Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Confession: stronger than exorcism

We must insist in the need of frequent confession - in spite of all the difficulties existing today to the practice of this sacrament - since both theologians and exorcists reaffirm its great efficacy.

The exorcist of the Archdiocese of Venice, Fr. Pellegrino Ernetti, of the Order of Saint Benedict, emphasizes:

“The sacrament of the Confession, we know, is the second best 'safety belt', right after Baptism… Experience teaches us that it is most difficult for Satan to penetrate a soul that washes itself frequently with the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. This Blood becomes a veritable armor against which Satan may force, but never succeeds in opening, not even the smallest breach. The assiduous and constant frequency to this sacrament is a necessity, for both those who perform the exorcism and those who need the exorcism. I am convinced, after my long experience that the priest ought to wash his soul in the Blood of Jesus daily, if he wants to fight against the demon, side by side with Jesus, and be victorious. It is this, truly, the sacrament that Satan fears… Christ defeated Satan with His Own Blood. And the Apocalypse tells us explicitly: 'These are the ones that have conquered Satan by the Blood of the Lamb'."

Fr. Gabriele Amorth, exorcist of the Roman Diocese, is equally forceful:

“I have written many times that one causes much more furor to the demon with Confession - that is expelling the demon from the soul - than with exorcism, that expels him from the body… Confession is much stronger than exorcism”.

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