The Dark Sacrament

The Dark Sacrament Read Free Page B

Book: The Dark Sacrament Read Free
Author: David Kiely
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exorcist must allow for the presence of an earthbound spirit, or spirits.
    Such entities, also referred to as the “unquiet dead,” have been the subject of some interesting studies. In the mid-1800s, it was proposed that there are three categories of spirit, and each was assigned its own rung on the ladder of spiritual evolution. There were the “low spirits,” those trapped in the world of the living; “second-degree spirits,” who desire only to promote goodness on earth; and “perfect spirits,” those who have reached the pinnacle of their evolution. The three categories are, by and large, still accepted by modern psychic investigators.
    The “low spirits” are of particular interest to the exorcist. It is believed that, during their lifetimes, such entities were wedded to materiality and so failed to develop spiritually. For this reason they are unable to “move on,” choosing instead to oppress or disturb the living. At their most malign, they can be considered to be evil spirits; at their least harmful, they are classified as poltergeists.
    These theories were given currency in recent times by the notable British psychiatrist Dr. Kenneth McAll (1910–2001). He became interested in the powers of “possession” while working in China as a missionary-surgeon. During the turbulent war years, he was confronted by phenomena that led him to an exploration of possession. He went on to dedicate his life to treating mental illness with reference to extraphysical causation.
    Dr. McAll’s revolutionary thesis, introduced in his seminal work, Healing the Family Tree, was that many supposedly “incurable” patients were the victims of ancestral control. By drawing up a family tree, he claimed to be able to identify the ancestor who was adversely affecting his patient. He would then sever the bond between the ancestor and the patient by having a clergyman celebrate a service of Holy Communion. The ancestor would be delivered back to God, and the transgenerational hold consequently broken.
    It was, in effect, a most unorthodox form of exorcism, or deliverance. It is an important area, insofar as it examines what one might call “indirect” possession. Dr. McAll concluded that the dead may become pawns in the struggle for the souls of the living, that souls in transition, or “dislocated” souls, may become possessed byevil, so that they in their turn can possess the living, and so drive the living into despair, or worse.
    â€œEvil symptoms and their inevitable fruit of despair, which leads to suicide,” he believed, “bear the marks of the evil one battling with those who are sensitive to the uncommitted dead.”
    EXORCISM: SOME DEFINITIONS
    Before going further, it may be useful to examine our definitions. In the way of words, exorcise has undergone a shift in meaning since earlier times. Its roots are in Greek: exorkizein literally means “to out an oath.” To exorcise, then, is to place a demon on oath, and so command it by the power of God to depart and not trouble the afflicted again. In our time, it is also acceptable to speak of the exorcism of places and inanimate objects, when obviously an oath is neither demanded nor sworn. Such exorcisms are common practice; for instance, a priest will exorcise all sacred vessels and paraphernalia before their employment in divine service.
    The Catholic Church recognizes two distinct forms of exorcism: the solemn and the unofficial. Before performing a solemn exorcism, a priest is obliged to obtain the permission of a bishop. There are sound reasons for this. In the first place, the rite must be enacted in the name of the Church, and it is used for the expulsion of evil spirits. This is dangerous territory, whether or not one holds with the existence of such entities. Done incorrectly, or by an individual not properly qualified or equipped to perform the rite, a solemn exorcism can

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