(ZENIT News – Porta Luz / Madrid, 20.11.2023).- Why is it than only in recent years, after decades of a long dearth, the Church has started to form exorcists? Also at present, despite the fact that the Holy See has asked all dioceses to have an exorcist, there are entire dioceses that continue to have none. Moreover, in almost all Seminaries, there continues to be no formation on deliverance.
But, today there is a real explosion of interest and many young priests are engaged in the work of deliverance. Before, Satan could hide and do his destructive work in secret, but now those days are fast disappearing.
What’s the reason?
On this matter American priest and exorcist Stephen Rossetti argues in his blog that the following quotation — mentioned in an article of the Catholic News Agency –, provides an explanation:
On October 13, 1884, Pope Leo XIII, just after celebrating Mass, paled and collapsed as if dead. Those close to him ran to his side. They found him alive, but the Pontiff seemed frightened. Then he told them he had had a vision of Satan approaching God’s throne, boasting that he could destroy the Church.
The Lord — pointed out Leo XIII –, reminded him that His Church was indestructible. Then Satan replied to Him: “’grant me a century and more power to those that serve me, and I will destroy her. And Our Lord granted him those 100 years.”
The 20th century was a particularly brutal century with two World Wars and other calamities,” comments Father Rossetti. “But 100 years have already passed. The Church hasn’t been destroyed. And a growing army of exorcists, together with a multitude of lay people full of faith and fervour, are counter-attacking, by the power of Christ. We are facing the final battle, which culminates the end of the 100 years. Satan’s presence is no longer hidden. The battle is open and clear,” affirms the exorcist.
The priest warns that 300 Catholic churches have been attacked in the United States alone since May of 2020, and the number is increasing. Moreover, as an exorcist he has been able to confirm how “hundreds of thousands of people state openly they are witches, wiccans, practitioners of occultism and/or satanists. The statues of the evil demon Baphomet are being consecrated publicly.”
In his conclusion Father Rossetti gives witness of this “final battle,” recalling and quoting Saint Paul in chapter 6, verse 12, of his Letter to the Ephesians: “For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the Principalities, against the Powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
In this regard, Father Rossetti says he is confident and at peace . . . “’ In an exorcism, when I hear the demons, including Baphomet, howl and scream just looking at a crucifix or being sprinkled with holy water, I remember that even the most powerful demons are dust in the presence of the Son of God. The Archangel Michael and the faithful Angels expelled Lucifer and his followers [from Heaven] at the beginning of time; and will do so, definitively, at the end. This time they’ll have a bit of help from their friends.”
