Demons know when someone does not have the proper authority...how so?

April 2, 2020

QUESTION?

Do you, and the expert exorcists you talk with, think that a sede (sedevacantist) priest exorcist ordained by a sede bishop would be effective in the most serious cases of demonic possession ? I understand that an exorcist needs to have authority as granted by his bishop. Some sede laypeople say that such bishop authorization is not neeed and cite Mark 9: 37-39 where Jesus tells the Apostles not to oppose others from expelling demons in Jesus’s name.
Thanks in advance for your comments on sedevacantist exorcists.

 ANSWER!

A sede Priest has power but no authority from the Pope or Bishop to function as an exorcist. Demons know when someone does not have the proper authority (from a Bishop in Union with the Pope).

Fr Jeffrey Grob says in the PHD dissertation on Exorcism on this passage: "There was a belief in the early Church that, through baptism, everyone, both men and women, received the power to cast out demons. Eventually, the Church, primarily as a response to abuses, created the order of exorcist and the result was to limit the use of exorcism. The rite that developed over the centuries came to be an act of the ecclesiastical order. This, however, did not prohibit the use of private exorcism by the laity. With the inclusion of Appendix Two in the revised rite, the Church continues to encourage the faithful to pray for protection from the devil and his influences for themselves and on behalf of others. Private exorcism remains a ministry of all the faithful and can be used without permission of the bishop." 

PSEUDO-CHRYSYSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) For many believers received gifts, and yet were, not with Christ, such was this man who cast out devils; for there were many of them deficient in some way; some were pure in life, but were not so perfect in faith; others again, contrariwise. 

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) It was not from jealousy or envy, however, that John wished to forbid him who cast out devils, but because he wished that all, who called on the name of the Lord, should follow Christ, and be one body with His disciples. But the Lord, however unworthy they who perform the miracles may be, incites others by their means to believe on Him, and induces themselves by this unspeakable grace to become better. Wherefore there follows: But Jesus said, Forbid him not.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) By which He shews that no one is to be driven away from that partial goodness which he possesses already, but rather to be stirred up to that which he has not as yet obtained.

THEOPHYLACT. Or again, some unbelievers, seeing that the name of Jesus was full of virtue, themselves used it, and performed signs, though they were unworthy of Divine grace; for the Lord wished to extend His name even by the unworthy.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evil doers.’   These are Christians who have charismatic grace (which includes the power of driving out demons), but not sanctifying grace. Charismatic grace is given to a person to save others, sanctifying grace is given to a person to save there soul. The people being rebuked by Our Lord have charismatic grace but NO sanctifying grace.