Vatican City, Aug 23, 2019 / 11:49 am (CNA).- An international organization of Catholic exorcists said Thursday that the existence of Satan as a real and personal being is a truth of Christin doctrine.
“The real existence of the devil, as a personal subject who thinks and acts and has made the choice of rebellion against God, is a truth of faith that has always been part of Christian doctrine,” the International Association of Exorcists said in an Aug. 22 press release.
The organization’s release came in response to recent remarks on the devil from Jesuit superior general Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, which the organization called “grave and confusing.”
The exorcists said they released their statement to provide “doctrinal clarification.”
The devil “exists as the personification of evil in different structures, but not in persons, because is not a person, is a way of acting evil. He is not a person like a human person. It is a way of evil to be present in human life,” Sosa said.
Citing a long history of Church teaching on the nature of Satan, including several citations from Pope Francis and his recent predecessors, the exorcists’ organization said that Catholics are bound to believe that Satan is a real and personal being, a fallen angel.
“The Church, founded on Sacred Scripture and on Apostolic Tradition officially teaches that the devil is a creature and a personal being, and she cautions those who, like Father Sosa, consider him only a symbol.”
Sosa’s remarks are “outside the ordinary and extraordinary-solemn magisterium” of the Church, the exorcists said.
The International Association of Exorcists is an “association of the faithful” formally approved by the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy in 2014. Among its founders was well known exorcist Fr. Gabrele Amorth, who died in 2016.
Sosa, 70, was elected the Society of Jesus’ superior general in 2016. A Venezuelan, he has a pontifical licentiate in philosophy and a doctorate in political science. He served as a Jesuit provincial superior in Venezuela from 1996 to 2004, and in 2014 began an administrative role at the general curia of the Jesuits in Rome.
Sosa has offered controversial comments about Satan in the past. In 2017, he told El Mundo that “we have formed symbolic figures such as the Devil to express evil.”
After his 2017 remark generated controversy, a spokesman for Sosa told the Catholic Herald that “like all Catholics, Father Sosa professes and teaches what the Church professes and teaches. He does not hold a set of beliefs separate from what is contained in the doctrine of the Catholic Church.”
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Vatican City, Apr 17, 2018 / 10:11 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his homily Tuesday, Pope Francis said the Church needs men and women who are capable not only of bearing prophetic witness to the truth, like the early martyrs, but who are also examples of hope.
In looking to Christ’s words and actions in scripture, on one hand he “corrected with strong words: ‘perverse and adulterous generations,’” yet on the other hand he wept for the people of Jerusalem when they rejected God’s ways, the pope said April 17.
Likewise, a true prophet is not a “prophet of misfortunes,” speaking only of things that need to be corrected, but he is also “a man of hope; he corrects when needed and opens wide the doors looking to the horizon of hope.”
A prophet, he said, “restores the roots, restores one’s belonging to the people of God in order to go forward.”
Pope Francis spoke during his Mass in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse, focusing on the day’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which recounts the stoning of Stephen, the Church’s first martyr.
When Stephan was speaking to the scribes, their hearts were closed and they didn’t want to listen to what he had to say, so they became infuriated and began to attack him, Francis said, noting that many of the prophets who preceded Christ were treated in the same way.
“When the prophet arrives to the truth and touches the heart, either the heart opens or the heart becomes more like stone and anger, persecution, are unleashed. This is how the life of a prophet ends.”
Truth, the pope observed, is often uncomfortable and hard to accept. Because of this, the prophets were always persecuted when speaking the truth.
“But what for me is the test that a prophet undergoes when he tells the truth strongly? It’s when this prophet is capable of not only speaking, but crying for the people who have abandoned the truth [Jesus gave strong rebukes, but he also wept]. This is the test. A true prophet is the one who is capable of crying for his people and also saying things strongly when he has to. [A prophet] is not timid, he is always like this: direct,” but full of hope.
Francis then noted how Stephen was killed in the presence of Saul, who would later become St. Paul.
Quoting a phrase from Tertullian, Francis said, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians.”
The Church, he said, “needs prophets…it needs all of us to be prophets.” But prophets are different than critics, he said, explaining that a critic is a person who does not approve of anything or anyone, and “this is not a prophet,” this is another thing.
“The prophet is someone who prays, who looks to God, who looks to his people, who feels pain when the people go astray, who cries,” the pope said, praying that “the Church never lacks this prophecy of service, to always go forward.”
Pope Francis prayed before a relic of St. Therese of Lisieux at the beginning of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square, and shortly before going to the hospital for an abdominal surgery, on June 7, 2023. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA
Vatican City, Jun 7, 2023 / 04:37 am (CNA).
One of Pope Francis’ last gestures before undergoing abdominal surgery on Wednesday was to pray before a relic of St. Therese of Lisieux.
