Exorcism

Exorcism is the largely Catholic ritual of expelling demons who are possessing a human being. Martin Malachi wrote a book about this in the 1970s, and a movie ("The Exorcist (1974)") dramatized the topic.

Jesus expelled demons, as recording in the Gospels. In perhaps the most famous instance, he expelled a "legion" of demons from a man and permitted the demons to go into a herd of pigs (see Gaderene Swine). Jesus also cautioned some sufferers of demonic possession that if one demon was exorcised, seven more might want to "enter" the "clean house".

Opponents of Jesus accused him of casting out demons "by the power of Beelezebub", a charge generally dismissed by Christians.

The Roman Catholic Church is the best known church which has an authorized ministry of exorcism.

• The Catholic Church's service of exorcism dates back hundreds of years to a time when demonic possession was held responsible for many conditions now easily explained by psychiatry. [1]

External links

• Father Malachi Martin article on exorcism