Father Gabriele Amorth, who served as the Vatican’s exorcist for decades, boldly exposes the challenges of the ministry of exorcism in a world where satanism is on the rise and faith is in decline. In this interview, he addresses the marginalization of exorcists, the shortcomings of the new ritual, the strategies of the devil, and the urgent need to restore the spiritual battle within the Church.
The New Ritual of Exorcisms: Criticism from Father Gabriele Amorth
Father Amorth, the Italian translation of the new ritual for exorcists has finally been published. What are your thoughts on it?
— Yes, it is now ready. However, the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) refused to approve it last year due to errors in translating the text from Latin to Italian.
We exorcists, who are directly involved in its use, took advantage of this situation to once again express our dissatisfaction with several aspects of the new Ritual. While the Latin text has remained unchanged, the content of the document has become a veritable farce. This ritual poses a monumental obstacle that could hinder our work against the devil.
A bold statement. What exactly do you mean?
I will mention only two examples, and both are alarming. Point 15 addresses curses and how to confront them. A curse involves harm inflicted on a person through the intervention of the devil, which can be achieved through spells, hexes, the evil eye, voodoo, or macumba.
The old Roman Ritual clearly outlined how to proceed in such cases. However, the new text categorically forbids performing exorcisms related to curses. This is utterly nonsensical, as such practices account for at least 90% of the cases of demonic possession or affliction.
Telling exorcists that we cannot intervene is equivalent to barring us from carrying out our mission. Furthermore, Point 16 stipulates that exorcisms should not be performed unless there is certainty of the presence of the devil. This demonstrates a clear lack of competence:
“The certainty of the devil’s presence in a person can only be obtained through the exorcism itself.”
Even more troubling, both points contradict the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which emphasizes the necessity of exorcisms in cases of possession as well as in situations involving demonic influences. Additionally, the Catechism states that these rites should be applied not only to individuals but also to objects affected by the influence of the evil one.
The provisions in the new ritual reflect a mix of ignorance and inexperience, with highly detrimental consequences.
Wasn’t the Ritual supposed to be created by experts?
Not at all! Over the past ten years, two commissions worked on this project: one composed of cardinals who drafted the preliminary provisions (Prenotanda) and another responsible for the prayers. However, I can state with absolute certainty that none of the members of these commissions had ever performed an exorcism, witnessed one, or even understood what the practice entails. This is the fundamental flaw of this ritual: it was designed without the involvement of experts in exorcisms.
How could such a thing happen?
You would have to ask others. During the Second Vatican Council, it was common for commissions to have the support of specialists to guide the bishops. This practice continued in the revision of other parts of the Roman Ritual, but inexplicably, it was not applied in this case. It is incomprehensible, as this was undoubtedly a subject that required specialized expertise.
What happened then?
We exorcists were never consulted. Even our suggestions were scornfully ignored. The entire process was marked by a profound disregard for our experience.
For instance, in June 1990, a provisional Ritual was published completely without our knowledge, and we were not even informed during its preparation. Despite this, we organized ourselves to provide recommendations, as the text was supposed to be for our use.
I gathered a group of 18 internationally renowned exorcists to thoroughly analyze the document. While we recognized that the first section—focused on the evangelical and theological foundations of exorcism—was well-written, the practical portion revealed a total lack of understanding of the subject.
We prepared a detailed report with observations, article by article, and submitted it to the relevant Congregations and Episcopal Conferences. We even delivered a copy directly to the Pope.
How was your proposal received?
Terribly. The Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship claimed that only bishops—not priests or exorcists—should be consulted on this matter. He also insinuated that we were orchestrating a campaign against the new Ritual, which is slanderous. Our intention was to contribute constructively, but we were met with a wall of rejection and ridicule.
Is the new Ritual ineffective in the fight against the devil?
Undoubtedly. Prayers that had proven effective for over twelve centuries were removed and replaced with useless ones. However, at the last moment, a small glimmer of hope was given to us.
What do you mean?
Cardinal Jorge Medina, then Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, added a notification allowing exorcists to use the previous ritual, provided they obtain permission from their bishops, who must then seek authorization from the Congregation. According to the cardinal, this authorization would be granted “gladly.”
Why such an unusual gesture?
It was a desperate attempt by Cardinal Medina and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to mitigate the grave errors in the new Ritual. While they were unable to incorporate these provisions directly into the document, the notification became a lifeline for those of us who confront the devil daily […]
