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The Rite of Exorcism

Prayer Against Satan And The Rebellious Angels

The Holy Father exhorts priests to say this prayer as often as possible, as a simple exorcism to curb the

power of the devil and prevent him from doing harm. The faithful also may say it in their own name,

for the same purpose, as any approved prayer Its use is recommended whenever action of the devil issuspected, causing malice in men, violent temptations and even storms and various calamities. It could

be used as a solemn exorcism (an official and public ceremony, in Latin), to expel the devil. It would

then be said by a priest, in the name of the Church and only with a Bishop's permission.

Prayer To Saint Michael The Archangel

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in "our battleagainst principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spirits of

wickedness in the high places" (Eph., VI,12). Come to the assistance of men whom God has created to

His likeness and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Holy Church

venerates thee as her guardian and protector; to thee, the Lord has entrusted the souls of the redeemedto be led into heaven. Pray therefore the God of Peace to crush Satan beneath our feet, that he may no

longer retain men captive and do injury to the Church. Offer our prayers to the Most High, that without

delay they may draw His mercy down upon us; take hold of "the dragon, the old serpent, which is thedevil and Satan", bind him that he may no longer seduce the nations" (Apoc. XX,2).

Exorcism

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the ImmaculateVirgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul

and all the Saints. (and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry)*, we confidently undertake to

repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.

* Lay people omit the parenthesis above.

PSALM 67: God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke

is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of

God.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee bands of enemies.

R. He has conquered, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David.

V. May thy mercy, Lord, descend upon us.

R. As great as our hope in Thee.

[The crosses below indicate a blessing to be given if a priest recites the Exorcism; if a lay person

recites it, they indicate the Sign of the Cross to be made silently by that person.]

We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all

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wicked legions, assemblies and sects; in the Name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ,+ may

you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made to the image and

likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb. +

Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church,torment God's elect and sift them as wheat.+ The Most High God commands you,+ He with whom, in

your great insolence, you still claim to be equal; "He who wants all men to be saved and to come to the

knowledge of the truth" (I Tim., II,4). God the Father commands you. + God the Son commands you. +God the Holy Ghost commands you. + Christ, God's Word made flesh, commands you; + He who tosave our race outdone through your envy, "humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death"

(Phil.,II,8); He who has built His Church on the firm rock and declared that the gates of hell shall not

prevail against Her, because He will dwell with Her "all days even to the end of the world"(Mat.,XXVIII,20). The sacred Sign of the Cross commands you, + as does also the power of the

mysteries of the Christian Faith. + The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you. + The

blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of all the Saints command you. +

Thus, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God, + by the true God, +by the holy God, + by the God "who so loved the world that He gave up His only Son, that every soul

believing in Him might not perish but have life everlasting" (St.John,III); stop deceiving human

creatures and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation; stop harming the Church andhindering her liberty.

Begone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation. Give place to Christ in

whom you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church

acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood. Stoop beneath the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble andflee when we invoke the Holy and terrible Name of Jesus, this Name which causes hell to tremble, this

Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of heaven are humbly submissive, this Name

which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the God

of Hosts.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. May the Lord be with thee.

R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray. - God of heaven, God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God

of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God who has powerto give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no

other, for Thou art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of whose reign there shall be no end,

we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy

power from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits, from their snares, their lies and their furious

wickedness; deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to keep us safe and sound. Webeseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord. That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty,

we beseech Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee to hear us.

That Thou may crush down all enemies of Thy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.

(Holy water is sprinkled in the place where we my be.)

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Alternate text

O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare

which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits

of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness,and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.

Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought theleader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was

there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil orSatan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval

enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with

all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of His

Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory.This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved

mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impiety,

and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall andbitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most

sacred possessions. In the holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and

the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety,with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.

Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God,

and give them victory.. They venerate thee as the protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as

her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to beestablished in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet,

so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our

prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; andbeating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, so thou again make him

captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.

R. The Lion of the tribe of Juda has conquered, the root of David.

V. Let thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.

R. As we have hoped in thee.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And Let my cry come unto thee.

Let us pray

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as supplicants we implore

thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of theglorious Archangel St. Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean

spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.