Exorcisms: How, Why, and What

When a member of the Christian faith, lay or cleric, needs protection from the against the power of the devil, an exorcist may publicly and authoritatively request the protection and liberation of that individual through the power of Jesus Christ. According to Raffaele della Torre (a Spanish expert exorcist), Revelations 20 demonstrated that divine power was the preferred method of the expulsion of demons (Clark, 1997). However, while the belief was that an exorcism offered protection from the powers of Satan, it is popularly known as a method of removing evil spirits from an individual deemed “possessed.” Naturally, of course, such an apparatus was not always used with pure intentions – throughout Catholic History, a variety of exorcisms were performed with political motivations (Walden, 2018).

As a politically-motivated Catholic in the middle ages, you may find this quick guide to possessions and exorcisms helpful:

The Devil’s tribulations may manifest in many forms: from symptoms as simple as a cough or pox, intended to mimic the symptoms of a simple illness and hide from the faithful; to fits of shaking, insanity, rage, hysteria, self-harm, or suicide. Often, those possessed by the power of the devil can be found in a state of depression.

  • An exorcism may be performed by both members of the church and laypersons; every Christian may propel the power of Christ to command demons out of an individual. However, enlisting the power of a Saint may prove helpful – many Saints have a chronicle of struggle with a particular demon.

 Any exorcist may find the following tools helpful:

  • Prayers – the most common method of exorcism, the exorcist may harness the power of Christ via prayer and drive the demon out of the individual – Hildegard of Bingen would perform exorcisms with simply the words, “Leave, Satan, the body of this woman and make room for the Holy Spirit!” 

  • The Sign of The Cross – as a physical manifestation of the Church, the power of Christ can be channeled through the Cross.

  • Holy Water – St. Bernard of Clairvaux would drip holy water on the victims’ lips, while other exorcists chose to submerge the victim in holy water entirely.

St. Radegunde frees a possessed woman from evil spirits

St. Leo IX frees a possessed old man from evil spirits.



Works Cited

Clark, S. (1997). Thinking with Demons. 

Raiswell, R., & Dendle, P. (2008). Demon Possession in Anglo-Saxon and Early Modern England: Continuity and Evolution in Social Context . Journal of British Studies, 738-767.

Tamm, M. (n.d.). Saints and the Demoniacs: Exorcistic Rites in Medieval Europe. Folklore.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (n.d.). Exorcism. Retrieved from USCCB: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/sacramentals-blessings/exorcism

Walden, J. (2018). Exorcism and Religious Politics in Fifteenth-Century Florence . Renaissance Quarterly, 437-477.