A major revision of the discipline on exorcism: A comparative study of the liturgical laws in the 1614 and 1998 Rites of Exorcism

Abstract

Exorcism has been a ministerial component of Christianity from its inception, following the example of Jesus Christ who cast out demons from possessed persons. In the Roman Catholic Church, this ministry is principally carried out by means of the Rite of Exorcism, which is an official liturgical rite celebrated by a priest on behalf of a person who is thought to be possessed by the devil. The rite evolved through the centuries until it was standardized for the first time in 1614. For nearly four hundred years thereafter, it remained virtually unaltered until a process of revision was set in motion in the 1990s. Why was the revision undertaken? Would the liturgical laws contained in the 1614 rite be altered? In response to these queries and others, the author contextualizes the rite of exorcism within a larger historical framework by tracing its development from ancient times to the present. With this context established, the revised rite of 1998 is studied and compared with its predecessor of 1614.