(LifeSiteNews) — Father Gabriele Amorth is likely one of the most famous and important exorcists of the past century, possibly in the past half millennium. His work in liberation ministry has impacted exorcists and exorcism the world over.
On this episode of The John-Henry Westen Show, I am once again joined by Father Carlos Martins, a priest, exorcist, host of “The Exorcist Files” podcast, and missionary, to discuss a new book on Amorth put out by TAN Books called Father Gabriel Amorth: The Official Biography of the Pope’s Exorcist by Domenico Assago.
According to Martins, the need for a book on Amorth presented itself after “The Pope’s Exorcist,” a film about Amorth starring Russell Crowe, was released in April. Martins maintains that the film “is not true to life in any way,” adding that “Father Amorth would have been repulsed that … he was being exploited to portray such a message, which was the antithesis of what he spent his life doing.”
“As a result [of the film], it became necessary to clear the air and clarify not just the Church’s teaching on exorcism, but the name of this great, saintly priest, Father Gabriel Amorth, who … spent decades combating evil and educating on evil in a way that no other exorcist had ever done before his time,” Martin tells me.
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Martins also gives a brief catechesis on exorcism, explaining that the role of an exorcist is to establish why the devil is attacking the possessed in order to liberate him, rather than merely cast out the devil. “[Exorcism is] a battle in the sense that the exorcist is trying to get access to the victim, to the human being whose consciousness is suppressed, and getting the human being to reverse decisions that were made that got him or her ensnared in … possession,” Martin says.
“An exorcist is an expert in relationship, and he … needs to get the victim to abandon one relationship in favor of another,” he continues. “That is what exorcism is. There has to be a replacing of a relationship. It’s not just denying the devil; it’s filling in the space the devil has occupied with Jesus Christ.”
Martins also connects exorcism with the greater spiritual combat, emphasizing that all are already embroiled in the spiritual combat. He also maintains that while there should be a healthy fear of the devil and demons, it should have its limit. “It’s a detriment to our very selves to be afraid of the devil in such a way that we never want to encounter him or engage him on a spiritual level,” Martins explains.
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“So it’s good and healthy to engage in proper spiritual warfare. And so that means when we encounter something evil, we pray, ‘Lord, limit the power of the evil one here.’ We educate and teach people on the devil. We have to do this. Even at the risk of sounding like we believe in something make-believe, from a bygone age.”
Martins also dispels the notion that spectacular things such as levitations occur frequently in deliverance ministry. According to Martins, while it is to be expected that the devil will use “parlor tricks” during the early part of an exorcist’s “career,” the exorcist will get used to such preternatural phenomena, and the devil will shift his focus on resisting the exorcist over scaring him away.
Martins further touches upon why God allows for possessions to take place, responding with the classical theological argument that God allows evil to take place because He knows He can use it for a greater good.
“The devil has a place in God’s plan, and God is using him, even though the devil, who, because of his tremendous angelic intellect … should know better, and in fact does see that,” Martins says, adding that in spite of this knowledge, the devil continues to resist God. Referencing St. Thomas Aquinas, Martins tells me: “There is a mystery to evil. In the end, there’s something so irrational about it that the mind simply cannot penetrate it enough to understand it.”
Returning to the book later in the episode, Martins tells me about how Amorth was instructed on how to perform exorcisms by a Passionist priest Father Candido Almonte, whose cause for canonization is open.
Offering remarks on the book, Martins says, “What I found especially good in this book is how Father Amorth talks about what he was taught, what he was told to zero in on, what he was told to avoid. And so I had never encountered another resource where he’s being given the lessons against the demonic. And there are lessons that are worthwhile for all of us.”
For more from Father Carlos Martins, tune in to this fascinating episode of The John-Henry Westen Show.
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