Para vencer al mal

By Jorge Eduardo Munoz

"Para Vencer al Mal"

"To Overcome Evil"

It talks about a priest, an exorcist that has been doing exorcisms for years with complete success: so he has decided

to do one through a TV program. Things go wrong, at the same time in Mexico there is an earthquake. The possessed

in the program is dead and the priest i

• Language: English
• Publisher: Global Summit House
• Release date: Aug 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781956515046

Book preview

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Copyright © 2021 Jorge Eduardo González Muñoz.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

ISBN: 978-1-956515-05-3 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-956515-06-0 (Hardcover Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-956515-04-6 (E-book Edition)

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to the real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Book Ordering Information

Phone Number: 315 288-7939 ext. 1000 or 347-901-4920

Email: [e-mail]

Global Summit House

www.globalsummithouse.com

Printed in the United State of America

CONTENTS

Introduction vii

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel xi

Prologue

Chapter I The Possession 1

Chapter II Sebastian Carreras" 16

Chapter III The Exorcism of Sebastian" 32

Chapter IV The Real World" 80

Chapter V The Vocation" 126

Chapter VI Revelations" 154

Chapter VII Time to Breathe" 205

Chapter VIII The Silence is Over" 239

Chapter IX Light and Darkness Part 1" 270

Chapter X Light and Darkness Part 2" 311

Chapter XI Everything Begins to Take Shape" 328

Chapter XII Evil is Everywhere, But so is Good" 366

Chapter XIII Preparing the Ground" 381

Chapter XIV Winds of Evil" 406

Chapter XV Getting Ready for Battle" 492

Chapter XVI The Great Battle is Coming" 509

Chapter XVII The Great Battle" 536

Epilogue 645

Prayer for the Dying 653

Bibliography 657

INTRODUCTION

Many people consider the existence of demons to be a falsehood, a way of explaining evil, or even of controlling people through fear; in this regard, Pope Francis said, on December 31, 2015, that there is a struggle between good and evil, which is nothing more than the struggle of the Devil against God. A war against God’s truth, the truth of life, against joy. He explained to some child singers that every time each person feels like committing an act of evil, this is nothing more than inspiration from the Devil; he tells them: We all have a battlefield inside, this fight between good and evil, we have temptations".

For those who say that diabolic possessions are the product of psychological disorders, clearly in the Bible, which is the word of God (for us believers), Jesus distinguishes between illnesses and possessions (clear presence of demons). For many, the psychological problems in the time of Jesus were not clearly explainable, and because of their beliefs in supernatural things, it would be said that this was the way Jesus could make himself understood; but this would imply lying by covering up the truth, and Jesus is the pure truth; this is how when he sends his disciples to preach the gospel he also gives them the order to expel the demons: "Jesus gathered his twelve disciples together, and gave them the power to heal sicknesses and authority over all demons. Then he sent them out to announce the good news and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-3).

Now, supposing Jesus had acted according to his time, how would explain that the possessed man of the synagogue of Capernaum identified him as the Son of God? In those days, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught on the sabbath days. They were astonished at his doctrine because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue, there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice: Ah! What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God. Then Jesus called to him, saying, ‘Shut up and come out of him,’ and throwing him in the middle, he came out of him without harming him. And they were all amazed, and said one to another, ‘What a word is this! Send out the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out. And his fame spread throughout the region. (Luke 4:31-37). In our time, it would be easier to give this thanks to all the information we have about Jesus Christ, and the experiences of previous possessions, which as a whole could provoke a suggestion in people, but at that time? And like this one, there are many examples of Jesus confronting the Devil.

It is true that the Devil is not evil in itself, since evil exists outside him, but he is certainly his best instrument. Evil, or sin, is the failure to do God’s will; it is all that distances us from Him, and as such, the Devil or Satan got into it by not wanting to accept God’s will and decided to live away from Him, and in his fall from heaven he took a third of the angels of heaven, now the demons (Revelation 12:4; Daniel 8:10).

Although this book is a novel and everything presented in it, or at least most of it is fiction, this does not mean that this does not happen. Most of the situations in the book have been inspired by real situations, or at least that many of the authors cited have presented them as such. There are many who are familiar with this phrase: Reality surpasses fiction, and not for nothing does it exist. I can personally say that I have witnessed this phenomenon with my own eyes and that the episode I lived through is included as an experiential of the main character.

The intention of this book is to entertain with a novel of suspense and fear, but beyond this, it also wants to take the reader to know the demons and how they manifest themselves in the world, and how the Catholic Church has fulfilled the will of Christ through exorcism. In the end, the most important thing is that the reader realizes that the demons are not above God and that even they have to submit to his Law and his will; and that even though they can make life very difficult for us, we are the ones who in the end decide what to believe and how to act; and God always welcomes us with open arms when we implore his forgiveness for the failures due to our weaknesses; and that though it may seem that evil is over good; it is at the end of time that God’s victory will be overwhelming, and that his divine plan will be revealed in full to our eyes.

PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL

THE ARCHANGEL

Oh, glorious Prince of the heavenly militias, Saint Michael the archangel! Defend us in the combat and terrible fight that we have to sustain against powers and authorities, against the princes of this world of darkness, and against evil spirits! Come to the aid of men whom God made immortal, formed in his image and likeness, and redeemed at great cost from the tyranny of the Devil.

This day fight with the army of the holy angels the battles of the Lord, as you once fought against Lucifer, the chief of the proud, and against the apostate angels, who were powerless to resist you, and for whom there was no longer a place in heaven.

