AN EXORCIST TELLS HIS STORY

 

[A book review by Byron LeBeau about Fr. Gabriels Amorth, and his true accounts about exorcism.]

 

{{The above title is also the name of Fr. Amorth’s book, translated by Nicoletta V. MacKenzie, published by IGNATIUS PRESS, SAN FRANCISCO, 1999; the below is a highlighted sketch of this book, which emphasizes the reality of demons, and it also contains a strong urging by Fr. Amorth that the bishops of the church take more seriously the obligation they have to train and prepare priests in their battles with Satan, when it comes to the sacramental of exorcism. It is being presented on this website since I take demonology seriously, as echoed in the ongoing series, “THE BITE OF THE SERPENT,” which exposes the realities of the fallen angels (the ostensible root of today’s demons!) As you will see in this outline, Fr. Amorth demonstrates that the church does not seem to take this ongoing threat seriously enough.}}

 

FIRSTLY, the book contains a “FOREWORD” by Father Benedict J. Groeschel, who I had encountered in chapter 20 of Randell Sullivan’s book on Medjugorje, called, THE MIRACLE DETECTIVE, where he had given some penetrating insight into what must be digested before one goes about trying to validate ‘Marian apparitions.’ In the present book under discussion, Fr. Groeschel points out that this is not meant to be a psychological understanding of exorcism, but rather why it is a spiritual ministry, and one that Fr. Amorth takes very seriously, since he has exorcised many individuals during this same ministry.

 

The second “FOREWORD” by Fr. Candido Amantini, stresses the ability Jesus had in casting out demons, and also points to his passing on that power to his disciples and their successors (as in Mk 10:8, Mk 3:5. & Lk 9:1) He also stresses that contemporary theologians, although they do not deny the existence of Satan and other rebellious angels, discount the extent of their influence upon human affairs. (Later Amorth will show how this is a danger.) Fr. Amantini further states that science does not have all the answers, and we delude ourselves if we think that we can trace all illnesses to normal activites. This danger is exemplified in those who would appeal to Freud rather than call on an exorcist to help, when it comes to a possible possession case.

 

In the “AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION,” Fr. Amorth, explains how he was an assistant to Fr. Amantino for many years in Italy, who had 36 years as a full-time exorcist.. He further indicates that only bishops can practice or delegate an exorcism, and (admits sadly) that a few have even performed one, so are seldom aware of the extent of the need. (p.14) This book is meant to fill this void and show that need!!! He admits to planning on showing the practical aspects to exorcists, or anyone who wishes to learn about this subject. {{This also is my reason for presenting this book on this website, since there seems to be relatively few on the matter that can address it professionally and spiritually at the same time.}}

 

THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST

 

{{Since this book revolves around a rite of the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (and its beliefs,) it is my intention to voice these views from Fr. Amorth’s point of view, without undo comment, since the sincerity of the man is evident, even if anyone reading this may not agree 100% with the dogma that accompanies these beliefs; this is not the place to do this, since it may blur the understanding of what is important: DEMONS ARE REAL & FR. AMORTH HAS BEEN GIVEN THE POWER TO EXORCISE THEM!

 

Christ is the firstborn of all creatures. (Col 1:15) As Fr. Amorth points out, through his blood, he reconciles all things in the heavens (angels) and all things on earth (men) to God. It is also his opinion that Mary also was part of this plan, and thus had a unique relationship with the Trinity. (p.20) He further cites scripture to show how the demons were subject to Christ: “What is there between us, Son of God? Have you come to torment us before our time? (Mt. 8:29) As it states in (Rev 12:10) – we are in the in between time until “the accusers of our brethren will be cast out” whereupon our salvation will be complete.

 

Jesus calls Satan the prince of this world (Jn 12:31) and he still reigns as chief of the principalities, dominions, thrones, as per Col 1:16. While the angels are bound by the hierarchy of love via Michael, the demons live under a rule of slavery. (p.21)

 

The first authority Jesus gave to his apostles was the power to expel demons. (Mt. 10:1) At the end of this introduction, Fr. Amorth makes two interesting observations about what he & Fr. Candido found out about demons: Fr. Candido heard one demon say that it was not God who created hell, but rather us (the demons.) Then Fr. Amorth, on another occasion, while quizzing the demons on the same subject, he received the answer: “All of us cooperated.” (p.22)

 

Lastly on page 22, Fr. Amorth enumerates four truths regarding God, and our relationship to Him (using the Bible as his guide): God wants that everyone be saved; no one is predestined to go to hell; Jesus died for everyone; and everyone is given sufficient grace for salvation.

