Minor exorcism in Christianity

This article deals only with the technical sense which specifically refers to certain prayers used with persons preparing to become baptised members of the churches which makes use of such rites.

These prayers request God's assistance so that the person to be baptised will be kept safe from the power of Satan or protected in a more general way from temptation.

As early as the 3rd century of Western Christianity, there is evidence[2][3][4][5] of the existence of four minor orders of clergy in the Latin Church, one of which was entitled 'exorcist'.

[7] Text previously attributed to a fourth Council of Carthage in 398, now identified as a collection called Statuta Ecclesiæ Antiqua, prescribes in its seventh canon the rite of ordination of such an exorcist: the bishop is to give him the book containing the formulae of exorcism, saying, "Receive, and commit to memory, and possess the power of imposing hands on energumens, whether baptized or catechumens"; and the same rite was still in use in the early 20th century, except that instead of the ancient Book of Exorcisms, the Roman Pontifical, or Roman Missal, was placed into the hands of the ordinand.

Among the Latins, and especially at Rome, breathing accompanied with a form of exorcism and placing in the mouth a little exorcised salt, was employed in addition to the signing with the cross and the imposition of hands.

Mostly those in the minor order of exorcist performed the ceremony of exorcism, then a priest signed the catechumens with the cross and laid hands upon them.

[9] An exsufflatio, or out-breathing of the demon by the candidate, which was sometimes part of the ceremony, symbolized the renunciation of the Devil, while the insufflatio, or in-breathing of the Holy Spirit, by ministers and assistants, symbolised the infusion of sanctifying grace by the sacrament.

As part of the wider reforms of the Second Vatican Council, all Catholic liturgical books were updated, including the rites for the baptism of adults and of children.

The Second Vatican Council also called [18] for adults seeking baptism to be part of a formal process of preparation, or catechumenate, as was the case in the early church.

[19] The rite includes a selection of eleven texts for minor exorcisms, which may be performed on one or more occasions during the months when a person enrolled as a catechumen is preparing for baptism.

[21] The notes also indicate that the minor exorcisms may be carried out by a lay catechist deputed for this purpose by the bishop, though the use of the oil of catechumens is reserved to deacons and priests.

[22] The American ritual book also contains additional prayers to be used with already-baptised Christians preparing to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church, including a one-off scrutiny which may be celebrated on the Second Sunday of Lent.

And, the Good News that one dies with Christ, and rises to new life in Him with the Water and the Word, brings us comfort in our battles with our defeated enemies (Romans 6:4; 16:20).