Topics

Dispatch from the Spiritual Battlefront

Christopher Beiting

Diary of an American Exorcist portrays demons as they are: spiteful, proud, vicious, sadistic, impulsive, delusional, and hate-filled.

A Clear Vision of the Reality of Supernatural Evil

Christopher Beiting

Jesse Romero describes his encounters with the supernatural and aims to convince readers of the terrifying power of Satan.

Diagnosing the Spectrum of Diabolic Attacks

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD GALLAGHER, M.D.

Michael S. Rose

Cases of demonic oppression and possession serve as cautionary tales to anyone who takes the Catholic faith seriously.

The Presence of the Chaotic One in Times of Disorder

Gerard T. Mundy

God equipped man with the ability to see and understand the Devil based on his effects in the material world and through his material manifestations.

Screwtape 2020

GUEST COLUMN

Michael Thomas Cibenko

The devil sees shepherds "withholding essential nourishment" from their flocks as "a delightful thing to behold."

“Young Goodman Brown.” By Nathaniel Hawthorne.

LITERATURE MATTERS

Michael S. Rose

Brown believes he can dabble with the Devil just this once and then return to Faith spiritually unscathed and continue his earthly pilgrimage to Heaven.

“William Wilson.” By Edgar Allan Poe.

LITERATURE MATTERS

Michael S. Rose

Poe uses the doppelgänger motif as a physical manifestation of Wilson’s conscience and ultimately shows the demise of a man who, blinded by his sins, kills his own conscience.

Dracula. By Bram Stoker.

LITERATURE MATTERS

Michael S. Rose

For the original vampire slayers, most of them nominal Anglicans, the efficacy of Catholic sacramentals and the Sacrament quickly becomes apparent.

On the Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus. By Christopher Marlowe.

LITERATURE MATTERS

Michael S. Rose

Once Faustus takes possession of Mephistophilis as his servant, it becomes apparent that the Devil isn’t so much serving as manipulating him.

True & False Possessions, Revisited

IN A STRANGE & CONFUSING REALM

Richard E. Gallagher

A number of medical conditions over the centuries have been confused with demonic assaults, but the Church has not ceased to recognize the exceptions.

Devil or Disease?

Stephen J. Kovacs

Do we have a means by which to judge between true and false possession? Dr. Jean Lhermitte says yes, we do, to an extent.

Discerning the Spirits of Deception

The presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church has difficulty distinguishing the work of the Lord from that of the spirits of deception.

Temptation

WHAT IS IT & HOW TO OVERCOME IT

Paul Kokoski

God does not tempt us directly but allows us to be tempted while providing us with all the graces necessary to resist evil.

Soldiers for the Battle

Only a tiny number of American priests are trained in the rite of exorcism, and these few have been overwhelmed by requests to evaluate claims of possession.

An Army of Locusts Arises From the Smoke

GUEST COLUMN

Anne Barbeau Gardiner

Abraham Woodhead interpreted Apocalypse 9 as predicting a sudden invasion of Christendom by a horde of violent and unnaturally lustful insects.

The Devil Laughs When Children Die

An incident in Italy this past April offered appropriable insight into the profit-driven abortion industry's largely hidden dark aspects.

The Demon of Child Sacrifice & the Valley of Slaughter

LIBERA NOS A MALO

Thomas J. Euteneuer

The spiritual dimension of the abortion business is its systematizing of ritual blood sacrifice to the god of child murder who, in the Old Testament, is called Moloch.

The Smoke of Satan in the Vatican?

Fr. Gabriel Amorth's recent declaration that Satan is alive and well in the heart of the Vatican itself has to rank as the exorcist's most provocative revelation to date.

Seven Degrees of Demonic Persecution

LIBERA NOS A MALO

Thomas J. Euteneuer

The Church has one weapon that the Devil will never — under any circumstances — be able to imitate: the charity of Christ.

The New Rite of Exorcism: A Potent Weapon Is Weakened

LIBERA NOS A MALO

Thomas J. Euteneuer

The 1614 ritual is about freeing those obsessed by demons; the 1999 revision is about prayers and supplications.

The Spiritual Toll of Pervasive Occultism

LIBERA NOS A MALO

Thomas J. Euteneuer

The problem of demonic infestation is "legion" in our culture, and priests need to respond to it with the love of Christ and the authority of the Church militant.