Yes, that monster, that ancient serpent called demon and Satan, who seduces the whole world, was precipitated with his angels to the bottom of the abyss. But here, this ancient enemy, this first murderer, has fiercely raised his head. Transfigured into an angel of light and followed by the whole crowd of cursed spirits, he travels through the whole earth to take possession of it and to banish the name of God and of his Christ, to steal, kill and deliver to the eternal perdition those souls destined to the eternal crown of glory. Besides men with already perverted souls and corrupted hearts, this perverse dragon throws over them, like a torrent of impure mud, the poison of his malice, that is, the spirit of the lie, impiety, and blasphemy, and the poisoned breath of impurity, vices and all abominations.

Crafty enemies have filled the Church, wife of the Immaculate Lamb, with insults and bitterness and have put their criminal hands on her most sacred possessions. In the same holy place, where the chair of Peter and the chair of truth has been established, which should illuminate the world, they have raised the abominable throne of their impiety, with the perverse intention of wounding the Shepherd and dispersing his flock.

We beseech you, therefore, O invincible Prince, help the people of God against the attacks of these accursed spirits, and grant them victory. These people venerate you with their protector and patron, and the church glories in having you as their defender against the evil powers of hell. God has entrusted you with the care of leading souls to the heavenly bliss; pray therefore that the God of peace may bring Satan under our feet and crush him in such a way that he can no longer hold men in slavery, nor cause harm to the Church. Present our supplications before the Almighty so that we may be warned as soon as possible of the Lord’s mercies. Take hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent that is the Devil and Satan, chain him up, and throw him into the abyss so that he cannot seduce the nations. Amen.

V/ Behold the cross of the Lord, flee, enemy powers;

R/ The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Scion of David, won.

V/ Fulfill in us, Lord, your mercies;

R/ As we have expected from voice.

V/ Listen, Lord, my prayer:

R/ And my cry comes to you.

Let us pray. O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we invoke your holy name and implore your mercy so that, through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, ever Virgin, our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, you may deign to help us against Satan and against all other unclean spirits that run the earth to harm the human race and to lose souls. Amen.

Prayer of Pope Leo XIII to St. Michael, obtained from:

http://www.vaticanocatolico.com/iglesiacatolica/oracion-a-san-miguel-papa-leon-xiii/#.WWOCRYVOLIU

PROLOGUE

Father Ignacio

Father Ignacio Rodriguez was sitting in front of the mirror. He was a man in his fifties, tall, slightly stocky, with a happy look, blond hair and light eyes, Spanish features. He did not say anything or move, only observed. It seemed that his gaze was looking beyond the mirror. He was wearing the talar suit.

A young, thin, long-haired brunette opened the door behind her and approached slowly, trying not to disturb. - It’s almost time, Father," she said timidly, then she placed a kind of wooden box on the table, near the mirror, and in front of the Father, she opened it and taking a cushion from the inside, she gently sprinkled the priest’s face. - There is someone outside who claims to know you... He is a priest like you.

Father Ignacio frowned and, for a few moments, observed the girl’s face. Her face showed certain disbelief. - Did she say his name?

The girl shook her head. - Only that you were very good friends and that you were distanced from each other long ago.

Father Ignacio seemed to meditate a little and looking away from the girl, and he answered. - Please ask him to come in.

You have littletime...

It’s okay. I won’t take muchtime.

The girl nodded, closed the box, and left the room carrying it withher.

Father Ignacio was left alone and pensive. He stood up and, looking back at the mirror; he put on hisstole.

The door opened, and an overweight, short, brown, coarse-faced priest entered. He was Father Rogelio Sierra, almost the same age as FatherIgnacio.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I didn’t think you’d be here... - Father Ignacio’s gaze continued to be on the mirror, from where he could see his buddy behindhim.

Why do you do this? - Father Rogelio extended his hands in search of anexplanation.

Why not? - Father Ignacio turned around and looked at FatherRogelio.

You are going toofar...

No. In fact, I should have done it long ago - Father Ignacio walked up to Father Rogelio, who was looking at him in dismay. - There has long been a struggle within the Church over the existence of the demons. There are many Cardinals who are in favor, and there are others who indicate or claim that it is only the representation of evil. Today I have the opportunity to prove the latter iswrong.

The eyes of both priestscrossed.

Monsignor, they are already waiting for you - a girl elegantly dressed and with a notebook in her hand peeked through thedoor.

Ignacio, you more than anyone have faced him, you know he is cunning, you know he will hide. His power and existence will be revealed at the end of time, notnow...

I have worked as an exorcist for twenty-five years. During this time, I have learned to deal with it. I can make itmanifest.

Father! We are about to begin! - the well-dressed girl entered the room with an urgent look on herface.

If I can prove to the world the existence of the Devil, I will prove to the world the existence of God - Father Ignacio put his hand on Father Rogelio’s shoulder and walked behind thegirl.

If He had wanted to prove His existence, He would have done itHimself.

It has been done so many times, but people areincredulous.

So how do you know that He wants you to dothis?

I don’t know. Who am I to understand His plans? Perhaps He has put me in this place so that I will do it forHim.

You may be the one, but I don’t think it’stime...

Father Ignacio walked away without saying anything, then stopped and turned to see his old friend. - I thought you had come to accompany me. I was glad to see you - he turned around and continued on hisway.

Father Rogelio followed Father Ignacio with his eyes and walked slowly behind him until he reached the corridor. Then he stopped and watched him disappear behind a group of people waiting for him at the end of the corridor. He closed his eyes, crossed himself, and walked away in the oppositedirection.

