Interview with an Exorcist

Rev. Fr. Michel Joe Zerrudo, the Church of Divine Mercy’s parish priest and an exorcist in real life, describes what actually happens in an exorcism. He says that demons can make the possessed individual talk in a different language, levitate and do extreme body contortions. He does this primarily because he wants to intimidate. The Demon wants to make you fearful. And once you start feeling afraid, he has you. Exorcism is the ritual of driving demons out from a persons body which dates back since the time Jesus Christ. Jesus himself used to cast away evil spirits to free the person afflicted from its bondage. And when he gave his disciples the ability to heal, he also gave them the power to exorcise.


Fr. Zerrudo adds that exorcism cannot be performed by just anyone. You need to have faith and courage and are not easily intimidated by the demon. Bishops and priests can exorcise because they possess the fullness of the priesthood and Holy Orders. The ritual is extremely dangerous. Part of the preparation is the interview with the possessed. In this interview the exorcist will attempt to find out how the devil gained possession of the victim’s body. Then the possessed will be asked to confess and focus on strengthening his relationship with the Lord. Then fasting must be done both by the exorcist and the possessed person. Prior to exorcism, the exorcist prays the litany of sins, reads a Gospel passage out loud and a psalm. Then the priest asks the name of the demon, when it first came into the body and when it will get out. During the exorcism a doctor and a lawyer must be present. The doctor is there to ensure the victim’s safety while the lawyer is present to avoid legal liabilities.


How can one prevent being possessed? According to Fr. Zerrudo,  “The prevention is actually to live a Christian life. When a person is on the side of the Lord, nothing can come against him.”

Fr. Zerrudo is right. If the Lord is with you, then who can be against you? Demons and ghosts might be real. And they roam around seeking to wreak havoc. But if you stand strong in Christ, I believe that you will become invincible. Because God will protect. You can count on that. 

source: http://ph.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/31/video-feature-interview-with-a-pinoy-exorcist/