My (Somewhat Crooked) Path to the Monastery

CALL OF THE WILD

Abbot Joseph

The Holy Spirit was urging me to take up my cross and follow Jesus into this blessed wilderness where alone I would find my salvation.

The Church's Warfare of Exorcism

LIBERA NOS A MALO

Thomas J. Euteneuer

No priest ever has to fear losing this battle as long as he stays safely behind the protective shield of the Church.

Deliver Us From Evil

EDITORIAL

The culture around us urges us to lay down our spiritual weapons and go shopping or watch television. Meanwhile, the devil does not rest.

The Nature of Satan & the Church's War Against Him

LIBERA NOS A MALO

Thomas J. Euteneuer

In practical terms, holiness means simply staying in the state of grace and doing everything we can to evangelize our wicked culture with the sanctity of Christ and His Church.

Why Is There Evil in the World?

IF GOD IS ALL GOOD...

Arthur C. Sippo

Our suffering in this world is a sign of God’s grace, whereas the flourishing of worldly people is a sign of their impending doom.

Exorcisms in the Modern World

Arthur C. Sippo

Bizarre elements in cases of demonic possession are evidence of supernatural activity, but mostly these elements are subtle and disturbing rather than melodramatic.

Father Corapi Speaks

The apostolic preacher discusses his return to the faith from the grips of the Devil, the challenges facing the Church today, and more.

The Primeval Struggle

GUEST COLUMN

Terence J. Hughes

The forces that promote the Culture of Death have chosen their reward: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven!"

Perfect Possession

REBELS AGAINST THE LIGHT

Maria Hsia Chang

Some individuals freely give themselves to evil. Notice that Our Lord did not exorcise Judas, nor did St. Peter exorcise Ananias, nor St. Paul Elymas.

An Exorcism Available to Everyone

The "most efficacious exorcism," asserts Fr. Fanzaga, "is mortification" -- the subduing of the lusts of the flesh through ascetic practices such as fasting.

Peering Into the Abyss

EVIL TO HIM WHO THINKS EVIL

Maria Hsia Chang

Evil's baneful effects may be likened to the invisible, odorless, and deadly radiation emitted by uranium.

A Case of Demonic Possession

AMONG THE MANY COUNTERFEITS

Richard E. Gallagher

Psychiatrists as a group are generally not very open to, or knowledgeable about, the distinct possibility of demonic possession.

Your Final Destination

CHOOSE YOUR GATE

Abbot Joseph

In our "fallen" world it is often easier to commit sin than to practice virtue, and self-indulgence is more attractive than self-denial.

The Bileworm Memorandum

SIX STRATEGIES FOR SATANIC SOVEREIGNTY

Eugene Hoyas

The devil shares his business plan to destroy "orthodox fools" through schism, revolution, division, and other tactics.

The Dark Side of Self-Sacrifice

GUEST COLUMN

Eric J. Scheske

All traits, even virtuous traits, can be twisted to do the Devil's work. The dark side can be seen clearly in the celebrated Friedrich Nietzsche.

Why Evil? Why Anything At All?

Brendan Sweetman

If we have strong reasons to believe that a good God exists, then we can conclude that God must have a good reason for allowing evil.

Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare

BEATING A DEMON

Bobby Jindal

My friends both left their leadership roles as presidents of UCF and Campus Cru­sade for Christ to be confirmed in the Catholic Church.

Evil, Ordinary & Extraordinary

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

William J. O'Malley

The question of moral evil is not "Why would a good God…" but why would human beings degrade one another and themselves.

The Screwtape Letters, 1985

HOW TO UNDERMINE THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

John Mallon

Wormwood’s younger cousin, Lackluster, has received an unprecedented appointment for so young a demon.

Bad Things & Good People

CHRIST & NEIGHBOR

John C. Cort

Many cannot bring themselves to believe in Hell, which Christ tells us repeatedly (40 times) is an essential part of his religion.

The Jesus Therapy

HEALING MENTAL ILLNESS

Barbara Nauer

The single impediment to making Jesus Christ’s methods effective is the same one that sometimes neutralized them in his own day — lack of faith.