 

{{Obviously, this would include all those billions of souls who are not ensconced in THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, but this same church never seems to spell out how all these people will be saved, especially when there is only one lifetime (some much shorter than others) to do so; I’ve never seen this mystery of faith adequately explained, but I have faith that there is an answer to it because of the last statement cited above by Fr. Amorth. I would also like to see some noble cleric correct the unfortunate notion as annunciated by St. Augustine about the egregious concept of infant damnation - which, if I understand these same four truths above, itself would be ‘’anathema!’’}}

 

THE POWER OF SATAN

 

Satan dominates the world because he wanted to be the absolute first – the center of creation! (p.26) The truth of salvation is this: Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (I Jn 3:8) – to free man from Satan’s slavery, and to establish the kingdom of God after destroying the reign of Satan. The author feels that modern theologians who identify Satan with the abstract idea of evil are completely mistaken! (p.27) This is a true heresy, completely in contrast to the Bible. This is backed up by the Fourth Lateran Council, which stated: “The devil that is, Satan and the other demons were created good by God; but they became evil through their own fault.” The author adds, “whoever denies Satan also denies sin and no longer understands the action so of Christ.” (p.27) Yet Jesus had defeated Satan even before his death and the author cites Lk 11:20 to back up his point: “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Jesus first gave the power to cast out demons to his apostles; then he extended the power to his 72 disciples, and in the end, he granted it to all those who believed in him.

 

On page 30, the author states that there are no good spirits other than angels, and there are no evil spirits other than demons…PERIOD! This would, therefore, rule out souls of the dead present at séances! (There is one exception to this, which the author addresses at another point in this book, about the calling up of Samuel by Saul, via the witch of Endor.)

 

Two ways a person falls prey to Satan are by blood pacts and consecration to Satan. This does not mean that Satan and company can’t bodily afflict his enemies, like St. Paul and other holy saints, such as the Cure of Ars & Padre Pio. {These examples are addressed on pages 33-34.) We can take comfort in knowing that the angels are a multitude, and their desire to help us is much greater than Satan’s desire to destroy us. (p.35)

 

EXORCISMS

 

According to Fr. Amorth, it can be administered by bishops and those priest who have been given specific direct license to exorcise (but not by lay persons!) (p.43) Those priests and lay persons who attempt to, may be practicing witchcraft. The first step revolves around diagnosis. This diagnosis also involves an exorcisms – but its purpose is to determine whether the phenomenon generated is demonic, or simply a sophisticated form of psychiatric or parapsychological phenomenon; after a sufficient amount of data, this can be determined. (44) By use of The RITUAL the exorcist is guided to weigh all things carefully, before during & after the exorcism. {{Fr. Amorth mentions some regrettable occasions when the demonic personality may be deeply entrenched and good at disguising itself so added care and persistence may be required to get to the root of the phenomenon.}} Some of these deeper cases may involve both evil influences as well as psychological disturbances. In these cases, it is valuable to have a psychiatrist as part of the team, as Father Candido had done this on many occasions, who called on Professor Martini, who was head of a famous Roman hospital for the mentally ill.

 

TARGETS OF THE EVIL ONE

 

Among these victims are those who have lost their faith through “materialistic and hedonistic lifetstyles.” (53) Others include those who have entered into spiritism, witchcraft & the occult. (The author also adds to the list what some may construe as innocent practices, such as yoga, Zen & transcendental meditation which tend to dissolve the human personality into divinity, and according to the author, this is not good!) (54) {{Without trying to split hairs with Fr. Amorth’s assessments, I personally know some very fine people who use some form of yoga in helping them to become more spiritually oriented and integrated, so I fail to see how this can be put in the same category as witchcraft or spiritism. There are many “saints” of the East who seem to have lived extraordinary exemplary lives, such as Ramakrishna, (as per the attestation of Vivekananda,) as well as Lahiri Mahasaya (as per Paramahansa Yogananda in his book, ‘’The Autobiography of a Yogi,”) who incidentally himself is esteemed by many as a true saint, and whose body did not corrupt after death. Yogananda even paid Jesus the highest respect in his writings (from his point of view,) so I never got the impression that what he represented (as a Hindu) was in anyway Satanic in nature, just because their emplasis is on meditation - not dogma. As a side note observation, dogma seems to have been at the heart of the many religious killings over the last two thousand years, which seems to fly in the face of what Jesus taught: If the enemy strikes thee on the cheek, offer him the other.