CHAPTER I

The Possession

In a house, the Sanchez family was sitting in front of the television, except for the Mother who was preparing some things in the kitchen. The father, Don Antonio, about forty years old, a man a little tall and thin, brown hair with some gray, brown skin and somewhat rough features, was sitting in the center of the chair; next to him, on the floor and leaning on a small living room table, was his daughter Mariana, about twelve years old, long straight hair, a spiky nose and a brown complexion, thin like her father, but still growing; and on the other side of the father there was a space, and later the elder son, Jose Antonio, nineteen years old, a little taller than his sister, stocky thanks to exercise, and with skin a little whiter than his father and his sister. There was enough space to allow his Mother to pass when she needed to do it. On the screen, you could see the famous presenter Gael Berasategui, a middle-aged man, dark and elegant, with an athletic body, medium height, big eyes, and black hair, well known for his documentary research works, sitting on a chair on the right side of a table, and on the left side, there was an empty chair.

Good evening everyone, and welcome to your program Responses - Gael’s voice was heard through the TVspeakers.

Mommy! - shouted the girl. - It’s alreadystarting!

Mrs. Sanchez, Carmela, a thirty-three-year-old woman with short brown hair, white skin, and light eyes, not as tall as her husband and slightly more robust, left the kitchen and entered the living room carrying a tray with inflated popcorn and the soda served in fourglasses.

In the forum, the presenter watched the camera as it continued to introduce theprogram.

In a modest bedroom, a young couple was lying on the bed in front of the television. The young man named Mario, about twenty-six years old, with an athletic body and dark hair, as well as his eyes, looked funny while she, Nancy, a young woman of twenty-three years old, with blond hair and blue eyes, with a white complexion and a slightly thin body, looked a little nervous.

For this, we have one of its greatest speakers, world-renowned priest and exorcist Ignacio Rodriguez - the voice of the presenter, washeard.

Better change the channel - suggestedNancy.

Shhh! - exclaimed Mario inviting her to put her head on herchest.

Nancy let herself be carried away by the arm of her young husband, who, when hugging her, unintentionally discovered the tattoo in the shape of a triangle, under her right sleeve. She had seen it many times before, but this was the first time it caught her attention so much.

Music was heard and among applause appeared Father Ignacio walking with great seriousness, with his black cassock and stole running along his sides. He shook hands with the presenter who had stood up to receive him and then extended his hand to the audience in the forum and to the cameras as a sign ofgreeting.

Welcome, Father. Please take aseat.

Thank you, Gael - Father Ignacio sat in the empty chair and kept his eyes on the presenter who sat next tohim.

Father, before we bring this historical event to the screen, we need to focus on the subject, and for that, I have some questions... - Gael looked at his leaves, read something, and then looked up at Father Ignacio. - What is anexorcism?

Back in the TV station’sstudio.

Well, by this, we very simply mean expelling the Devil, or demons, out of a person’s body - the Father’s hands indicated as if something was coming out of the person’sinterior.

Does that mean that ordinary people who are dedicated to expelling demons perform exorcisms? - Gael looked intently at thepriest.

No - Father Ignacio shook his head. - That’s why I said that in a very simple answer, this would be the definition. I will be a little clearer and more specific on the subject. Father Gabriele Amorth, who was the most recognized exorcist in the Catholic Church, explained it this way in his book Narrations of an Exorcist: Jesus said that among the signs that would accompany people who believed in him would be that they could cast out demons in his name. If we see it this way, any believer has this faculty that is based on faith and prayer, but these prayers are what are called prayers of deliverance. Exorcism is a special sacramental, which can only be administered by bishops or priests who have received a specific express license. The intention of the Church in instituting it as such was to protect the faithful from liars and magicians. This is clearly described in Canon Law in its article 1172, which states: Without the specific and express license of the local Ordinary, no one can legitimately perform exorcisms on the possessed, understanding that it refers to the bishop as Ordinary, and continues: "The local Ordinary shall grant this license only to a pious, learned, prudent priest with the integrity oflife.

Then the laymen who expeldemons...

He does it through prayers of deliverance, as I explained, and they are not exorcists. Exorcists adhere to the prayers of the ritual and must have the permission of the local Bishop. If there is a man or woman who calls himself or herself an exorcist, and at the same time calls himself or herself a Catholic, he or she can be considered a charlatan, since one who performs the office of liberating people from possessions, being a Catholic, must clearly understand that that person cannot be called anexorcist.

Some images of exorcisms performed in different parts of the world began to appear on thescreen.

What is the exorcism ritual? What does it consist of? - Gael’s voice washeard.

Interspersed images appeared showing an oldbook.

The ritual is a procedure that has existed since 1614 and is found within the Roman Ritual. This text not only talks about the rite of exorcism but also includes information about the various sacramentals, funeral rites, processions, blessings, and otheraspects.

Back in the study, Father Ignacio was showing an old book and a new one in hishands.

The curious thing is that some years ago, in 1999, Cardinal Jorge Medina publicly presented the new revision of the ritual, where there were modifications to the exorcism ritual, and this was due to pressure from the German Episcopal Conference, which asked that it be eliminated; all of this following what happened in the exorcism of Annelise Michele, a very famous case that served as the basis for the film The Exorcism of Emily Rose. In the end, the exorcism rite was not eliminated but modified, leaving it up to the exorcist to use either the old or the new rite - with his hands, the Father showed bothversions.

Which one is better? In his opinion... - Gael took the two books from the hands of thepriest.

I agree with Father Amorth that the old ritual is more effective since it was created by people who were dedicated to fighting demons, while the new one was developed by theologians and scholars, mainly bishops, who have the theoretical but do not have the practicalknowledge.

