In Spiritual Warfare, it is always essential for people to obey and be under the protection of the Church, the source of Divine Grace and Blessing. More so with the Roman Catholics who firmly believe that the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the Roman Catholic Church whom Christ Himself built. I urge all to deal with Spiritual Warfare with much prudence and care in accordance to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
July 2 episode of GMA 7’s “Misterio” featured an allegedly (diabolically) possessed girl by the name of Clara. A young house helper, Clara displayed extraordinary strength, change of voice, violent disposition, strong and devilish face, sharp looks, etc. days after complaining of seeing unknown and unidentified beings in the house where she works. She also claimed to have been hearing voices and laughters from an invisible source prior to her ordeal. While these are considered signs of a possible demonic attack, further evaluation must be done prior to authenticating a real diabolic possession.
VISIT TO WITCHDOCTOR
As usual, as most Filipinos would do, the first thing that came to the minds of the people surrounding Carla is to bring her to the local “diviner” (a.k.a. faith healer, witchdoctor, albularyo, etc.).
Catechism of the Catholic Church prohibits visits and consultation to witches and diviners. Moreover, in any case of demonic possession, people are being cautioned not to communicate at all to the alleged possessing evil spirit, like asking its name, something that the alleged healer did.
HOUSE BLESSING BY AN ORTHODOX PRIEST
This part is the most sober and acceptable move of the family who owns the house, having their house blessed by a priest. However, if the family’s faith is Roman Catholic, they should have called a Roman Catholic priest prayers of deliverance and blessing. (religious belief of the family wasn’t mentioned though).
THE EPISODE’S PARANORMAL EXPERT TEAM
The show’s regular team of alleged paranormal experts came to investigate and handle the case. The following can be observed:
1. The group came and found the girl sitting outside the house. The girl showed resistance and violence. Members of the team collectively and forcefully clutch the hands, arms and feet of the girl. Carla was shouting and so are the members of the team especially a certain Anna who claims to be a psychic (a New Age practice forbidden by the Church especially in the area of a Catholic Spiritual Warfare) who displayed power and authority over the alleged spirit, commanding the violent Clara to stop and even saying something like “hindi mo kilala kaharap mo. Kilalanin mo kung sino kaharap mo. Hindi mo alam kung ano dala ko” (you don’t know who is in front of you [referring to herself]. You should know who is in front of you. You don’t know what I can do [against you]). All these are happening in public audience while various people are witnessing and no crowd control is being employed.
TRULY AN IMPROPER WAY TO HANDLE A PERSON AND A CASE OF SUSPECTED POSSESSION. A Catholic Deliverance team and prayer warriors don’t just come to the scene and pin down a person even if the person is displaying violence. THIS MAY INJURE AND HURT THE PERSON. Much more, it should not happen outside the house where a Deliverance case would appear like a public show. And the words referring to self as someone with power and authority over the alleged evil spirit is definitely a sign of both arrogance and ignorance of the risks at stake. These are definitely not Catholic ways of handling a case of Healing and Deliverance where the Centrality of Christ (not of self) is of utmost importance.
2. One female member communicated with the alleged spirit/s asking them to leave the person by saying to what they claim to be several spirits “Kaibigan nyo ako. Tutulungan ko kayo.” (I am your friend. I will help you.)
Except for authorized exorcists, permitted by the bishop to handle a specific case, any member of a Catholic Deliverance team is not allowed to talk to the spirit/s. Team is supposed to talk to God alone in “moments of crisis” (actual event of possession) for His Divine Love and Mercy. And as soldiers of Christ, we declare war against the enemies of God, the devil and his minions and there is no way we should ask the evil spirits in a pleading manner to leave. Catholic team COMMANDS evil in the Name of Jesus – not a request or friendly plea, but a COMMAND. So there is no way to befriend and please evil by saying “we are friends and I will help you” just to make them obey your request to leave. We are always a loyal friend to Jesus and we are children of light, not a friend to the devil nor to any malignant spirit.