 

I personally feel the same way about reincarnation, which again Amorth lumps in with the occult; I see reincarnation as a process of becoming perfect…as the heavenly Father IS perfect…and it also allows for that process to be worked through for ALL men, not just the lucky few! If reincarnation really were part of the occult, it should have been given more attention in the Bible, and not just a passing reference; as one scriptural critic has stated: if a truth is not repeated in the Bible, it is not confirmable, so it does not carry much weight; cf. ‘’MISQUOTING JESUS’’ by Bart Erhmans for details. Besides this, there are at least 20 or so references to the implications or inferences of its truth of which I have enumerated elsewhere, so I do not accept everything Fr. Amorth says as being black & white, with no room for discussion.}}

 

Fr. Amorth does not even leave out the Catholic hieracrchy in his criticisms – including the Italian bishops, who may be guilty (by the sin of omission) to take the problem of exorcism seriously enough; cf. page 55 for details of this. {{The author also addressed this sensitive topic in an essay: below is the link to that same essay:}}

 

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=2879

 

Falling prey to Satanic activity are grouped under four categories: (1) with God’s permission, (2) as innocent victims of an evil spell, (3) due to grave & hardened sinful conditions, (4) through association with evil people or places. {{These four conditions are elaborated upon on pages 56-59.}}

 

All magic is black, whether it is called black or white! According to Fr. Amorth, all magic has recourse to Satan!

 

POINTS OF DEPARTURE

 

There are 21 norms which would be followed in exorcism, as outlined in THE RITUAL. A diagnosis is the first step in this process. Physical symptoms (especially in the head and stomach area) must be weighed carefully. A telltale sign of diabolic possession includes the inefficiency of medicines while blessings prove very efficacious, (70) Superhuman strength can also be a sign of diabolic possession. The last point is best given as an example that Fr. Candido experienced: It seems a girl (who had been determined to be possessed was being spoken to in Latin,) and suddenly Fr. Candido added the following phrase in Greek: Shut up! Quit it! Immediately the girl turned to him and inquired: Why are you commanding me to be quiet? This was a seventeen year old peasant girl who only spoke poor Italian. {{I do not know how a skeptic would go about explaining this phenomenon away!}}

 

THE FIRST BLESSING

 

It is common that the demon tries to hide so as not to be discovered. (78) `They can be goaded to speak through anointing; the position of the pupils denotes type of demon and the trouble they present. (If you read or re-read the above link, this is explained in detail by Fr. Amorth toward the end of the essay.) The procedure includes asking for the name, whether there are other demons and how many, when and how the evil one entered that particular person, and when he will leave. (79) It is important to also find out if the demon is due to a spell, and the specifics of that spell. If the person ate or drank evil things, he must vomit them. If some sorcery was hidden, it is important to be told where it is hidden, so it can be burned with the appropriate cautions. If, after the exorcism, the person remembers nothing, it is diabolical possession.

 

Diabolical oppression means that during the exorcism, there is some reaction of the patient with consciousness remaining, as well as some vague memory of words and actions. (80) Diabolical obsession includes uncontrollable evil thoughts that torment an individual, and the text gives advice as to how to rid one’s self of this. The areas men are attacked include health, affections, enjoyment of life, business, and the desire for death. (These five areas are also discussed in detail in the text.)

 

THE DEMON’S BEHAVIOR

 

It is most unpredictable and takes many different forms. (91) When the devil has a Biblical name (like Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Zebulun, Meridian, Asmodeus), we are dealing with heavyweights and therefore – tougher to defeat! When more than one devil is present, the chief is always the last to leave. High ranking demons (who do not lose their ranking when they were expelled,) then may say the name of God and Mary, “always followed by horrible blasphemies.” (94) One devil even admitted how much they all detest exorcisms with the following quote: “Do you think that I would leave if this were not worse than the suffering of hell?” Apparently, exorcism had become truly unbearable for him. (97)

 

The author ends this section with the following observation: the demon tries his best to hide his presence; this helps differentiate demonic possession from some form of psychological problem. In the latter instance, usually the patient does his best to attract attention. Conversely, the demon acts very carefully.

