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The original exorcism which was the inspiration for the movie "The Exorcist" is detailed in the book, Possessed, by Thomas B. Allen. The following article by Fr. William Saunders discussing this exorcism and the dangers of the ouija board appeared in the November 9, 2000 issue of the Catholic Herald:
Last week, "Straight Answers" addressed the issues of diabolical possession and exorcism. Concerning both the book and the movie versions, The Exorcist was based on a true account of diabolical possession. One must remember that the book and especially the movie have certain sensational, "Hollywoodesque" elements which are purely fictional.
The true story began in January 1949 and involved a 13-year-old boy named Robbie who lived with his parents and grandmother in Mt. Rainier, Md. (Some sources indicate that the family actually lived in nearby Cottage City; possibly, authorities wanted to keep that actual place secret to protect the boy.) Robbie was very close to his aunt who visited the family frequently from St. Louis, Mo. She was a medium and attempted to communicate with the spirit world. Not only did she spark Robbie's interest in this practice, she also taught him how to use the Ouija board.
Strange phenomena began happening on Jan. 10, 1949. The family heard scratching on the walls; however, exterminators found no evidence of pests of any kind. Objects moved by themselves: a table would turn over, a chair would move across the room, a vase would fly through the air and a picture of Christ would shake. At night, Robbie felt scratching in his bed, and he suffered nightmares frequently.
After the aunt died suddenly on Jan. 26, Robbie continued to use the Ouija board to communicate with her and others. The strange phenomena also continued. Moreover, Robbie's disposition changed — he become unsettled, agitated and angry.
In February, his parents took Robbie to visit their Lutheran minister, Rev. Schulze. Being interested in parapsychology, he thought perhaps a poltergeist was tormenting the family. Pastor Schulze allowed Robbie to move into his house for observation for a couple of days. The minister witnessed chairs and other objects moving by themselves. After he saw the bed shake, he moved the mattress to the floor, where it glided along by itself. Pastor Schulze became suspicious of the presence of evil.
Upon Pastor Schulze's recommendation, the family took Robbie to the Mental Hygiene Clinic of the University of Maryland for testing. After two rounds of testing, nothing abnormal was discovered. Pastor Schulze then advised the family to contact the local Catholic priest.
Robbie and his parents visited Father Hughes of St. James Catholic Church in Mt. Rainier. While interviewing Robbie, Father Hughes saw the telephone and other objects in his office move by themselves. Robbie also cast obscene and blasphemous remarks at him in a strange, diabolical voice. The room became eerily frigid. Father Hughes was convinced that Robbie was possessed. After reviewing the facts of the case and the medical evidence, Cardinal O'Boyle authorized an exorcism.
Robbie was admitted to Georgetown Hospital, where Father Hughes began the ritual of exorcism. The boy became violent, with spitting and projectile vomiting. He cast obscenities and blasphemies at Father Hughes. Although restrained to the bed, Robbie broke loose and wrenched out a metal spring with which he slashed Father Hughes from his left shoulder to wrist. The wound required over 100 stitches to close it. Robbie seemed calm after this attack, not remembering the ordeal. He was then released and sent home.
The strange phenomena soon resumed at their home. One night, when Robbie was changing for bed, he screamed. A bloody word had been scratched on his chest, Louis. His mother asked if this meant, "St. Louis," and another bloody word appeared, yes.
Almost immediately, the family journeyed to visit their cousin in St. Louis. The same strange phenomena began to happen. The cousin, a student at St. Louis University, talked with one of her priest professors, Father Bishop, S.J., about the situation. Father Bishop then contacted one of his close friends, Father Bowdern, S.J., pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church.
The two priests and a young Jesuit scholastic went to interview Robbie on March 9, 1949. They noticed bloody zig-zig scratches on his chest. They heard scraping sounds. They saw a large bookcase move and turn around by itself and a stool move across the floor. Robbie's bed would shake as he lay on it. He hurled obscenities and blasphemies at them. The priests knew they were confronting evil.
They petitioned Cardinal Ritter for permission to perform an exorcism. After reviewing all of the evidence including medical and psychiatric exams, he granted permission on March 16.
As the priests began the Rite of Exorcism, Robbie became violent. He made howling and growling noises. The bed shook up and down. On his chest appeared bloody scratches with the words hell and devil, and even an image of Satan. Robbie spit at the priests as he hurled obscenities and blasphemies, with intermittent fiendish laughter.
For his own safety and for the family's welfare, Robbie was then transferred to the Alexian Brothers Hospital and placed in the psychiatric ward. Father Bowdern continued to perform the exorcism. With the family's consent, Robbie was baptized a Catholic. When Father Bowdern tried to give him First Holy Communion, Robbie five times spit out the Sacred Host; they then paused to say the Rosary, and Robbie finally received the Holy Eucharist.