3. The team members asked the alleged possessing spirit “Who are you?. This was also asked by the witchdoctor who first attended to Clara. The name Christine was given and behold, they believed and bought the idea.
One reason why Catholic Deliverance team members should refrain from communicating directly to these spirits is bec. they simply won’t just tell the truth. The devil is the prince of lies and master of deceits. They will exhaust all possibilities to redirect the attention to something else other than expelling them. And true enough, if it’s really a case of demonic possession, the devil succeeded in diverting the attention of the people. The team suspected it’s really the soul of a person named Christine who died many years ago. And worse, the parents of this certain Christine were informed of the event and they too have become confused, whether it’s their daughter or not, why would their daughter do such thing, what could be the demand of their deceased daughter, what could be the message Christine want to convey, etc. Alas, the poor couple has been infected also with the two most effective strategies of the devil to lure people – Confusion and Curiosity.
Soul of a person does not commonly possess another person. Therefore, it may not be Christine. And evil spirits does not give their names as easy, bec to do so is a sign of weakness, and the Deliverance Prayer team will be able to command directly in prayer the name of the possessing spirit to leave and be cast out.
4. Members of the Paranormal Team used different kinds of objects normally seen in their kind of practice.
A Catholic Deliverance Team uses only religious sacramentals blessed by a priest and allowed by the Church, commonly Crucifix, Holy Rosary, Exorcised or Holy Water & Salt, relics of the saints, etc. (not sticks, nails, hen’s feather, amulets, talismans and the like, all considered occultic when used for this purpose)
5. An Orthodox Priest prayed-over Clara and commanded the spirit/s to leave.
Nothing wrong with the disposal of the priest’s ministry, except that it happened outside home and in the eyes of many audiences, and with the presence of psychic and paranormal practitioners who employs non-Catholic (or even non-Christian) beliefs. For Catholic Deliverance prayers, it is also important to sanitize the environment by holding the event in places blessed and dedicated for holy services such as Churches, Chapels, or inside home where prayers can be said solemnly and sincerely with all praying members of the family, a great opportunity to experience God in the midst of each and every member of the family. The praying-over of the Orthodox priest in this case cannot be considered an official Rite of Exorcism in so far as the Catholic Church is concern. The performance of the Rite of Exorcism, to be authentic and official, must be performed by a bishop or a priest authorized by the bishop. Not any clergy may perform the rite without the bishop’s permission for a particular and specific case, person, time and place.
OUR REMINDERS:
- To our fellow Roman Catholic faithful, pls refrain from consulting diviners, witchdoctors, faithhealers, albularyos, etc. Approach your parish priests and your local Church-based Catholic Charismatic organizations for suspected cases.
- Avoid consulting mediums and spiritists, crustal balls, tarot cards, astrology, Ouija board, spirit of the glass, etc. These are all risky and dangerous, and evil infestation is guaranteed.
- For the family whom Clara worked, assuming you are a Catholic family, ask for a Deliverance and House blessing from your local Parish Priest. Each and every member of the family to go to the Sacrament of Confession and grow spiritually in prayer life especially in regular celebration of the Holy Mass.
- For the family of Clara, pray for one another. Go to confession. Renounce all occultic involvement. Hear Holy Mass regularly on Sundays and Holy days of obligation.
- For the parents of Christine, and other relatives who were affected by the event, pray for one another and pray for the eternal repose of the souls of Christine and of all the departed members of the family.
MAY ALL OF US EXPERIENCE THE HEALING HANDS OF GOD THROUGH THE POWERFUL INTERCESSION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND ALL THE HOLY ANGELS AND SAINTS. AMEN
MAY THE LORD BLESS US, PROTECT US FROM ALL EVIL
AND BRING US TO EVERLASTING LIFE. AMEN.
Bro.Arnold, TOC
KSB Team Leader
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