Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • September 1, 2023 9 228-539-9800 www.RiemannFamily.com Gulfport Pass Christian West Jackson County Biloxi Long Beach Hancock County Exorcist From page 7 Father Lampert’s favorite definition of the Church is that “She is ‘the guardian to the Tree of Life’ because it is the vehicle that Christ gave us to enter paradise and be in the presence of God the Father. “The devil believes that, if he can destroy the Church, then humanity will be permanently trapped in sin, as are he and the other fallen angels.” Don’t believe everything you see in the movies Many people have some idea of what the word “exorcism” means based on their own research or a definition shaped by modern culture, Father Lampert contends. “If you’ve seen the movies, The Exorcist , Nefarious or The Pope’s Exorcist , or perhaps you watch programs about paranormal activity or ghost hunting, you read books about magic and casting spells and the use of the Internet -- all of these things can be problematic as their main focus is usually on the devil rather than God and God’s goodness,” he said. “The word ‘exorcism’ comes from the Greek word exorkismós, and it is a term that signifies an insistent request manifested before God or directed against demons. Literally, it means to bind with an oath. At its very core, an exorcism is a prayer that brings healing and relief in the eyes of those who are suffering by the evil one, allowing that person to be reconciled to God.” Father Lampert further explained that when God is requested to expel a demon, it is known as a supplicat- ing or minor exorcism prayer, a prayer directed to God and the Church saying that anyone may pray a suppli- cating exorcism prayer on behalf of someone else. “Catholic belief, however, says that an imperative exorcism, which is a command given to a demon, is reserved to the bishop or the priest who has been desig- nated to do this ministry in the bishop’s name,” Father Lampert continued. “Every Catholic bishop, as a suc- cessor to the original apostles, is the exorcist in his diocese. He has that authority based on the words of scripture in Chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel, verse one, where Jesus sends the 12 out and gives them authority over all unclean spirits.” He reiterated that a bishop may appoint one or more priests to serve as an exorcist on his behalf. “Some are publicly known, while some choose to remain anony- mous.” Father Lampert has performed exorcisms outside of his diocese but cannot do so without permission. Furthermore, one cannot just call up a local diocese and get same-day service when requesting an exorcism. “Possession is real. It does happen, but it may not be as frequent as people think,” he said. “It’s my experi- ence that maybe one out of 5,000 people that contact me [about performing an exorcism] is a true case of demonic possession.” In undertaking an exorcism, the Church first looks at a person from three different perspectives -- the spiritual, the psychological and the physical. A candi- date for an exorcism would first have to have some type of psychological evaluation, a physical examination by their family doctor, and then the priest would meet with them. “It should be the priest, doctor and psychologist working together to bring relief into the life of the per- son who is suffering,” Father Lampert said. “Again, it’s my experience that maybe one out of every 5,000 peo- ple is actually possessed. Because I’m publically known, I think I encounter more people who are pos- sessed because they seek me out.” To see Father Lampert’s talk, visit Holy Family Parish’s YouTube page or click on the QR Code. Father Lampert’s book, Exorcism: The Battle Against Satan and His Demons , is available onAmazon. com. Priest who is popular podcaster urges Catholics to ‘get back in the game’ BY DANIEL MELOY PLYMOUTH, Mich. ( OSV News ) -- The greatest basketball players of all time aren’t remembered because they never committed a foul, but because of how they played the game, Father Mike Schmitz told an estimated 1,000 Catholics at a seminar in Plymouth. Likewise, the greatest saints of the Catholic Church aren’t remembered because they never sinned, but because they played to win, he said. “Father Mike,” as he is known from his wildly suc- cessful podcasts, including “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year,” kicked off the third season of a monthly speaker series in the Detroit Archdiocese with his address Aug. 8. He stressed how, all too often, Christians dwell too much on the times when they have fallen or might fall, and not enough on the end goal. “So many times we Christians act like we don’t know what it’s like to play to win,” said Father Schmitz, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota. “We know what it’s like to play not to lose, and there is a huge difference. Players who play not to lose, play scared. As opposed to those who play to win, who make an error and think, ‘OK, on to the next thing.’ Tonight, let’s have a radical mind shift to Father Mike Schmitz, the popular host of Ascension Press Media’s “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” podcasts, speaks Aug. 8 at St. John’s Resort in Plymouth, Mich. Father Schmitz, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minn., kicked off a speaker series in the Detroit Archdiocese with a lecture on the cardinal virtues. OSV News photo/Daniel Meloy, Detroit Catholic have the life of a Christian who plays to win.” Father Schmitz said the goal in life isn’t to be per- fect, but to fulfill the meaning God intends for each and every one of his creations. SEE SCHMITZ SEMINAR, PAGE 17