Imaginary Modern Catholic Baptismal Exorcisms

JMJ

This is a reblog of a note I posted in April 2023 in A List of Articles with Tradicat's Quick Comments.

It is a good example of changes that happened elsewhere in the Catholic Rituals. As you can read below, the change is significant, explicit and fairly incredible.

In other words, I fail to see how something can be called an exorcism that doesn't explicitly say what the priest it doing - which is ordering the unclean spirit(s) to depart.

P^3

I was at a meeting where a Catholic Diocesan Priest claimed that the exorcisms remain in the modern ritual of baptism. A quick review of the current and previous rites makes it obvious that what is presented as an "exorcism", is actually just a narrative.

In 1964, the words were explicit and meant what was said. In the new liturgy, the word exorcism is a label but there is no content. It is bland.

So ... looking at the Rituale Romanum (1964) we read:

Depart from him (her), unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Advocate.

God's creature, salt, I cast out the demon from you, in the name of God the Father almighty, in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the strength of the Holy Spirit. I purify you by the living God, the true God, the holy God, by God who created you to be a preservative for mankind, and ordered you to be sanctified by His ministers for the benefit of the people who are about to embrace the faith. In the name of the Blessed Trinity may you become a saving sign empowered to drive away the enemy. Therefore, we beg you, Lord, our God, to sanctify and to bless this creature, salt, thus providing a perfect remedy for all who receive it, one that will permeate their inmost being. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.

I cast you out, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Depart and stay far away from this servant (these servants) of God, N. (N. and N.). For it is the Lord Himself who commands you, accursed and doomed spirit, He who walked on the sea and reached out His hand to Peter as he was sinking. So then, foul fiend, recall the curse that decided your fate once for all. Indeed, pay homage to the living and true God, pay homage to Jesus Christ, His Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Keep far from this servant (these servants) of God, N. (N. and N.), for Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, has freely called him (her) (them) to His holy grace and blessed way and to the waters of baptism.

Looking at the current rite as published in some Dioscesan websites we read:

--- Prayer of Exorcism and Anointing Before Baptism --- After the invocation, the celebrant says:Almighty and ever-living God, you sent your only Son into the world to cast out the power of Satan, spirit of evil, to rescue man from the kingdom of darkness, and bring him into the splendor of your kingdom of light. We pray for this child: set him (her) free from original sin, make him (her) a temple of your glory, and send your Holy Spirit to dwell with him (her). We ask this through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.
Just in case there is a concern that this isn't real - here's the text that I found in the "National Bulletin on Liturgy 1970"

PRAYER OF EXORCISM AND ANOINTING BEFORE BAPTISM 49. After the invocations, the celebrant says: (a) Almighty and ever-living God, you sent your only Son into the world to cast out the power of Satan, spirit of evil, to rescue man from the kingdom of darkness, and bring him into the splendor of your kingdom of light.

RITE OF BAPTISM FOR SEVERAL CHILDREN All: We pray for these children: set them free from original sin, make them temples of your glory, and send your Holy Spirit to dwell within them. (We ask this) through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Another form of the prayer of exorcism: (b) Almighty God, All: you sent your only Son to rescue us from the slavery of sin, and to give us the freedom only your sons and daughters enjoy. We now pray for these children who will have to face the world with its temptations, and fight the devil in all his cunning. Your Son died and rose again to save us. By his victory over sin and death, bring these children out of the power of darkness. Strengthen them with the grace of Christ, and watch over them at every step in life's journey. (We ask this) through Christ our Lord.

The alternative version (#221) is:

III. ANOTHER FORM OF THE PRAYER OF EXORCISM 221. Almighty God, All: you sent your only Son to rescue us from the slavery of sin, and to give us the freedom only your sons and daughters enjoy. We now pray for these children who will have to face the world with its temptations,. and fight the devil in all his cunning. Your Son died and rose again to save us. By his victory over sin and death, bring these children out of the power of darkness. Strengthen them with the grace of Christ, and watch over them at every step in life's journey. (We ask this) through Christ our Lord .. Amen.
: New translation of absolution prayer - Arlington Catholic Herald; Catholic.sk - Rite of Baptism; The Old Rite of Baptism — Catholic Sacramentals; Baptisms in the Extraordinary Form; Should the Church Consider Reintroducing the Exorcism Prayers in the Rite of Baptism? - Community in Mission; Can Those Who Missed Out on Traditional Baptism Get the Exorcisms “Supplied”? - OnePeterFive; Minor exorcism in Christianity - Wikipedia; The Liturgy of Baptism - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah

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