On April 18, Easter Monday, the exorcism came to a climax. As Father Bowdern continued the ritual, the demon recognized the presence of St. Michael the Archangel, and was expelled from Robbie. A sound like a gunshot was heard throughout the hospital. After this whole ordeal, Robbie remembered nothing of the diabolical phenomena, except the vision of St. Michael. Interestingly, The Washington Post ran a front-page story on August 20, 1949 entitled, "Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil's Grip."
Certainly, this story is frightening, but is nevertheless true. Keep in mind also that no matter what sensational effects Hollywood may have added to the real movie, they cannot compare in horror to the actual presence of evil displayed in diabolical possession.
So to answer the reader's original questions, yes, the devil really can possess someone, and yes, the Church really does exorcisms. Be on guard! Stay away from anything dealing with the occult, including Ouija boards. Use the weapons of the holy arsenal that protect us from evil: pray, attend Mass, receive Holy Communion, live by the commandments and the teachings of the Church and confess sins frequently. If we rely on this holy arsenal for God's graces, we have no need to fear: the love of God will always triumph over evil.
“Keep pure and holy thoughts entering your mind, for it is also the focal point of entrance for the evil spirits." - Jesus, November 24, 1973
"Many demons can only be dispelled by much fast and penance, the greatest source being prayer.” - Jesus, December 31, 1973
“Demons from hell shall enter into the body of any man, woman, or child who has fallen from grace.” - Our Lady of the Roses, June 16, 1977
Our Lady of
the Roses Bayside messages:
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at
Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995.
PRAYER AND FASTING
"Yes, My child, you see that I
am the true Source of Life. For when you come to Me, you will nourish your soul.
You will nourish your eternal being. You will learn, My child, in due time that
the Bread of life will sustain you without earthly food. Man must return to fast
and penance. Many demons can only be dispelled by much fast and penance, the
greatest source being prayer.
"You must keep a
constant vigilance of prayer in your homes and the houses of your God. You must
also recognize the faces of evil about you: those who parade themselves as
angels of light but are truly ravenous wolves, agents of hell. They seek the
destruction of souls." - Jesus, December 31, 1973
CRUCIFIX
"Remember, keep your sacramentals constantly upon you: your brown Scapular, your
St. Benedict medal, the Miraculous Medal, and also the medal of Our Lady of the
Roses.
"You must keep them upon you, with a
crucifix. We demand a crucifix, because demons--many of the highest ones in the
realms of hell cannot stand the sight of a crucifix. They will not approach your
door. I give you this knowledge, My children, though it is not common knowledge
upon earth, that the crucifix has great power against satan." -
Jesus, June 18, 1987
CREATURES OF NIGHT
"I give you the greatest of hope
in your world of darkness that the victory shall be with Heaven. Know that the
greatest trials suffered are but a small forfeiture for the great glory of being
victorious over the adversaries loosed upon your earth. They come as creatures
of night, but they must possess the bodies of humans. Understand this in the
supernatural, My children: no man, woman, or child of reasoning is free from the
attacks of satan." - Jesus, September 7, 1976
THEY ARE REAL
"Unless the parents teach their
children of the existence of this other world unseen to the human eye, the
children cannot then be protected from the attacks of these agents from hell. My
child, they are real, they are living, and they have great power. They, too,
possess names as do the high angels in the Kingdom of your God in Heaven." -
Our Lady, March 15, 1978
POSSESS MANY
"My child, you will work with much
haste. The time grows short. The enemy has entered into your government. Pray
much for them. The demons possess many. They come in great multitudes, for they
know the strength of prayer in your area. Should this be removed, your city,
your state, and your country will go through a period of great suffering never
seen before in this country." - Jesus, September 13, 1974
WILL OF SATAN
"There are many agents of hell loosed
upon earth now. They have entered into the House of God, and they possess the
body of many men to do the will of satan. You must not abandon the sacramentals
that I have given you through the Father for your protection and your
salvation." - Our Lady, August 14, 1973
ANY UNCLEAN SOUL
Be knowledgeable, My
children, and understand that satan will not come to you as himself. He
possesses the body of any unclean soul, be it man, woman, or child. I repeat to
you now: all parents will be held responsible for the fall of their children's
souls. Give them a good foundation, and when they are subjected to the storms of
evil, they will not crack and crumble under the onslaught." - Our Lady, March
25, 1972
MUST
BE RETURNED
"Michael must be returned to My
Son's House. The demons must be cast from My Son's House. They have taken
possession of many to do the will of Lucifer." - Our Lady, February 10, 1973
ANY SUSCEPTIBLE
"I repeat Myself, as in the past,
My children. The demons have a form, but they do not use this form unless the
Eternal Father gives you the knowledge and insight into the supernatural to
observe them in action. They will use the body of a human being, one who has
fallen out of grace and the light. Any man, woman, or child is susceptible to
this possession." - Our Lady, August 21, 1975
NOT BEYOND POSSESSION
"My heart is torn now at the
full acceleration of the evil in your country, your cities, and your world. My
Mother made it quite clear to you that mankind is not beyond possession by
satan. The human body and the human souls now are being corrupted by evil man
through the influence of satan, My children. You must learn to avoid the faces
of evil that come to you. You must do all in your human power with the graces
that will be given to you freely to cast off the inclination to evil." -
Jesus, August 5, 1977
SACRAMENTALS
"He has an army of ogres wandering now
throughout your country and all of the countries of the world. They are in
possession of great power, so wear your sacramentals and protect your children
and your households. Learn the use every day of holy water throughout your
household. Insist, even with obstructions, insist that your children always wear
a sacramental. One day they will understand that they will repel the demons."