A relic of the French Carmelite nun, also known as St. Therese of the Child Jesus, was present on the platform in front of St. Peter’s Basilica during the pope’s weekly general audience June 7.
Before beginning the audience, Francis venerated the relics of St. Therese in a moment of silent prayer. He also placed a single, white rose on the table in front of the reliquary.
Pope Francis was taken to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for abdominal surgery under general anesthesia at the end of the morning audience, shortly after 11:00 a.m. Rome time, the Vatican said.
Relics of St. Therese’s parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Guérin Martin, were also present at the meeting with the public June 7. The relics of all three saints will visit different churches in Rome through June 16.
Pope Francis said Wednesday he intends to publish an apostolic letter on St. Therese of Lisieux, “patroness of the missions,” to mark the 150th anniversary of her birth.
“She was a Carmelite nun who lived her life according to the way of littleness and weakness: she defined herself as ‘a small grain of sand,’” he said in St. Peter’s Square.
“Having poor health, she died at the age of only 24,” he added. “But though her body was sickly, her heart was vibrant, missionary.”
“Here before us are the relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, universal patroness of missions,” he said. “It is good that this happens while we are reflecting on the passion for evangelization, on apostolic zeal. Today, then, let us allow the witness of St. Therese to help us. She was born 150 years ago, and I plan to dedicate an apostolic letter to her on this anniversary.”
🎥HIGHLIGHTS | Before commencing the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis shared a beautiful moment of prayer before the sacred relics of St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church and Patroness of the Missions. As a symbol of his devotion, the Holy Father… pic.twitter.com/lRJeWuSx8n
St. Therese of Lisieux was born on Jan. 2, 1873, in Alençon, France. Her mother died when she was four, leaving her father and older sisters to raise her. She received papal permission to enter the Carmelite Monastery at the young age of 15, where she lived until her death from Tuberculosis at the age of 24.
She was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by St. Pope John Paul II in 1997 and is the patron saint of missions.
Pope Francis reflected on the saint’s life as part of a series of lessons on evangelical zeal.
“She is patroness of the missions, but she was never sent on mission,” Francis explained in his catechesis. “She recounts in her ‘diary’ that her desire was that of being a missionary, and that she wanted to be one not just for a few years, but for the rest of her life, even until the end of the world.”
St. Therese did this, he said, by becoming a spiritual sister to several missionaries, whom she accompanied through her prayers, letters, and sacrifices from within the monastery walls.
“Without being visible, she interceded for the missions, like an engine that, although hidden, gives a vehicle the power to move forward,” the pope said.
“Missionaries, in fact — of whom Therese is patroness — are not only those who travel long distances, learn new languages, do good works, and are good at proclamation,” he added. “No, a missionary is anyone who lives as an instrument of God’s love where they are.”
Pope Francis recounted two episodes from St. Therese’s life that help to explain the source of her zeal and missionary strength.
The first happened during Christmas 1886, when Therese was almost 14 years old.
St. Therese was pampered as the youngest child of the family, he explained. But her father was tired after midnight Mass for Christmas and did not feel like being present when his daughter opened her gifts, so he said he was glad it was the last year she would receive gifts.
“Therese, who was very sensitive and easily moved to tears, was hurt, and went up to her room and cried,” the pope said.
“But she quickly suppressed her tears, went downstairs and, full of joy, she was the one who cheered her father,” he said. “What had happened? On that night, when Jesus had made himself weak out of love, her soul became strong: in just a few moments, she had come out of the prison of her selfishness and self-pity; she began to feel that ‘charity entered her heart’ — so she said — ‘with the need to forget herself’ (cf. Manuscript A, 133-134).”
“From then on, she directed her zeal toward others, that they might find God…”
The second event happened after St. Therese became a Carmelite. Pope Francis said the nun became aware of a hardened criminal, Enrico Pranzini, who was sentenced to death by guillotine for having murdered three people.
Therese had a special zeal for saving sinners, and so “she took him into her heart and did all she could: she prayed in every way for his conversion, so that he, whom, with brotherly compassion she called ‘poor wretched Pranzini,’ might demonstrate a small sign of repentance and make room for God’s mercy,” Francis said.
The day after his execution, she read in the newspaper that before laying his head on the chopping block, Pranzini had, “‘all of a sudden, seized by a sudden inspiration, turned around, grabbed a Crucifix that the priest handed to him and kissed three times the sacred wounds’ of Jesus,” he continued.
“Then his soul,” St. Therese wrote, “went to receive the merciful sentence of the One who declared that in Heaven there will be more joy for a single sinner who repents than for the ninety-nine righteous who have no need of repentance!”
Pope Francis said: “With so many means, methods, and structures available, which sometimes distract from what is essential, the Church needs hearts like Therese’s, hearts that draw people to love and bring people closer to God.”
“Let us today ask this saint, whose relics we have here,” he added, “let us ask this saint for the grace to overcome our selfishness and for the passion to intercede that Jesus might be known and loved.”
