Stories of Father Gabriel Amorth’s recent disclosure of Satanism in the Vatican have created quite a buzz of late but, it seems this is something he
has been speaking out about for quite some time.
The following are some excerpts of an interview Father Gabriel Amorth did in 2000 in response to changes the Vatican made to the rite of exorcism.
In the article he discusses how the Vatican made changes to the rite without consulting even one practicing exorcist! He states that, even though a
group of exorcists attempted to add their input to the proposed changes, they were ignored and derided by those who had drafted the changes.
30 Days
30 Days: But wasn't the New Ritual put together by specialists?
Fr. Amorth: Not at all! During these last ten years, two commissions worked on the Ritual; one which was made up of cardinals and which was
responsible for the Praenotanda, that is to say the initial provisions, and the other which was responsible for the prayers. I can affirm with
certainty that none of the members of these commissions had ever performed an exorcism, had ever been present at an exorcism and ever possessed the
slightest idea of what an exorcism is. Here lies the error, the original sin of this Ritual. Not one of those who collaborated on it was an exorcism
specialist.
30 Days: How is that possible?
Fr. Amorth: It is not me you should be asking. At the Vatican II Ecumenical Council, each commission was aided by a group of experts who
assisted the bishops in their work. And this custom was kept up after the Council, every time that parts of the Ritual were redrafted. But not this
time. And yet, if there were ever a subject that demanded the participation of specialists, it was truly this.
30 Days: And yet?
Fr. Amorth: And yet we exorcists were never consulted. And what is more, any suggestions that we were able to make were unfavorably received by
the commissions.
30 Days: Does this mean then that, for you, the New Rite is unusable in the struggle against the demon?
Fr. Amorth: Yes. They were looking to give us a blunt weapon. Efficacious prayers, prayers that had been in existence for twelve centuries,
were suppressed and replaced by new ineffective prayers.
Fr. Amorth goes on to discuss how exorcists are treated as though they are crazy fanatics by the very bishops who appoint them. He tells a story about
how a group of 150 exorcists traveled to the Vatican in the hopes of discussing the new rite with Pope John Paul II but, were denied even a public
audience with the Pope. Father Amorth suggested an interesting reason for why this large contingent of exorcists was forbidden to meet with the
Pope.
Fr. Amorth: The smoke of Satan has entered everywhere. Everywhere! Perhaps we were excluded from the audience with the Pope because they were
afraid that such a large number of exorcists might succeed in chasing out the legions of demons that have installed themselves in the Vatican.
He then goes on to talk about how the greatest success of Satan is convincing people that he does not exist, how this has resulted in the poor
treatment of exorcists in the Church. He states that because of this, there are entire episcopates that are hostile to exorcisms. There are countries
in which there is not a single exorcist, as for example Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.
Amorth states that one who no longer believes in Satan does not retain the faith and is no longer Catholic. This was affirmed to him when Pope John
Paul II stated “He who does not believe in the devil does not believe in the Gospel."
30 Days: Explain to me if you would: does this mean that there are many bishops and priests who are no longer Catholic?
Fr. Amorth: Let us say that they do not believe in a Gospel truth. Therefore, I would possibly accuse them of propagating a heresy. But let us
understand: someone is only formally heretical if he is accused of committing an error and he persists in it. But because of the situation in the
Church today, no one would ever accuse a bishop of not believing in the devil or in demonic possession and of not appointing exorcists because he has
no belief in these things. I could mention a great number of bishops and cardinals who, as soon as they had been appointed to a diocese, withdrew from
all exorcists the faculty of exercising their powers.
Finally Fr. Amorth discusses black magic and ways in which one comes under the influence of the devil.
Fr. Amorth: There is no difference between white magic and black magic. When magic works, it is always the work of the demon. Every form of
occultism, like this widespread resort to the religions of the East with their esoteric suggestions, are open gateways to the demon. And the devil
enters. At once.
30 Days: How does the demon set about seducing people?
Fr. Amorth: His strategy is always along the same lines. I have told him this and he admits it.. He makes people believe that hell does not
exist, that sin does not exist, and that he is nothing but one more experience to try out. Concupiscence, success and power are the three great
passions on which Satan relies.
30 Days: How does one become a victim of the demon?
Fr. Amorth: One can be subjected to the attacks of the demon in four cases. Either because it constitutes a blessing for the person and such is
the case with many of the saints, or because of irreversible persistence in sin, or because one is the victim of a curse uttered in the name of the
demon, or else when one gives oneself up to practices of occultism.
30 Days: Has the devil ever harmed you personally?
Fr. Amorth: When Cardinal Poletti asked me to take on this role of exorcist, I recommended myself to the Virgin: "Envelop me in Thy mantle and
I will be in total security." The demon has often threatened me, but he has never harmed me.
30 Days: Don't you ever feel afraid of the demon?
Fr. Amorth: Me, for that animal? It is he who should be afraid of me; I act in the name of the Lord of the world. But as for him, he is nothing
but God's monkey.
Read more: 30 Days
[edit on 3/17/10 by FortAnthem]