Which one do you plan to usetoday?

I think that’s obvious… - smiled Father Ignacio. - I would like to clarify that the new ritual prohibits exorcisms when there is no possession, which in my opinion is not right, since exorcism, in the way it was before, had two purposes: the first was to diagnose possession, and the second was to expel thedemon.

Diagnose? Isn’t that what psychiatristsdo?

Diabolical possession is not always evident despite the investigation that is carried out, first with the possessed and then with hisfamily.

Not even with the psychiatric and/or psychologicalstudies...?

Even with these studies, it is not always evident. Only through exorcism can one have thisclarity.

Gael shook his head, not veryconvinced.

As for the expulsion of the demon, I think it is clearer since there is a lot of information about it. What I do want to emphasize is that, as Father Amorth says, one must be very careful to check the signs before, during, and after the exorcism. We must be careful not to be deceived by psychic patients, but we must be more careful not to be fooled by the evil presences that could be hiding and not perform the exorcism when it is reallyrequired.

Does this mean that it is preferable to do the exorcism than not to do it? - Gaelintervened.

Of course. It is said of homeopathy that if it does not help, at least it doesn’t harm, and the same goes for exorcism. If there is no demonic presence, it should not help the sick in any way, since what is done is to invoke divine power for the benefit of the obsessed or sick person; and if there is, all the more so. Previously, in a previous interview, I mentioned that for me, all evils come from the Evil One since God is a good Being who would not harm any of his children, so diseases, difficult situations, and so on must come from him, and God allows them as tests that we must overcome or for a later benefit, which at the time, perhaps, we are not able tovisualize.

Bringing out the good in thebad...

You could saythat.

So, what about those cases where possession is not taken into account, where it is considered a commonillness?

Sickness, like death, began with original sin. Before this, they did not exist. In current studies, it has been said that more than 70% of illnesses have their origin in emotions; well, what is this if not an internal struggle? It means that there is no inner peace. And who causes this conflict? Definitely, the Devil, attacking us in different aspects. Both the Devil and us do not know the day when God will call us into his presence, so why think that he leaves us alone and that we get sickalone?

And that thirtypercent?

Perhaps it has to do with our fallen nature, but equally, the Devil will look for ways to take advantage of our weaknesses - Father Ignacio leaned back in hisseat.

Okay, let’s assume that’s the way it is. When performing the exorcism by making a diagnosis, the manifestationsoccur?

It’s not always immediately; sometimes, you have to check for later signs. There are patients who refer us to some effects later, and this helps us to repeat the exorcism. If the effects continue, sooner or later, the signs will manifest themselves during theexorcism.

What happens when possession is manifested, and the effects begin todiminish?

Well, normally, in a way, it would mean that the obsessed person is on the road to recovery, as when it is the other way around, it would mean that the evil that was hidden is surfacing and will begin to recede once everything hassprouted.

These are hard words... I really don’t want to be in something like this - Gael looked down at the writings, while with a smile, he showed his nervousness in imagining himself in such asituation.

Father Ignacio smiled, indicating that he clearly understoodhim.

You have used the word obsessed several times; what does itmean?

We usually apply it to those people who suffer from some kind of obsession, but we also use it as a synonym forpossessed.

Out of the air, you were telling me that there are different ways demons attack; could you explainthem?

Of course. The four strongest forms, because there are many others, are first of all theinfestation...

On the screen, images of home videos began to appear where, without any apparent action by any person, some doors opened by themselves, lights were turned on and off, chairs were moved, computers were turned on and off, to continue with scenes from movies such asPoltergeist.

It is when the Devil manifests himself through objects or even animals - the voice of Father Ignacio was heard accompanying theimages.

And this, does it reallyhappen?

Of course. There are many documentedcases.

What are the reasons forthis?

There can be many reasons: invocations, black magic, satanic cults, that the house had been built on some cemetery... and sometimes to totally naturalphenomena.

Back in theforum.

Have you witnessed some of thesephenomena?

Of course! On one occasion, I saw a family’s house where you could hear crackling, banging, light bulbs being turned on and off on a whim and thenexploding.

And aren’t you afraid to witness something likethat?

Always facing the Devil should be done with respect, but over the years, I have learned to deal with that fear. I no longer haveit.

What do you do in front of these presences ordemonstrations?

The rite of exorcism is performed, or prayers of deliverance are said, and after that, these manifestationscease.

Good! - Gael made a scary gesture, but he remained calm. - What’s the second way heattacks?

The next is obsession. It is like when for example, the idea comes to our mind to jump from a building, turn the wheel of the vehicle we are driving and cause an accident, hurt a person, enter the internet and see pornographic pages, take a gun and shoot someone, and like these, there are many other ideas that come to our mind without having a clearreason.

On the screen appeared images of a woman who was Countess of Hungary, Isabel Bathory, who killed 630 women to drink their blood, as she was obsessed with youth and believed that by drinking her blood, she could preserveit.

If you try to avoid that thought and manage to drive it away from you, then it might have been a temptation and nothing more, which would be the most common attack of the demon; but if the image comes back again and again, inciting you to act on something that you know is bad, and these thoughts seem to be gaining in intensity, then it may be an obsession provoked by a demon - you hear the voice of thepriest.

Images of young people and adults appeared on the screen, with chilling headlines referring to their way of committing suicide or killingothers.