 

EFFECT OF EXORCISM

 

[A direct quote from the text: “The Ritual advises the exorcist to insist on the blessings that cause the demon to react: these change from person to person and from time to time. Some (demons) cannot stand being sprinkled with holy water; others become exasperated if we blow on them. (Tertullian CHURCH FATHER tells us that this practice has been used since the times of the Fathers.) Others cannot bear the smell of incense; therefore it is beneficial to use it. Still others experience pain when the organ plays and at the sound of sacred music and Gregorian chant. These are all helpful means whose efficacy I (author) have experienced firsthand.” (115) Demons who are not Biblical (as mentioned before,) also disclose their names as their function - i.e., names like “Destruction, Perdition, Ruin-or they indicated individual evils-Insomnia, Terror, Discord, Envy, Jealousy, Sloth.” When they leave the soul, they are destined to go to hell; at times they are freed in the desert (as in the book of Tobit where we see Asmodeus chained in the desert by the Archangel Raphael.) The author makes them go “at the foot of the Cross, to receive their sentence from Jesus Christ, who is the sole judge.” {{GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBAGE!}}

 

THE CURSE

 

Below are a list of what Scripture forbids, since it is a rejection of God and a turning toward Satan, as per page 130: (1) those who burn their son or daughter as an offering; (2) practitioners of divination, a soothsayer or an augur; (3) those that practice sorcery, or a charmer, or a medium or a wizard, or a necromancer, as per Dt. 18:10-12 & Lev 19:31 & Lev 20:27 & Ex 22:18. The punishment for these activities is DEATH! THE EVIL EYE & SPELLS are discussed in detail in the text, starting page 132.

 

MORE ON WITCHCRAFT

 

ADMONITION: There is an endless struggle against those who “ask to sift us!” (143) We have been advised by Jesus that we cannot serve two masters. Those who think they can manipulate matter are themselves being manipulated (as in any sort of magic-black or white.) Mediums invoke powerful spirits or the souls of the dead, “without realizing that they have given themselves body and soul to demonic powers.” (143) By entering the world of soothsayer, sorcerers, astrologers or fortunetellers of any kind, you remain a victim bound! (144) These types of activities lead to sin and spiritual death.

 

The author cites an example of how witch doctors get their powers: On the island of “Green Cape,” at one point of the ceremony, Satan himself will appear through a mirror and will give the witch doctor powers of destruction, malediction, foresight, bilocation, healing, and more…all for the purpose of obstructing God’s plan and to what he is able to offer Satan. (145)

 

In the Bible, the devil is seen in the form of a serpent; in mythology, this serpent is seen as knowledge. In Egypt, it is the sorceress Isis who knows the secrets of rocks, plants and animals, as well as illnesses and curses. She can reanimate the body of Osiris. (A further discussion on other types, such as Haitian voodoo, with the mixing of original African and imported South American magic, is discussed in the text on page 148.) Gypsies and fortune tellers use tarot cards, but the result is the same: knowing the future through crooked paths. {{I once had a vivid synchronicity that tends to back up this information being presented: it had to do with the admonition: DO NOT LOOK INTO STRANGE MIRRORS! When I reflected on the sync, (which happened as I was looking into a mirror where I thought I had seen and heard something flicker, at that exact second, from the TV, came this admonition; two weeks prior to this, I had done an experiment with a ‘psychomantium’ where I was attempting to look into “a strange mirror” (by putting two mirrors in front of this same TV,) to see strange things. Upon reflection, I did not think that this occurrence was a coincidence! In any event, I no longer consider these types of activites valid or worth pursuing, such as looking into crystal balls or playing around with ouija boards. I subsequently felt that this was a “HOLY SYNC” and alerting me as to how to avoid unwelcome spirits lurking about.