- Our Lady, September 13, 1977
KING OF DARKNESS
"My children of God, have no fear.
You will keep your sacramentals about you. You will keep your children's souls
guarded, for none shall be attacked who are in the state of grace.
"Be ye known now, it has been loosed on earth—satan; satan, the king of
darkness, satan, the master of deceit. His time is short, but he is loose.
"He entered into the body of a man in 1975, a man who gave himself to him in the
practice of occult. He entered into the body of this man, as he cannot roam
without the body. He will enter in, when he has finished his mission, into
another body. And you will pray a constant vigilance of prayer that he is
removed from your country." - St. Michael, August 13, 1977
MURDERER, LIAR
"Satan was a murderer and a
liar from the beginning, and satan has been allowed upon your earth to separate
the sheep from the goats. My children, he is the master of deceit. I must tell
you as your Mother, that unless you remain in the state of grace, you cannot
recognize him. He is a man of a thousand faces. He has great power: he can throw
his voice, My children, into animals and even into the air. Unless you give your
children a firm foundation in knowledge of their Faith, they will fall to his
subtleties, My children." - Our Lady, September 7, 1977
LOOSED ON EARTH
"Satan is loosed upon
earth, but he knows that his time is growing short. Therefore, he will make a
concerted effort to destroy those who are not in the state of grace, so that he
can take them into hell. That is why, My children, you must always wear a medal,
your armor about your neck. And the best armor of all is the Scapular, the
Rosary, the St. Benedict medal, and also your newest armor: Our Lady of the
Roses, Mary Help of Mothers. My child and My children, I tell you this because
you cannot do without any of them. At this time, all armor is needed for the
fight ahead." - Our Lady, May 17, 1986
CONSORT OF SATAN
"Any man,
woman, or child of the age of reasoning who has fallen from grace shall become a
consort of satan." - Jesus, November 20, 1975
Directives
D28 - Hell PDF
D44 - The Occult PDF
D149 - Satanism, Part 1 PDF
D150 - Satanism, Part 2 PDF
D151 - Possession PDF
D152 - Angel of light PDF
D153 - Astrology PDF
D245 - Demons PDF
D260 - Satan, the Deceiver of Mankind PDF
Articles
Pope Benedict's negative appraisal of Harry Potter
Pope'sNegativeAppraisalOfHarryPotter.htmPope's exorcist calls Harry Potter 'satanic'
HarryPotterSatanic.htmWorld famous exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth: The devil is behind Harry Potter, seducing children
HarryPotter2.htmThe Truth about the Devil": One of the best references ever written about the devil and exorcism
TruthAboutTheDevil.htmThe Ouija board and demonic possession
PossessionOuijaBoard.htmConversations with an Exorcist
ConversationsWithExorcist.htmPope Paul VI on confronting the devil's power
http://www.tldm.org/news6/devil.htmFree will and possession (discernment and help for the possessed, part 1)
http://www.tldm.org/News8/possession1.htmCommon misconceptions about possession (discernment and help for the possessed, part 2)
http://www.tldm.org/news8/possession2.htmVatican's new rite of exorcism called "a blunt weapon" by world's most famous exorcist
http://www.tldm.org/News6/exorcism1.htmDavid Berkowitz (the "Son of Sam") confirms he was possessed, as Our Lady of the Roses says he was
http://www.tldm.org/news6/berkowitz.htmThe lure of the occult
http://www.tldm.org/news6/occult.htmSpiritual warfare: the occult has demonic influence
http://www.tldm.org/News6/occult2.htmJohn Paul II recommended praying the St. Michael exorcism
http://www.tldm.org/news4/exorcism2.htm
Links
The ouija board: A game or a gamble? Envoy magazine, May/June 2000
http://www.envoymagazine.com/backissues/4.3/ouija.htmThe new rite of exorcism: the influence of the evil one, Latin Mass magazine, Summer 2002
http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/articles/articles_2002_SU_Father_X.htmlA woman possessed?
http://www.healinghq.com/Article463.phtmlDr. Scott Peck vs. Satan: A well-known psychiatrist describes and analyzes two exorcisms, Christianity Today, February 2005
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/002/16.84.htmlPriest who is expert on exorcism warns of a single visit to fortuneteller
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2005/1031/devil103105.shtmlExorcism: the facts
http://www.stmichael.pair.com/The reality of satan and the victory of Jesus and Mary
http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=504&Itemid=40
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