It must be made very clear that in this way of proceeding of the Devil, he does not force us to act in one way or another; he induces us to do so, but who finally acts is oneself - the face of Father Ignacio appeared again on the screens, - and in that way we are responsible for the act - he paused and looked at the camera. - He knows our weaknesses. If you have a certain fragility in the sensual part, he will attack you with images or situations that incite you to fall in this point; if you have a weakness for power or money, he will obsess you with one or the other; if you tend to depression, he will seek to depress you so that you lie in a bed doing nothing, and soon.

How can we fight againstthat?

Asking God for his help and not despairing. God knows our weaknesses and does not allow these obsessions to be greater than our strengths. If we fall, we have to get up and keep going. We are not perfect. Who wouldn’t want to have an answer like St. Dominic the Wise? To die rather than sin; but the Devil is cunning, and so is our daily struggle. We must be close to God through the sacraments, and in due time, God knowing our falls, if we truly fight to overcome temptations, one day we will succeed. They are part of our life and of our learning to be betterpeople.

What response would it have for people who have been seduced by obsessions and have committed abominable acts such as murder and rape for which they have been imprisoned and/or sentenced todeath?

There is always the mercy of God. If you stick to it, this life may be hard, but there will be hope for eternal life, which is ultimately the important one. What is done is done, and there is no way to undo it. What is required is a change of heart and consciousness. Therein lies the difference. He who does not have God in his heart cannotchange.

And for those who do not knowGod?

If at this moment you are listening to us, then you already know Him and must trust Him and change; but if in truth you have never heard of Him and His mercy, then He will decide on the basis of what is in the heart of each person and the degree of guilt, for He acts even through the evil acts of people - Father Ignacio settled down in his seat. - There was a joke about a woman going to buy some things in a store, and here the Devil had asked God’s permission to tempt the woman. So the woman asked the shopkeeper to sell her fruit, the shopkeeper gave it to her, and when she asked for the bill, the shopkeeper replied that it was nothing since someone else was going to pay for it. The woman asked for some cans with the bill, and the shopkeeper repeated the same answer. So the woman kept buying one thing and another until finally, she decided it was time to leave. The shopkeeper asked the woman if she was not interested in knowing who was going to pay her bill. If God has wanted to help me, even the Devil himself can do it. And so it is with God. A strong suffering, caused by a man who has let himself be seduced by the Devil, may be purifying a family through pain; the important thing is that this family recognizes it. The murderer, rapist, or delinquent can reach heaven if God considers it so since in His wisdom He knows how much freedom that delinquent had in his actions and if in his heart there was repentance; and this is notinjustice.

Could a pedophile get toheaven?

Why not? If repentance istrue.

But, if he disgraced the lives of children and theirfamilies...

We see the outside of events. God sees beyond. If repentance is legitimate, the mercy of God will prevail overjustice.

So, what about the words of Jesus, in I don’t know which part of the Bible where he says: "Whoever scandalizes one of the least of these is better off having a stone tied around his neck and thrown into thesea.

St. Luke 17, 1-6 - answered Father Ignacio. - And the full text says: "It is inevitable that there will be scandals, but woe to him who causes them! It would be better for him if a millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than to scandalize one of these little ones". But he does not stay there, and he continues: Therefore, be careful! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you as many times, saying, ‘I repent. Forgive him. And he continues. Love and forgiveness always go overjustice...

What about injured children oryouth?

God will judge them in their personal actions. For this reason, even if a person has suffered misfortunes as great as abuse, he must overcome that moment, understanding that there must be a reason for God to have allowed it, and seek to grow and moveforward.

Gael shook his head indisagreement.

The past cannot be changed, but the feelings and the way to respond to that past can. It is not easy, but if it were, we would not be here. God would have put us directly inParadise.

The third way of acting of the Devil... - continued Gael, not veryconvinced.

The diabolicalhumiliation.

Pictures of Saint Job appeared on thescreen.

In this manifestation, the Devil attacks people in a physical way, even on their own body, but in an external way. The case of Saint Job is well known. Satan appears before God and asks Him to let him prove that Job loves him because everything is fine in his life, but if things change, then the real Job will appear. God then allows Satan to act as long as he does not touch Job in his body. Satan attacks the saint’s possessions, killing his cattle and children, but he does not deny God, but says, "God gave it to me, God took itaway.

Once again, Father Ignacio appears on thescreen.

Then Satan goes and tells God that Job loves him because he is well in his health, but that if he were sick, he would see the real Job, and God agrees. Satan attacks Job in his health through a sore from his feet to the crown of his head, says the Bible, and although his wife urged him to curse God, he did not. These are the vexations, and many people suffer them. The demons, the Devil or Satan, attack us in this way, looking for us to despair. Some lose their possessions, others their relatives, others the health or the health of the people closest to them, they become desperate and stop trusting in God and look for remedies in other religions, with spiritualists, sorcerers, orwhatever.

How do you distinguish when these are attacks or when they are naturalthings?

In my very personal point of view, I reiterate, in our lives, God and his rivals, the demons, act. If God never tires of calling us to conversion and to the good path, the demons will also never tire of attacking us and trying to lead us in the opposite direction. To think that the bad things that happen to us are totally natural and that the demons do not intervene would be like thinking that they have put themselves to rest. Demons work on the natural order, not for nothing does Jesus call Satan the Prince of this world. I repeat, if God is good and wants the best for us, He wouldn’t hurt us, so the evils have to come from the otherside?

If He loves us so much, why He doesn’t act and defendus?

For our free will, our freedom to decide what we want. If God were to spare us temptation and suffering, then on what basis would we decide if all we know is good? In our parents, Adam and Eve, although they lived in Paradise, enjoyed the freedom and were exposed to evil, and the temptation came from Satan, although evil already existed, which was disobedience to God; He had already told them not to eat from the tree of wisdom, but someone had to come and show it to us, the great tempter; so our life is indeed a struggle between good and constant evil. And for me, all evil comes from the Evil One, and in that sense, his most common forms of attacking us are temptations, obsessions, andvexations.

