Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground… (Ephesians 6:10-13)
There’s an exciting new film in wide release here in the U.S. based on the real-life experiences of Father Gary Thomas, whose training as an exorcist in Rome prepared him for active ministry in his California diocese. “The Rite,” starring Anthony Hopkins, does something rare in the media – it gets a lot of the story right. Here’s what a Catholic friend had to say about it:
…It started out with a quote across the big screen from Pope John Paul II about the devil and Christ. The movie takes place in Rome near the Vatican with lots of priests, nuns, rosary beads, crucifixes, holy water, statues, pictures of Our Lady, and a little boy praying the Hail Mary. On the negative side, the language was harsh at times, and Hollywood leads you to think that the devil can enter you if he wants, but that isn’t true. He can only take possession of you if you invite him, or dabble in his world. Saint Padre Pio said, ‘God has the devil chained up like a dog, he can only bite you if you try to pet him.’ —Tracey Bellucci
Tracey makes a great point about inviting the devil into our lives. Modern day exorcists, like Father Thomas Euteneuer , have been trying to teach us about this for years. The devil can’t enter us when we are faithful to God’s laws, when we practice our faith and confess our sins. But he can enter, with disastrous consequences, if we open the door by exposing ourselves or our children to the occult through movies, books, games and superstitious practices.
I was going to say a few (more) words about the dangers of popular occult influences, but a colleague of mine right here at Amazing Catechists has already said it so well that I’m featuring her latest column here for you to enjoy:
By Mary Ellen Barrett
On a recent trip to a big name bookstore, while Christmas shopping, I saw in the “Teen Vampire Romance” section there were vampire kits, in the “Wizardology” section there were tarot cards and wizard kits and on a “Family Game Table” were the Oujia boards. Nothing says “happy birthday Jesus” like a bunch of occult items, right?
Of all of this nonsense the Ouija boards were by far the most dangerous items. While a wizard kit may encourage a child to explore the occult and make them familiar with the lingo, a Ouija board actually has the power to introduce your child to the devil himself.
I do not exaggerate. I realize it sounds overly dramatic and smacks of unnecessary panic but I assure you that myself and the few Catholics out there who are trying to educate people about the use of these and other occult items have done the research and know how damaging these things can be. They can rob your children, quite easily, of their chance at eternal salvation.
A Ouija board is a flat board marked with letters, numbers, and pagan-like symbols used to communicate with spirits. It uses a small triangular piece of wood called a planchette to spell out a message communicated by the “spirit.” The premise is that those seated around the board will receive messages that will connect them to people who have died and enlighten them as to the afterlife. There is also the belief that the spirit you summon can help you with obtaining information.
It’s complete idiocy but an idiocy that the devil has taken advantage of. To call upon a spirit is to invite demons to prey upon you and there is no way anyone, particularly a teenager, is going to be able to control them.
All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2117)
The Church takes these things very seriously. Many good Catholics will “play” with the board claiming that it is a harmless toy and that they don’t believe in it, but disbelief in the spirits that use the board does not mean that they don’t exist. How many people do not believe in God yet we know that He exists? These demons prey on people’s ignorance and can use the board to easily possess people. Fr. Thomas Euteneurer, exorcist and author of Exorcism and the Church Militant, has said many times and in many interviews that as many as ninety percent of the cases of possession he encounters began with a Ouija board. This makes the pink one available on Amazon marketed to six-year old girls one of the scariest things you could possibly have available to children.
In the Bible, the Lord often condemns any and all occult practices, including divination, which is the purpose of the Ouija board. A good summary of the teachings of Christ is to be found in Deuteronomy:
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. (Deut. 18:10–12, NIV).
Occult demons, those that are summoned by a person’s participation in occult practices are, according to Fr. Euteneuer, the most difficult to expel since the devil “disguises himself as an angel of light” and deceives the afflicted into thinking he is there for their good.
And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light… (2 Cor 11:14, NAB)
It is imperative that those in possession of these boards burn them and seek help through confession and penance. Having the home blessed would also help to dispel any lingering evil.
Evil exists in the world. It is real and present in the form of the devil and it seeks to ruin the Kingdom of God. We know that the gates of heaven shall prevail but rather than assist the devil in his fruitless quest by handing over our children in the form of a game purchased for less than $20, why not prepare them for the possibility of encountering these items in their lives by teaching them of the harm it can and surely will do to them. Then buy them a game of UNO. It’s fun and totally harmless.
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Mary Ellen Barrett is a home educating mother of seven children. She writes a column for The Long Island Catholic called “Our Domestic Church” and speaks at conferences about homeschooling and raising a special needs child. Mary Ellen writes about the daily life and happenings in her Catholic home on her weblog, Tales from the Bonny Blue House and about a Catholic celebration of Christmas at O Night Divine. She is currently at work on a book about life as a mom of a large family and an Advent Book of Days.
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