together.
With due respect, therefore, to Eastern Churches and Rites, and since the majority of you are of the Latin Church, use our traditional Roman Ritual, in Latin. Some of you will need to work on that, but it is – according to the testimony of exorcists I know – more effective than merely in the vernacular and more effective than the modern, updated Rite.
Your Excellencies, Your Eminences, do not opt for less than what is tried, true and effective. The older, traditional Rite is time tested for centuries. That’s your best option: Rituale Romanum Title XI, Chapter 3.
Do not compromise.
As bishops, individually and collectively, you wield great spiritual authority given to you by Our Lord Himself. With that authority comes the duty to use it when appropriate.
Now is an appropriate time. Who, having the Faith, can deny it?
We need you to do this. Please, do this. Please open your hearts for us, and give this request your prayerful consideration.
Respectfully, in Christ the High Priest, in Mary the Queen of Apostles, and in Joseph the Terror of Demons, I offer this request.
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
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If any bishop needs help with the Latin, he or his secretary can check this post HERE. In 2016 I recorded the Latin of Chapter 3 to make available – discreetly – to bishops and priests only. I read Chapter 3 deliberately, pedantically, with careful pronunciation. I omit rubrics, which you would not read aloud. I also have that recording slowed down to 0.7 speed to help you learn it.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
This is war.
To my fellow priests, especially, and to lay people. Feel free to make to petition on your own.
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This is a good and holy way forward. Thank you.
“Whether you decide to do this publicly or private!y, please — just do it.”
I would humbly suggest this ritual be done publically. As this is affecting all of the People of God, it would only be fitting that the laity join their prayers with the clergy. The Church Militant needs to understand truly how much of a battle this is “on earth as it is in heaven”. What better way to rally the troops as we begin to break free from this siege.
Excellencies & Eminences, yes, Yes, YES!
Fewer commissions, more exorcisms!!!
I said years ago that the Pope needed to do an exorcism over the whole U.S.
@rollingrj:
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EWTN has a video where Adam Blai said that the solemn exorcism rite should only be done by a priest. Only the priest has the full weight of the Church behind him. The only safe prayer that a member of the laity can say is a prayer to Jesus asking for His intercession. A direct challenge to the demon is an agreement by the lay person making the challenge to a spiritual battle with the demon. The lay person does not have the full weight of the Church behind them. It is one on one, which can be dangerous.
Great idea Fr. Z. I sincerely hope many do it.
Good idea, if I’m not mistaken, the foul spirits have to be named.
Avarice. Lust. Sacrilege. And on and on.
Great idea…but why wait?
I think the quote “…with what you have, do what you can, and do it now…” applies.
Sorry, forgot who the author of that quote is.
I approve this message. Prayer, fasting, and solemn exorcism are what are needed to drive the demon of sodomy and child rape out of the Church.
Father Chad Ripperger, an exorcist, has a number of conferences on Youtube. He talks quite candidly about the rite, about the demons, about the different ways in which evil spirits may oppress us, and many other details about this topic. And he has a number of recommendations about what lay people can do for themselves. Lay people have no authority to exorcise demons, though, nor do they have authority for a parish or a diocese. So if a lay person were to attempt to do something to or against any evil spirit, without the proper authority, that lay person could be opening himself up to influences that he would wish he hadn’t.
Lay persons, as brothers and sisters of Christ, have every right *to ask Christ* to cast any evil spirits out of the Church, which is quite different. This would be a good prayer – an excellent prayer for all of us!
Something laypeople can do besides, attend Mass, frequent the sacraments and make Holy Hours; http://www.auxiliumchristianorum.org/
Father great advice , but I am fairly confident they will not heed it. By there actions they show that they don’t believe any of it, They don’t believe in Satan, Latin, Tradition or the Real presences in the Eucharist. I hate being this jaded, not against our Faith (stronger then ever) but against those in high offices.
I love these people who – RIGHT AWAY – jump in and say, “They won’t do it.”
Oh YEAH!
Ask them yourself. You’ve got a pen and an envelope. You’ve gotta brain and vision.
Get on your knees and pray for them to do it. Fast. Nag their Guardian Angels. Ask the Apostles to get on their cases.
That sounds like a GREAT idea! Actually, you’re reminding me of Fr Amorth! Incidentally, he used to say that he couldn’t absolve half the Bishops of the world in confession because they don’t talk about the devil nor do they exorcise him from the Church (words to that effect).
This shouldn’t end in America. I’m also very worried about other countries where there seems to be sooo much silence about these type of crimes.
Amen.
Thanks for this. I don’t know about these sorts of things so it’s helpful to be told what I should be asking. I will write a letter requesting this. And pray it will be acted upon.
This is a really practical suggestion. I hope a lot of the bishops, if not all, heed it. Exorcisms would trump commissions, committees, apologies (at least in the modern sense); or, rather, be a necessary accompaniment to them. For one thing, they would address whatever evils are going on now, not just decades-old, unverifiable accusations. For another, while we must all call on the One who doesn’t rely on hearsay evidence, the only One who can infallibly disentangle knotted human motives, exorcisms are proper to the bishops themselves. Besides the intrinsic efficacy of the exorcisms, they would demonstrate the bishops’ serious commitment to the restoration of virtue in the Church.
The use of the Rite of Exorcism is a good suggestion. I also support the suggestion made by Fallibilssimo that the Rite be performed by the Universal Church.
Traditional Catholic teaching has also held that effort as well as prayer is necessary, which means we must act as well. Given that the Grand Jury report evidence discloses that the acts detailed in some cases go back 70 years it is clear that the scandal predates the Second Vatican Council. Is it also therefore time to broaden the pool of available candidates to the priesthood by ordaining married men? I’m not suggesting that married men are immune from this evil (Jerry Sandusky provides a cautionary example) but it is also true that we have a shortage of priests. The practice of an exclusively celibate priesthood in the Latin Rite is a matter of discipline not dogma. The restoration of the permanent diaconate open to married, stable men has proved successful. The Eastern Uniate churches have always permitted married men to be ordained and the Anglican Ordianriate in the Latin Rite has married priests. (Neither permits married bishops, of course, consistent as well with the practice in the Orthodox churches.) I’m sure that among the married candidates would be ones called to celebrate the Extraordinary Form.
I like your suggestions, Fr. Z, but my bishop might be busy with other things, like the interfaith sessions with the Muslim Brotherhood…
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/16/catholic-bishops-plan-dialogue-islamists/
or supporting homosexuals and suggesting the CCC wording be changed…
ttps://www.crisismagazine.com/2017/james-martin-sj-thinks-youre-nazi
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