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You write about evil,
demons, and deliverance prayer on your website, so how can it be determined if someone is
actually possessed? Also, if someone is possessed, is that person morally culpable for sins
committed?
 he only way to tell conclusively if someone is
possessed is for a priest exorcist to pray over the person. If there are manifestations, then
possession can be certain. These manifestations can range from common behaviors of possession,
such as glaring hatred in the eyes, coughing, screaming, kicking, and vomiting, all the way to
extreme behaviors, such as levitations, superhuman strength, or a demon speaking through the
person.
If there are no manifestations in response to the
prayers, then all that can be said is that the person currently shows no signs of
possession.
But, because demons can hide themselves silently
from outward
detection,[1] it
is impossible to say conclusively that any person is not possessed.
Deliverance Prayer
If a person complains of troubling spiritual
symptoms, such as repeated sins despite repeated confessions,
two options should be considered. First, a
Catholic psychologist can be consulted to find
and resolve the unconscious conflicts behind the symptoms; if the symptoms persist despite
psychological treatment, then a priest exorcist should be consulted. Or, a priest exorcist
could be consulted directly if no Catholic psychologist is immediately available. In either
case, if the priest exorcist finds that no signs of possession are apparent, then
deliverance prayer should be pursued.
Furthermore, even if a priest exorcist is not
available for consultation, any priest should pursue deliverance prayer in an attempt to
help alleviate such troubling symptoms. If deliverance prayer alone does not provide relief,
and if consultation with a Catholic psychologist has not been possible or has not been able
to provide relief, then possession can be suspected and an exorcist should be
consulted.
Moral Culpability
When a person commits a sin because a possessing
demon controls him or her, then he or she is not morally culpable for the sin. But a demon can
“possess” a person as an internal parasite that only tempts, but does not control that person;
demons can also oppress a person externally without actually possessing that person
internally. In those cases, such a person would be morally culpable for any sins committed as
a result of not resisting the demonic influence.
Granted, resisting demonic influence can be very
difficult, and that is why deliverance prayer is a necessary, and even compassionate,
recourse to be provided to that person. Still, all the sins committed under moral culpability
must be repented and confessed, and sincere penance undertaken, with the ultimate goal of
stopping the repetition of the sins and living a
holy lifestyle.
Notes
1. These are called abditi or “hidden demons.”
See Interview With An Exorcist, p. 78.
Healing
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Falling
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Disasters
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Psychology
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Psychological Healing
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True Christian
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How to Turn the
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The Psychological
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The Struggle for
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Collected Texts
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