Isn’t that too paranoid? To think that everything bad comes from Bad and that it is not in ournature?

Take the place of God’s love and think of your children. Would you make them sick so that they would know pain and suffering? Would you leave them without food so that they would suffer from hunger? Would you throw them out on the street for no reason? Would you beat them? And yet Jesus says: If you who are evil know how to give good things, all the more reason does the Father who is perfect. Now take the place of the Evil One... What would you not do to harm the children of your enemy if you know that that is where it hurts him the most? Adam’s sin brought about our weaknesses, and because of it, death appeared in the world, and to reach death, we have to suffer the diseases, the greatest attempt of the Rival to lead us todespair.

Fourthkind...

Possession.

Pictures of Annalise Michel, a young woman who was in medical treatment for epilepsy and mental health problems, began to appear on the screen. Her case had been presented in the famous movie Emily Rose’sExorcism.

Possession is perhaps the most striking way in which demons manifest themselves - the voice was heard through the screen, behind theimages.

Images of Robbie Mannheim’s case, whose story was the basis of the Exorcist’s film, followed those of Annalise. This boy would have tried to contact an aunt through the pebble, and from there, strange things began to happen like objects levitating, until strange wounds appeared on his body withmessages.

However, despite the fact that in this manifestation, the possessed can do badthings...

Photographs of David Berkowitz, an assassin who claimed to have killed six people and injured seven others because of a demon that had possessed him, followed those of Robbie. - If the possession is true, then the possessed is not guilty of the actions, so the possessed would not be judged by them beforeGod.

Does that mean that a possessed person is not necessarily a sinner? - asked the presenter once again in theforum.

That is correct. We have the case of Saint Gemma Galgani, where on some occasions, she felt the presence of the Devil inside her. Even a Passionist brother who accompanied her suffered an attack in which the saint broke the Rosary with which he was praying. And just like this one, there are other cases of sisters and priests who have suffered. Why does God allow this? - Father Ignacio shrugged his shoulders. - I can only say that these are trials, both for the possessed and for the people around them. It is his divineplan.

Good. Then let’s recap. There are four ways in which the devilattacks...

Five, if we count the temptations, only this is the first, the most usual, and the most subtle; that is why I have not included it in the four forms we seetoday.

O.K. - Gael nodded his head. - The second is the infestation, which is not a direct attack on the person but on their possessions or theanimals...

Father Ignacio kept his eyes on the presenter, who tried to remember them all by heart and looked at him, waiting for hisapproval.

Obsession, which is like temptation, but more intense; humiliation, which are external and physical attacks, but on persons; and finally possession, which is when the entity enters the body of theperson.

You understood well - Father Ignacionodded.

Could you explain to me the symptoms that a possessed person has so that the Church will accept that possession reallyexists?

Well, Father Gabriele Amorth, the highest-ranking exorcist in our Church, said that there is no model, that one can see extraordinary things like those seen in the movie The Exorcist, even those seen in the movie The Rite, with Anthony Hopkins, such as speaking new languages, understanding as new languages unknown to the possessed person; showing exceptional strength; revealing hidden things; aversion to the sacred and otherthings.

Will we see something like this today? - the presenter seemed fascinated on the one hand but fearful on the other. Perhaps in his head, images of what could be seen on television were already beginning tooccur.

Father Ignacio smiled. - I don’t know. The manifestations can be very diverse; it could even be silent and notshow...

Don’t we wantthat?

Of course not - Father Ignacio nodded inagreement.

CHAPTER II

Sebastian Carreras

Very good, father. Since we are back from the commercials, we are very interested to know why make public a rite that, according to the Catholic Church, should be private? - The presenter looked away from the documents in his hand to observe FatherIgnacio.

The intention of the Church is not to hide the facts but to avoid morbidity, and therefore it has regulated thisministry.

So why do itnow?

Because I think it is important, beyond the morbidity, that the world realizes that this is real. That truly there is a struggle against the spiritual beings of hell. That truly there is a spirit world and that life does not end here.

Today we are going to witness a live exorcism, but there are already videos on the internet, on youtube that show some exorcisms, even people who are not priests but who try to free thepossessed?

There are indeed these videos, and I would have to watch each one of them and investigate to know the real intentions behind making these recordings, and that would take me a long time; but to give you an idea, there is a video about a couple who call themselves exorcists, but also consider one of them as a white witch. In this way, I return to the scoop, if the woman is Catholic, she would not be called an exorcist, and she would not mix this name with that of a witch. One must be careful. What I do want to make clear is that in the Church, we seek to avoid two critical situations: the first is that those who suffer from possessions do not allow themselves to be deceived by anyone who claims to have the power to cast out demons, and the second is that an unprepared person will confront them. They may say prayers of deliverance for the person but not attempt to use the ritual. We must be clear and understand that it is not facing a human being, but spirits with greater power and wisdom than we do. I would not play chess against the best player in the world without having prepared myself to face him, and, even so, to risk playing against him, because of his experience, would take a lot to lose. Demons are wiser than us since they do not have our limitations, although they are not all-powerful nor unlimitedly wise, and they have the defect of pride within their greatest weaknesses. That is why the Church wants only mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared people to confront them, and that is what we are theexorcists.

Have you ever been defeated by ademon?