 

IN ANY EVENT, these remarks by the author seem somewhat justified, although I leave a ‘’margin of error’’ for holy people who have been so inspired by Holy Spirit, as to be able to offer good healing to the people without any Satanic influence (even though they may not be strictly orthodox Catholic; I am sure some of my readers could provide evidence to back this up…which would be in line with a remark of Jesus when questioned by his own disciples about why a man could heal, even though he was not part of the disciples’ band; Jesus replied: If he not be against you, he is with you! If we use this as a type of guide, we may not be too quick to condemn anyone who seems to have a gift that is not easily recognizable. Discernment, as well as looking for the root of the tree of the fruit has always been the final barometer in these matters, so what looks black – may be white, and visa versa! Part of the purpose of this very website is to try to ascertain these types of things, so Fr. Amorth’s candid & critical comments serve this purpose, (if only to get someone to think) and we should not be afraid of the truth, no matter where that truth may lead us!}}

 

Seances have always been condemned by the Church, since its purpose is to contact spirits, who according to the author, are always and only demons! (149) He adds, “We never learn anything useful by consulting Satan.”

 

It is truly impossible to evoke the dead…but the author cites the one Biblical exception to prove his point: In 1Sam 28:8, Sanuel was conjured up by a witch (of Endor) at the request of Saul. This happened, not only at the surprise of the witch, but the even harsher reproof of Samuel, who said: “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” (28:15) {{In my own Bible footnote, ‘’it was the power of God, not the power of the witch that brought forth Samuel to tell Saul what was to befall him for not heeding the words of God heretofore.’’}} The author goes on to quote a Protestant exorcist (Kenneth McFall,) and agrees with him in that we should not bother ourselves selfishly trying to bring back the dead to ask them questions. (Cf. text, page 150)

 

WHO CAN EXPEL DEMONS?

 

Jesus gave this power to all those who believe in him, and act in his name. Exorcists receive an additional power – by being assigned by their bishops, using formulas found in the aforementioned Ritual. These priests administer a sacramental, that unlike private prayer, involves the intersession of the Church. (153) Much faith, prayer and fasting are needed by both the exorcist and the participant. {{This is a very serious undertaking, and should not be done lightly.}}

 

The below is a direct quote from the text on page 155, so that the reader can see for him/herself just what the word charisms means: “ The Holy Spirit, with divine freedom gives his charisms however and to whomever he pleases. These are not given to the glory or benefit of the receiver but as a service to his brothers. Among these charisms is the power to be liberated from evil spirits and to heal from illnesses. These gifts can be given to individuals and also to communities. They are not tied to personal holiness but to the free choice of God. …How do we discern those who are real from impostors? The discernment belongs to the Church, which is entitled to use any and all tools she considers necessary for this discernment.”

 

The author suggests four guidelines for determining the presence of true charisms: (1) The individual or community lives the Gospel in a profound way. (2) The individual or community performs the services absolutely free-not even accepting donations, as through these it is easy to become wealthy. (3) The practices used must be common means to obtain grace approved by the Church, avoiding unusual or superstitious actions. (This includes praying in the name of Jesus.) (4) The fruits must be good…as in…”the tree is known by its fruit.” (Mt. 12:33) (155-156)

 

A note on seers and sensitives: Seers “see” and sensitives “feel.” The author believes that these can be true expressions (gifts) of the Holy Spirit, and on page 158 of this present text, he even endorses what he has seen from their presence at exorcisms as being “given by the spirit of knowledge.” {{This is quite a statement, after reviewing what he had to say about the many mediums, astrologers, sorcerers and other types, who themselves connect to things that cannot be ascertained by our normal senses. The author has no trouble believing these seers, because they seem to be able to detect the evil present in persons affected by demons…and the sensitives can do it by simply hearing one’s voice. So it seems that if a person serves the purpose of the exorcist, he or she is a good person with good spiritual gifts. I wonder if a psychic medium who sensed this same evil presence in a person would then be considered a “good psychic?!?” I must say: It makes me wonder out loud! If anyone reading this would like to comment on this, be my guest!}} Fr. Amorth ends this area by stating – that at times – the seers & sensitives can actually “point to the author of the evil influence.” (158) He does qualify his remarks by saying that the seers & sensitives he uses, have all been very prayerful individuals, rich in goodness and charity, and especially very humble. So the author believes that one can have paranormal gifts that can be used to serve others. He ends by adding that we need to be very careful in our assessments. (160)

 

