An exorcist is a person who performs exorcism, the ridding of demons or other supernatural beings who have possessed a person, or (sometimes) a building or other object. Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... St. ... Demonic possession, in supernatural belief systems, is a form of spiritual possession whereby certain malevolent extra-dimensional entities, demons, gain control over a mortal persons body, which is then used for an evil or destructive purpose. ...

Exorcists in various religions

Catholicism

Since the Council of Trent, "Exorcist" was one of the three minor orders in the ministry Roman Catholic Church, received after Porter. At the time this order was formally defined and confined exclusively to exorcism of the catechumen in the rite of Baptism, leaving exorcisms of demons to priests; but its role was later expanded. By the twentieth century, the order had become purely ceremonial. As a minor order, Exorcists wore the surplice. The office of Exorcist was not a part of the sacrament of Holy Orders but as a sacramental was instead first conferred on those who had the special charism to perform its duties and later to those studying for the priesthood. The Council of Trent is the Nineteenth Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The minor orders were formally a part of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus of Nazareth, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and... In the Roman Catholic Church, the porter (Latin ostiarius) was the lowest of the minor orders prescribed by the Council of Trent. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... In ecclesiology, a catechumen (from Latin catechumenus, Greek κατηχουμενος, instructed) is one receiving instruction in the principles of the Christian religion with a view to baptism. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... St. ... Roman Catholic priests in clerical clothing. ... An Anglican priest wearing a surplice as part of his choir dress. ... Catholic deacon candidates prostrate before the altar of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles during a 2004 diaconate ordination liturgy Holy Orders in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and Independent Catholic churches includes three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. ... Sacramental as an adjective means of or pertaining to sacraments. ... Roman Catholic priests in clerical clothing. ...

The Exorcist order was suppressed during the reforms of the minor orders after the Second Vatican Council by Paul VI. It remains in Indult Catholic societies such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Some believe that attainment of the position of Acolyte in post-Council practices implies ordination to the minor orders which used to be below it, such as Exorcist and Porter, although this has not been officially defined (although Canon Law section 1009 does specifically state that the only "orders are the episcopate, the priesthood and the diaconate"). The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Enrica Antonia Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), served as Pope from 1963 to 1978. ... Indult Catholics is a term used to denote Roman Catholics who prefer to attend the Latin-language Tridentine rite of Mass as used prior to 1969 rather than the standard present-day form of the liturgy. ... The Priestly Fraternity of St. ...

Recently, many dioceses have formally appointed priests to the function of Exorcist, partly to respond to an increase in requests for the practice after the release of the 1973 movie The Exorcist and partly as a result of reaffirmation of exorcism as a necessary ritual by Pope John Paul II (who reportedly performed three exorcisms himself during his pontificate) and Pope Benedict XVI. Gabriele Amorth is the chief exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, and founder of the International Association of Exorcists. [1] [2] Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October... Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. The papal tiara was replaced with a bishops mitre, and pallium of the Pope was added beneath the coat of arms. ... Fr. ... International Association of Exorcists is a Roman Catholic organization that was founded by the world famous exorcist of Rome Father Gabriele Amorth in 1993. ...

Islam

There are no records of exorcisms in early Islamic history, or of demonic possessions. However, there are exorcisms being performed nowadays in many Islamic countries by superstitious "exorcists" on superstitious "victims". Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ...

While Islamic beliefs include Jinns and Satan, and there are phrases in the Qur'an and in the Hadiths that could be understood as implying demonic possessions and exorcism, the existence of these phenomena is never explicitly stated, and belief in them is not part of the Islamic creed. The practice of exorcism is condemned by mainstream Islamic teachings and is a crime in many Islamic countries, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Genie is the anglicized word for the Arabic jinni. In Semitic mythology and Islamic religion, a jinni (also djinni or djini) is a member of the jinn (or djinn), a race of spirits. ... For other uses, see Satan (disambiguation). ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: ‎, literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... Hadith ( translit: ) are traditions relating to the words and deeds of Muhammad. ...

Messianic Judaism

Messianic Jewish (MJ) exorcists receive the power and authority of their calling directly from the consecration anointing by the Lord, Yeshua Ha Mashiach, also known as Jesus the Christ. MJ exorcist are educators, and facilitators who intervene for the possessed, oppressed individuals, and lead them through the phases of the exorcism process. Physical force, idols, amulets, or other religious items are not used in MJ exorcisms. For the Jewish religion, see the article Judaism. ... Yeshua (ישוע) or Jeshua is believed by many to be the Hebrew or Aramaic name for Jesus. ...

See also

• The Exorcist, a 1973 horror film inspired by a Catholic exorcism.

• Rev. John Smith, exorcist for the International Chaplains Association.

The Exorcist is an Academy Award-winning 1973 film, based on the novel by William Peter Blatty first published in 1971. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... International Chaplains Association is a Christian organization. ...

External links

• Interview with Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo about Exorcism & Healing