The priest bowed his head with a smile as if he had been discovered in a prank. - Many times, I had lost battles, especially when I was starting. To win the game of the best in the world in chess, you would have to study it and many times face it and lose, then the time will come for you to win if you don’t despair. Through my defeats is how I have been knowing them since they are not only one; they have different personalities and for the same reason different ways of acting, but they all have in common pride as aweakness.

I rethink my question, why is this the first time this is going to happen on TV? Why didn’t it happenbefore?

First of all, the Church does not allow exorcists to act until there is permission from the local bishop. As I had already mentioned, without this permission, as much as I would want to do it, I could not do it without facing a suspension of my functions as a priest, something that I obviously do not want. On the other hand, to confront the Devil by disobeying my superior would be a grave error that could easily be taken advantage of by the EvilOne.

Do you havepermission?

The father nodded withconfidence.

How hard was it to getit?

Quite a lot, but in the end, I was able to convince him with myreasons.

Can we know some ofthem?

I will only share with you the most important one. If I can show you that the Devil is a being and not just the representation of evil, I can show you that Godexists.

Does the bishop believe inpossessions?

I don’t know, but I think that if he believes in them, he supports my views; however, if he doesn’t believe, then maybe that’s his way of convincinghimself.

Could this be a problem for the bishop before the churchhierarchy?

It could be, yes, but I think he understands the consequences and has accepted out of personalconviction.

The study seemed to freeze over, and it was as if everyone believed that because he was a bishop of the Catholic Church, he would believe in the existence of theDevil.

I want to show most of the world, incredulous, that this is real, and that as Father José Antonio Fortea, who is a famous exorcist, and who recently came to Mexico to perform a general exorcism, and many others before him, has said; that Satan’s greatest success is to make people believe that he does not exist. Because if the Devil does not exist, who is to befeared?

The presenter took his right hand with the papers he had held in it to his head. - But, whatever happens here, many people will notbelieve.

Father Ignacio nodded confidently. - I know, that’s why we wanted to invite people who are well known in the world for theirhonesty...

The camera was diverted to the public, which, although not very large, was known and recognized for its values and especially its honesty. It included both Catholic and non-Catholic people and even people of other religions and evenskeptics.

And yet many will not believe, but it cannot be said that we do not try to reach them. And those who convert will have gained much on the way toGod.

Do you consider yourself a chosenone...?

We are all chosen; only some decide to act like me, and othersdoubt.

What makes you different from otherexorcists?

That! That I am willing to act and takerisks...

Take a chance? Onwhat?

To lose the trust that many people have placed inme.

Do you think that the demon in the person we will see today is hidden? Could it be that we didn’t seeanything?

That possibility exists, but judging by my recent exorcisms, I would find it almost improbable. Every time I have performed the ritual I will do today, it has manifesteditself.

Very good, Father - the presenter, straightened up in his seat and lowering the papers he had in his hand, looked towards the cameras. - Before introducing the person who is suffering from these possessions, I would like to ask you to tell us about the ritual... What tools do you use? What prayers? Everything that’s in theritual.

Well, first of all... - Father Ignacio and the presenter of the screen came out of thepicture...

On the screen appeared images of a church and in it a container of holywater.

Holy or exorcised water is one of the sacramentals we use the most since it has the power to draw grace upon itself. It is a sign of spiritual cleansing and renewal of the baptismal vows and is very effective in driving away demons. Sometimes we have used it without blessing it by appearing to be so. From this, we have been able to determine if there is really a possession or not, since how could the possessed know if the water is really blessed or not? An alleged possessed who twists and shouts insults when water is thrown at him without being blessed is clearly not possessed," explained Father Ignacio. - Sometimes, I have witnessed that after ingesting this water, the possessed person throws a dense and foamy saliva to objects such as nails, glass, knotted threads, lumps of blood, and so on, and despite being sharp or pointed, they do not harm the interior of people.

The images changed from holy water to nails, glass, and other objects in the hands of an older priest. Then a priest appeared, anointing the forehead of a possessed man withoil.

The exorcised oil is the oil of the Catechumens, which is used to anoint those who are preparing for Baptism, and seeks to give the baptized the strength to renounce the Devil and sin. It serves to put the power of the demons to flight and is good for the health of the body and soul. We must remember that the apostles used to lay their hands and anoint the sick with oil. It has the property of separating the body fromadversities.

Pictures of salt in a container were mixed with those of theoil.

Exorcised salt, which is usually advised to be placed on the threshold of the house or in the four corners of the room, since its specific property is to protect places against evil influences or presences, is also good to expel demons for the health of the body andsoul.

Back in the study, Father Ignacio showed the three elements on the little table between him andGael.

Couldn’t this be confused with any remedy from a witch doctor or shaman? Beliefs in magicalthings?

Canon law defines them as "sacred signs with which, by a certain imitation of the sacraments, they are symbolized and obtain effects, especially spiritual ones, by the impetration of theChurch.

What isimpetration?

It refers to requesting something in an insistentmanner.

Thankyou.

The important thing with these sacramentals is that they act more effectively the greater the faith. But along with all this is very relevant the faith of the exorcist and the faith of the exorcized, help the prayers of the same as those of his family, cloistered sisters, parish communities, and soon.

What about the rite? What are the steps? - Gael seemed more interested in accelerating the process to get to what everyone wanted to see, the full rite of passage over thedemonized.

In a place far from the spotlight and from anyone’s sight, a group of five hooded young men in long robes worked on one of the walls of the room, with lamps or candles in hand, finishing drawing a pentagram on the wall, with an inverted five-pointed star. Next to them, a few steps behind them lay a silver chalice filled with some sweet wine, between two candles, one black and one white, and a little further back a kind of altar with a bell that rested in silence waiting to betouched.

