An Exorcist Tells His Story

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View books by Gabriele Amorth.

An eccentric little book - Rated
Fr Benedict Groeschel hits the nail on the head in his introduction when he says that Fr Amorth speaks of "a world that vacillates between severe rationalism and wild speculation." Inconsistency, a certain wildness and an unintended humour must also be added to the list:

"It is often said that the cat is an animal who "absorbs spirits" and that evil spirits assume the resemblance of a cat to go undetected. For certain warlocks and some forms of magic the use of cats is fundamental. I want to make it clear that this is not the fault of this charming house pet." (page 127) I admit that this last sentence made me laugh aloud.

He also gives useful plumbing advice: "Nothing must be thrown into the toilet or sink; when this happens, often the entire hourse is flooded or every drain becomes plugged" (page 135)

For an example of wild speculation, see pages 160 and 161 on sorcerors: "I will mention again that healings can occur through demonic intervention possibly under the guise of extraterresterial beings or guiding souls"

Nonetheless, notwithstanding these faults, Fr Amorth's testimonies are in line with the Word of God and sacred tradition. We would be foolish to ignore his warnings concerning the real activity of fallen angels in the life of the world; until the end of time, Satan remains the Prince of this World. Only blindness can prevent us from seeing this fact.

I would recommend his second book; it has more balance and less wildness. I would also recommend "The star of Satan", a dark novel by George Bernanos (cited by Paul VI in his famous 1972 allocutio on the existence of a personified evil)and noted in Amorth's second book. Note that it is not in print and thus a second hand copy will need to be obtained.

A stark reminder of the activities of the evil one - Rated
A book which challenges those today, even in the church, that view the need for exorcism as redundant in the face of modern day science. Here a faithful priest imparts an earnest desire to renew the school of the exorcist in each diocese throughout the world. You will be shocked, surprised and maybe even empathise with his accounts following many years as an exorcist. If you are a Catholic priest this book will assist discernement. If you have lost belief in the work of the evil one then be renewed and be challenged. Written in the early 1990's it paints a sad picture of the devils ability to encourage catholics, including many if not most of the hierarchy, in westernised countries to deny his existence.

Divine Combat - A warrior reports from the front-line. - Rated
Extract 1: One day Father Candido ( the author's teacher ) asked a (possessed) thirteen-year-old girl, "Two enemies, who hated each other all their lives, hated each other to death, and both ended up in hell. What is the relationship that they will share now, since they will be with each other for all eternity?" And this was the answer: "How stupid you are! Down there everyone lives folded within himself and torn apart by his regrets. There is no relationship with anyone; everyone finds himself in the most profound solitude and desperately weeps for the evil that he has committed. It is like a cemetery."

Extract 2: At the end of the most difficult exorcisms, when I am confronted with total demonic possession, I pray the christological hymn of the Letter of Paul to the Philippians (2:6-1 I). When I speak the words "so that all beings in the heavens, on earth, and in the underworld should bend the knee at the name of Jesus", I kneel, everyone present kneels, and always the one possessed by the demons is also compelled to kneel. It is a moving and powerful moment. I always feel that all the legions of the angels are surrounding us, kneeling at the name of Jesus.

The above two extracts give a sense of Fr. Amorth's book. He comes across as a saintly man who, unlike many other priests, has no fear of evil, and sees exorcism as part of his ministry, just as hearing confession, saying masses, etc. He points out that today the Protestant churches, particularly the Pentecostals, have taken the lead in casting out evil spirits ( demons ) - the Catholic hierarchy & theologians tending to deny their existence .

My only wish is for more of the above anecdotes - actual encounters with evil forces, instead of the very extensive background on the current "state of play" in the Church, coverage of spells, curses, witchcraft etc. Fr. Amorth states that his own faith has been immesurably deepened by these living encounters, despite his initial sense of inadequacy, and I feel that they are indeed the most inspiring parts of his book.

Perhaps he will write a follow-up, to include more of this "divine combat".

Where has REAL faith gone - Rated
Excellent book that expressed many of my own thoughts in words.A great faith builder.It is not dramatic but deals with the very real problem of evil in the world and peoples lack of belief in it. I read recently a quote from another Jesuit who had said that the greatest act that the devil has ever been able to do is convince the world that he does not exist! This book is exactly on this very point.

Fr Amorth has true and real faith. This book should be read by all Christian clergy and all lay people of sound mind.

Forget William Peter Blatty - Rated
Never mind THE EXORCIST. Fr. Amorth give us a disturbing glimpse at the real nature of demonic possession. While this book will probably never be the subject of a Hollywood film maker, it nonetheless provides the reader with a few shudders and jumpy nerves. Amorth probes an area of Church teaching that is largely ignored. Your parish priest probably won't base his Sunday homily on this book! For the benefit of anyone interested in the less well known areas of Catholic life & faith, check out Fr. John Harvey's books dealing with homosexuality, and Eugenio Zolli's Before The Dawn (also called Why I Became A Catholic), an unusual conversion story.