“After his 2017 remark generated controversy, a spokesman for Sosa told the Catholic Herald that ‘like all Catholics, Father Sosa professes and teaches what the Church professes and teaches. He does not hold a set of beliefs separate from what is contained in the doctrine of the Catholic Church.’”
Yes, a Jesuit needs a spokesman (“Mop up in aisle 3!”)…the way Bergoglio remains mystically “silent” until a spokesman or the press… It’s tiresome already, no longer “on the margins” or “on the cutting edge.” It’s passe…which is one of the reasons people are leaving the Church like crazy…especially millennials who don’t care about aging homosexuals forever nodding towards the 1970’s and their “brilliance.”
Sosa: one well-fed Venezuelan…unlike those Venezuelans he “accompanies.” Nonsense…and yes, heresy.
And the Devil rejoices…though he is filled with hatred for humanity and joyless.
I think Fr Sosa should visit Auschwitz, Dachau, Sebrenica, The sites of the Rwandan Genocide, survivors of the Cambodian genocide, Sierra Leonians who had their limbs hacked off by the RUF, and survivors of the atrocities committed by ISIS before concluding there is no Devil. Surely these, as well as the horrors perpetrated in his native Venezuela by the Maduro regime, is sufficient proof of the existence of a malevolent, pure chaotic evil?
Im glad to see this publication.There are too many agnostics and atheists in the world today who continue to corrupt our young people and even the “mature” among us with their perverted philosophy. These people are nearly as dangerous as Satan himself, because they are his agents.
Regarding the Illuminati-Jesuit head honcho, so-so Sosa and the recently discovered non-existence of Satan, we have this (instead) from St. Faustina, the first declared saint for our betrayed 21st Century. Faustina’s vote offsets Sosa’s vote, and the added vote of God (who is not to be confused with Sosa) breaks the tie!
“Today, I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I say: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one’s condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it–a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the DEVILS and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of SATAN; the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred for God, vile words, curses and blasphemies [….]
But wait, there’s more–
“I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing…”
Those who would deny the presence of hell and it’s care-taker the wicked one and its fallen angels are the first ones who will be there in their good tormented company!
Those who deny the presence of hell and it’s caretaker the wicked one and it’s fallen angels are the first ones who will be there in their company! Amen…
“After his 2017 remark generated controversy, a spokesman for Sosa told the Catholic Herald that ‘like all Catholics, Father Sosa professes and teaches what the Church professes and teaches. He does not hold a set of beliefs separate from what is contained in the doctrine of the Catholic Church.’”
Yes, a Jesuit needs a spokesman (“Mop up in aisle 3!”)…the way Bergoglio remains mystically “silent” until a spokesman or the press… It’s tiresome already, no longer “on the margins” or “on the cutting edge.” It’s passe…which is one of the reasons people are leaving the Church like crazy…especially millennials who don’t care about aging homosexuals forever nodding towards the 1970’s and their “brilliance.”
Sosa: one well-fed Venezuelan…unlike those Venezuelans he “accompanies.” Nonsense…and yes, heresy.
And the Devil rejoices…though he is filled with hatred for humanity and joyless.
It’s entirely plausible that Lucifer currently manifests himself as superior general of the Society of Jesus.
Does now Bishop Barron still believe that Adam the not really exist?
Yes, Bishop Barron has proved a disappointment to me. I liked him when he was plain Fr. Barron.
What does Bishop Barron have to do with this article? He is not mentioned.
I think Fr Sosa should visit Auschwitz, Dachau, Sebrenica, The sites of the Rwandan Genocide, survivors of the Cambodian genocide, Sierra Leonians who had their limbs hacked off by the RUF, and survivors of the atrocities committed by ISIS before concluding there is no Devil. Surely these, as well as the horrors perpetrated in his native Venezuela by the Maduro regime, is sufficient proof of the existence of a malevolent, pure chaotic evil?
Im glad to see this publication.There are too many agnostics and atheists in the world today who continue to corrupt our young people and even the “mature” among us with their perverted philosophy. These people are nearly as dangerous as Satan himself, because they are his agents.
Regarding the Illuminati-Jesuit head honcho, so-so Sosa and the recently discovered non-existence of Satan, we have this (instead) from St. Faustina, the first declared saint for our betrayed 21st Century. Faustina’s vote offsets Sosa’s vote, and the added vote of God (who is not to be confused with Sosa) breaks the tie!
“Today, I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I say: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one’s condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it–a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the DEVILS and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of SATAN; the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred for God, vile words, curses and blasphemies [….]
But wait, there’s more–
“I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing…”
(Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 741.)
Those who would deny the presence of hell and it’s care-taker the wicked one and its fallen angels are the first ones who will be there in their good tormented company!
Those who deny the presence of hell and it’s caretaker the wicked one and it’s fallen angels are the first ones who will be there in their company! Amen…