Behind the five young men, an older man with a long beard watched carefully andsmiled.

The rite will be explained by one of my companions as I perform it; for now, it is more important for me to continue explaining the importance of the symbols and images around therite.

Gael nodded a littleimpatiently.

Also, the frequency of the sacraments and the conduct of life is very important according to the Gospels - Father Ignacio took out a Rosary from his right pocket - the Virgin Mary is an extremely important resource since she is the antagonist of Satan and next to her one can add the intercession of the saints and angels - he placed the Rosary on the table next to the sacramentals and the rites of exorcism. - But that is not all, the place is alsoimportant...

Do you mean that you would prefer to do this not in a studio but in some church orchapel?

It would be more convenient, yes - Father Ignacio nodded emphatically. - Father Amorth says that shrines are the places chosen by God for the deliverances prepared byexorcisms.

Is this why most exorcisms are done insidechurches?

That’s right. In fact, I became interested in this subject after I saw how several young women refused to approach an image of the Virgin, at the insistence of theircompanions.

Soundsinteresting...

It is, but it will be the subject of anothertime.

Gael nodded, looking at hiswatch.

I have to talk about the word of God. Father Amorth pointed out how Jesus rebelled against the Devil using words from the Bible. This means that the word of God is effective, which is why the psalms and songs of praise to God are soimportant.

Are they part of theritual?

Father Ignacio nodded his head. - It only remains for me to add the importance of the sacred images, which are a reminder to imitate the person or the being represented and of the protection invoked, not as the pagansdid...

What do you mean bythat?

I bet we don’t use them astalismans.

And what about the little medals that seem to be worn asamulets?

Father Ignacio took a cross from his chest and next to it a small miraculous medal. - I do not wear it as a talisman that protects me but as a reminder of a promise of the Mother of God, which through it is how I have it present in my thoughts and invoke her protection. Only for those who don’t know, this medal... - Father Ignacio placed the medal in his hands and showed it to the camera that made a close-up - it was the Virgin who asked Saint Catherine Laboure to mint it, and to verify its benefits, there are many reliable sources that explain them tous.

It seems to me that it is used as a talisman, or a magic stone, orwhatever.

The difference is that in talismans or magical objects, power is attributed to the same object or to a spiritual being that is not necessarily God, while these medals, as I said, only come to represent the being that is in them, and that in some way have been shown to have been favored by God, during his life, and later. What is sought is the intercession of those friends of God, but ultimately the one who acts is Our Lord JesusChrist.

Very good, father. I believe that with this, we already have a wide panorama of what this program is about, we only have to meet our guest who in a few moments will be entering ourstudio...

At Nancy and Mario’s house. Mario pushed Nancy aside, leaving her leaning on the headboard, and approached the television. His gaze was fixed on the photographs that appeared on thescreen.

Sebastian Carreras was born in 1981 in a small town in Veracruz, near Catemaco - the voice of Father Ignacio washeard.

Images of the town, with the Catemaco lagoon adorning the landscape, slowly changed until they reached the photo of a child, who sat at the edge of the lake, next to a brick house with a palm roof, and seemed to be playing with a ragdoll.

He was born away from the Christian religion since his parents did not profess any religion. In fact, they had beliefs about witchcraft and black magic, and he grew up in thatenvironment.

Pictures of young Sebastian, with his torso exposed, and wearing jeans shorts just above his knees, faded away, showing the parents and himself accompanied by a young brunette, barely younger thanSebastian.

He had a sister namedMilena...

The photo of the young brunette and Sebastian embracing under a huge, thick trunk tree, she about fifteen years old and he about twenty, appeared on the screen. The young woman’s eyes were alive, with the characteristic glow of an innocent young woman, contrary to his eyes whose gaze seemed dark andintriguing.

In April 1999, Milena’s body was found open in the chest, without her heart, which drew the attention of the police and quickly associated her death with a satanicrite.

A local Catemaco newspaper, with images of Milena’s body wearing very short clothing and a bloody chest, appeared on the screen. The images were not very clear, as it was not the intention to show the bloody scene but rather to prove that the event had beenpublished.

Mario, how do you like to see these things? Turn it off and let’s go to sleep - Nancy hugged Mario from behind and tried to pull him back to lie down on thebed.

Shhhhh... You go to sleep! - I’m interested inthis.

In the Sanchez family home, the situation was different. While they watched the images in horror, no one wanted to miss the scenes; they wanted to know what the man who would soon enter the forum prepared for the ritual lookedlike.

Investigations were run, and it was found that Sebastian had participated in the rite. Although he had not been the executor, he had been involved according to several of the witnesses… - continued FatherIgnacio.

Photographs of Sebastian’s arrest taken from newspapers in late 1999 invaded thescreen.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in the murder of his sister, although he always denied having done so. He said that he did not remember anything, and that day had been completely lost in hismemory.

Do you even believe? - let Mr. Sanchezescape.

Back in the studio, Father Ignacio was looking at Gael, who seemed impressed with the images, which he had no doubt seen before theprogram.

How does this apply topossession?

Well. Sebastian always claimed that he had not killed her and even swore that he had not been present, but at times he felt the presence of someone inside him, who clouded his thoughts and moved him atpleasure.

And did they believehim?

No, of course not. But he was later diagnosed with a split personality and sent to a psychiatric hospital. They regressed him through hypnosis and could not confirm that he had been aware of the ritual in which he waspresent.

Probably drugged - Gaelintervened.

It could have been, yes. In the end, he was treated,