Exorcisms are on the rise.
Of all the symptoms of American decline, it is one of the least discussed. But it speaks volumes about our nation’s growing mental health crisis and our inexorable drift into darkness.
“One of the unique things about Christianity is that it’s not about us looking for God, it’s about God looking for us.”
As an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for the past 20 years, Father Vincent Lampert has seen it firsthand.
During that time, the number of American exorcists grew from about 12 to about 125. (Many exorcists remain anonymous, so there is no official number). Lampert is also affiliated with the International Association of Exorcists.
consisting of 905 priests from around 60 countries around the world.
spreading darkness
When Lampert started, he averaged about 100 calls a year about possible demonic possession. Since then, that number has grown to about 1,800.
In his 2020 book, he shares some of his painful but faith-strengthening experiences.
“Exorcism: The battle against Satan and his demons”
We began our interview with a blessing when Lampert took the time to speak to me just before Easter. It’s a reminder that despite Mr. Lampert’s special expertise, he remains a parish priest at heart. “Being an exorcist provides a good balance in rediscovering the priesthood as a profession,” he tells me.
Thanks to Hollywood distortions, many people do not realize that exorcism is not just a battle against the devil relying on the power of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Church.
It is itself a form of prayer and a “service of mercy.” It is an active dedication to God that aims to reverse the evil man’s mission to separate us from our Creator.
In Lampert’s words, his job is to “show the face of God to those who suffer” through “acts of mercy that bring healing and peace, unleashing God’s love against the attacks of the devil.”
Exorcism as a ritual is based not only on Acts and the Epistles, but also on the Gospels, which give instructions from Christ himself on how to cast out evil spirits. Lampert specifically points out a mark with four references to the expulsion of demons.
He distinguishes between small-scale exorcisms (deliverance prayers that anyone can say) and large-scale exorcisms (official liturgies performed only by trained and specially authorized priests, such as Rampart).
As successors of the apostles, local bishops serve as exorcists for their dioceses. It is up to the priest to “endow upon him this charism, this spiritual gift.” Priests must remain in their parish under the direction of the bishop.
Father Lampert likens parish priests to primary care doctors, but exorcists are more like highly trained professionals whose services are needed much less frequently.
get attacked
This job is not without risks.
“The devil definitely knows the people who are trying to bring him down,” he told me in an interview. “Certainly parish priests are on the front lines of that. And exorcists, who have a unique role to play in the life of the church, can also face some really extra attacks from demons, because exorcists Because again he knows that he is working to thwart the devil’s plan to bring people under the light of Christ. He will try to cause us to stumble.”
Exorcism is free and a service to the world. That’s what people who pay for exorcisms say, the priest says. Even if you didn’t need a Rampart before, you might need one in the future.
Lampert said most people who contact him have already self-diagnosed themselves or their loved ones, often fueling hostility when Lampert determines they are not sick.
Catholics are not the only ones suffering. It also includes people of all faiths and religions, including people of no faith at all.
As fate would have it, Lampert began his role as an exorcist, taking over the role after the previous exorcist (who happened to be a childhood friend) died. The Archbishop broke the news without blinking. The young priest was said to be heading to Rome to learn the ritual of exorcism.
He concluded that Lampert had the right mindset for the role: an awareness of the omnipresence of evil and a healthy dose of skepticism. It was also important that Lampert didn’t want the job.
During the archbishop’s last visit before dying of cancer, the archbishop playfully apologized to Lampert for appointing him to the role.
In Rome, Lampert studied under a veteran priest and wasted no time charging deep.
Lampert laments the rise of individualism packaged as freedom. He emphasizes that it is obedience that sets one free. Without God there is no freedom. As John writes, “To all who received him, to them he gave power to become sons of God, to them who believed in his name.”
let in the light
Lampert added: “I like to tell people that the devil is like a cockroach. And if you go into a room with the lights off, and you turn on the light, and there are bugs in the room, the bugs will crawl into every crack and crevice. And when the church, in its exorcism work, shines the light of Christ into the lives of those who have been deceived by the evil one, the devil scurries back into the darkness like a cockroach. I guess.”
The first action for Catholics who believe they are suffering is to confess. “When we confess our sins, we commit them into God’s hands. And once we offer them to God, the devil can no longer take advantage of our sins.” . ”
But if that’s not enough, it’s time for the Exorcist to become an instrument of divine power.
“I think one of the unique things about Christianity is that it’s not our quest for God, but God’s quest for us. always takes the first step. Think of Adam and Eve in the garden after they sin. God moves into the garden and says to Adam, “Where are you? ”
Lampert is clearly a man dedicated to this mission. His easygoing charm and humor contrast with the gravity of our subject matter.
That said, he is quick to point out that the job can be “mentally, emotionally and physically draining.” It requires a discipline regime: complete dedication to prayer, fasting, confession, and worship.
Recovery may require special measures. One of Rampart’s first missions took a year until the demon was finally cast out. People who hear this story want to know what Lampert did next and celebrated mass. Do you want to have a holy time?
Not completely. Lampert headed to the nearest Dairy Queen for a large chocolate shake.
“It was a very hot day here in Indiana,” Lampert said. “It was crowded. And I thought, ‘If these people knew where I came from, I’d be like Moses parting the Red Sea, because they couldn’t get enough of me. Because I couldn’t escape quickly.”