This section ends with an interesting story about a gypsy: A doctor sees a gypsy who asks him for a dollar; he only has a ten dollar bill, so gives it to her. Because of his generosity, the gypsy tells him things about his health, and that he is a target of a fraud, both of which were true. Fr. Amorth states that this seems to show that gypsies do, indeed, have some form of paranormal powers…but he ends the chapter with a caution not to fall into the trap of looking for the shortcut (magic, which is of the devil,) in lieu of the tried and true method (as an exorcist should do as to following the sometimes tedious formula of the Ritual as discussed previously.) He says that Satan is always there, shrewdly trying to offer us the things of this world, if we fall down and adore him. So the inference of the story of the gypsy (I presumed) was one of those little baits of Satan that could lead one (like the unsuspecting doctor) into the rabbit hole of black or white magic, i.e., a shortcut into the world of Satan and his many myriad traps. (162-163) {{I know from my own experience that things of the paranormal do happen; I have witnessed such things. I do believe that Fr. Amorth’s words of caution are not an exaggeration, just as I had recounted in the story of the synchronism: DO NOT LOOK INTO STRANGE MIRRORS, since you never know what may be lurking on the other side of the mirror!}}

 

THE “CINDERELLA” OF THE RITUAL

 

In this section, Fr. Amorth is critical of certain theologians who wish to dismiss the phenomenon of possession, and substitute it with the idea that the patients are suffering from nothing more than “nervous disorders.” He cites a Luigi Sartori as just one example of this attitude. (166) He says that the Bible always distinguishes between the healings of people with diseases and liberations from demons. In contradistinction to Sartori’s remarks, he firmly states that Jesus’s powers were not from sorcery, but from God! (167) He also charges Luigi Lorenzetti with being totally off the mark by suggesting that exorcists are irrelevant; rather Luigi is irrelevant, since he never bothered to have experience with what goes on during true exorcisms. (167) Fr. Amorth says that today “we have lost the school” since there is not enough care taken in an exorcist training his replacement, and therefore, exorcists are unaware of the most elementary procedures. Fr. Gabriele then admitted that he had done over 30,000 exorcisms over nine years, and found that 93 of the people were possessed! (169) He cites the case of a German girl (Annelise Michel,) which subsequently became a book by the same title, by Kasper Bullinger, that exonerated a bishop and two priests for doing a legitimate exorcism on this poor girl, who subsequently died…but her death was not due to the activity of the exorcism, and showed that she was really possessed; however, this case also “contributed to the reluctance of priests to accept appointments as exorcists.” (170) {{The reader may recall that a movie was recently made of this event, called, THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, and, if accurate in its presentation of the real Annelise - was a profound demonstration of how the Blessed Lady asked for and got permission from Emily (Annelise) to use her to show the world that demonic possession is a reality! THE BOTTOM LINE: Emily was a saint for mankind, and offered her body as living proof of the reality of Satan! A MOST POWERFUL MOVIE BASED ON REALITY!}} Sadly, Fr. Amorth cites other examples from Europe & the United States, that seem to downplay the reality of demonic possession…{{so it seems the devil may be winning the war of deception on many levels as to his active participation in the testing of our very souls.}}

 

In the first “Appendices” Fr. Amorth makes a very strong statement about this subject. On page 179, he states:

 

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 Jn 3:8) By taking away the existence of the devil, we destroy redemption; he who does not believe in demons does not believe in the Gospel. {{My emphasis!}}

 

In a further appendix, the author admonishes amateurs from attacking the devil; he cites Acts 19: 11-20 as the reason why, since the evil spirit overpowered and wounded those (without the proper authority) to act in the name of Jesus to cast out devils.

 

In the CONCLUSION, Fr. Amorth prays for Catholic bishops who are obligated “to take on the responsibility of all who suffer because of the devil; may they respond to the need, in accordance with the law and tradition of the Church.” (196)

 

FINAL COMMENT: Why would I promote the thoughts of a Roman Catholic priest, who castigates some of the cherished things I believe in? SIMPLE: I also agree with Fr. Amorth that the devil is alive and well and flourishing amidst the ignorance of the people, helped in no small part by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church; also, as I mentioned on the home page of this very website, “that we must learn to throw away (only the bone) while savoring the meat of what is presented to us”…and dissecting the demons is heap big meat to digest, as Richard had pointed out in “THE BITE OF THE SERPENT” series! This book, and my report on it, may rub certain people the wrong way. I am sorry, but that’s the way it is!

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