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The author of a brand new book called Exorcism, Father Vincent Lampert explains exorcism as a ministry of charity. The long-time exorcist of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has seen many strange things, but insists that the most important lesson from exorcisms is to rely on Christ, who is the help of all in need.
Cy Kellett:
Let’s talk with an exorcist, right now on Catholic Answers Focus.
Hello, and welcome to Focus, the Catholic Answers podcast for living, understanding, and defending your Catholic faith. I’m Cy Kellett, your host. If you generally choose to listen to this podcast alone at night, not this one. Don’t do that this time. Turn on the lights. Maybe wait till morning, get a friend to come over, because we’re talking with father Vincent Lampert, the exorcist of the archdiocese of Indianapolis who has a wonderful new book out on exorcism. Actually probably the best book you will find on exorcism. He’s not a dramatic person, as you’ll see, but towards the end of this interview gets a little bit interesting. Just turn it off if it’s night. Go listen to a different episode. Get to this one in the morning.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Focus on Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen so that you’ll be notified when new podcasts are available. Please give us that five star review. Maybe leave a comment so others will be encouraged to listen to the podcasts. Now, well, you probably paused it and now it’s the next morning, so welcome. Good morning. I’m glad you have your coffee. Now our conversation with Father Vincent Lampert, an exorcist.
I imagine there are a few professions where you’re at a party and someone says, “What do you do?” like, “I’m a Navy Seal,” or, “I’m a jet fighter pilot,” that elicit a reaction. I can’t imagine, Father, what, “Oh, I’m an exorcist,” elicits.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Well, normally people don’t believe it. They’re like, “You’re kidding. The church still believes that? The church still does that?”
Cy Kellett:
Oh, yeah, yeah. Skepticism.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
There’s a lot of it out there. Yes, definitely.
Cy Kellett:
Then do you also get the just people who would like to know the gory details? They’d like to know if it’s really like it is in the movie?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Everybody likes the gory details, the sensationalism. You know, if you’re going to give a talk on Jesus, 20 people are going to show up. If you’re going to talk about the devil, 200 people will show up, standing room only, because everybody wants to hear about the theatrical of the devil.
Cy Kellett:
Well, all right then. You caught us. That’s why we’re doing this program. No, I’m just kidding. Actually, the book, I got an opportunity to read it and I appreciated that in no way is it shying away from the meat of the matter, which is evil and the influence of the devil and evil spirits, but it’s not sensationalist at all. It’s actually quite, it reads more as informative to me, like this is who the devil is, and this is who God is, but also the practical side of it. This is how the church selects its exorcists, and this is the practical. Is that what you were looking for to kind of just inform people about what this is?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Exactly, because I’ve been an exorcist since 2000 and there’re so many misconceptions out there. I receive about 1,800 calls a day, or every year, 1,800 calls a year from people all over the states, other parts of the world, and a lot of people don’t have a full understanding of what exorcism really is. My purpose in the book was try to educate people on the topic and how the church approaches this ministry.
Cy Kellett:
You do give kind of an intro to the devil in there. What is it that people need to know about the devil and maybe about devils and demons in general?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Well, but the most important thing they need to know is that the devil and evil is a reality. There’s a lot of people today that would say that evil is nothing more than humanity’s inhumane treatment of one another, that it’s something of our own making. But my purpose in the book was to let people know that the church has consistently throughout her history talked about the fact that evil is personified in what we call the devil and the other fallen angels, the demons if you will.
Cy Kellett:
How do these personalities, these creatures who have rejected God, how do they have an influence on us? What’s our relationship with them?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Well, they know that we as humans still are capable of that which they have rejected, namely to be with God for all eternity. So the fact that there are deprived of that because of a free choice that they made, they would want humanity to make the same choice that they’ve made. They seek our eternal damnation so they can watch and observe us, and they can try to attempt us to get us to trip up if you will, and rather than following the path of God, begin to follow the path that they would lay out for humanity.
Cy Kellett:
Is this just mere temptation? I don’t mean mere, because it can be an extreme, it can be a cross to bear, but temptation, which I think we’re all familiar with, is the primary weapon of the demons against us.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
I would say that the demons have a two-stage level of attack. It can be extraordinary. It can be ordinary. Now, ordinary demonic activity would be temptation that we all struggle with, but the Church does identify four other types of extraordinary demonic activity by which the devil and his demons would try to trip us up. You can think of demonic infestation, the presence of evil in a location or associated with an object; demonic vexations, physical attacks; demonic obsession, mental attacks; and then demonic possession whereby the devil or one of his demons would take control of a person’s body treating that body as if it were its own.
Cy Kellett:
How does one come to know that something … For example, a physical struggle that one might have, one can imagine the physical pain or affliction might come from a disorder of the body. It might come from a disorder of the mind. But if it could come from also from a demonic power, how does one identify? It seems very hard to make these distinctions.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
That’s why exorcists are trained to be skeptics. I should be the last one to believe that someone is truly up against the forces of evil. The Church would want to rule out any other possible explanation.
Here in the United States, there’s a protocol that we follow. Somebody contacts me. I would want to know if they’ve had some type of a psychiatric evaluation or if they’ve had a physical examination by their medical doctor. The Church wants experts in the mental health field and also medical doctors to weigh in just so that we can have a clear understanding of what we’re dealing with.
The Church says that I should reach moral certitude, meaning beyond a doubt that I believe that this person is afflicted by a demon, before proceeding with the official rite of the church. Now, medical doctors and mental health professionals are not being asked if they believe someone is possessed or dealing with the demonic. The Church herself will make that determination, but the Church does want experts in these fields to weigh in on the matter.
Cy Kellett:
For example, someone could have an affliction of the mind in which they believe themselves to be afflicted by evil spirits, but that belief doesn’t mean that they are.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Correct. I can tell you that, of those 1,800 callers a year that I get, most of those people have already self diagnosed. They already believe they’re up against the demonic, so they’re not asking me to help them sort out what may be happening in their lives. They already believe they’re dealing with the demonic and they’re looking for exorcism prayers. But I’ve always believed that the Church would do greater harm if it labels someone is dealing with the demonic if in fact it’s really a medical or a mental health issue, so I really want to give people the help that they truly need, not the help that perhaps they think they need.
Cy Kellett:
What happens when you as the exorcist for the diocese come to that moral certainty that this is an affliction, this is a demonic affliction that this person faces?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Then getting permission from my bishop, because the bishop is the exorcist in his diocese.
Cy Kellett:
Okay.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Then he can delegate that authority to one or more of his priests, either on an individual basis. A bishop could delegate any of his priests to perform an exorcism, or he can appoint one on a stable basis saying, “This is my go-to guy here in the diocese for any possible cases of people dealing with the demonic.” The bishop would have the final say on whether or not an exorcism will be performed. Then if he gives the green light, then I would proceed with doing the ritual.
Cy Kellett:
How are the sacraments connected to this, the exorcism itself?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
That’s a very good insight, because the first thing when someone comes to me is I will ask them about their own spiritual life. Now, what’s interesting is that more than half of the people who contact me are not Catholic. They’re coming from other Christian faith traditions. They may come from other world religions. They may come from no faith background whatsoever. But if one is a Catholic, a question I would ask them is, “Are you going to church? Are you praying? Are you celebrating the sacramental life of the Church?” Because it’s important for people to be doing the ordinary aspects of our Catholic faith.
People don’t really need to do anything extraordinary. Always a good place to begin is somebody comes to me and if they seem to be troubled or afflicted, hear their confession, perhaps the anointing of the sick. Even Father Gabriele Amorth, the former chief exorcist in Rome, used to say that a good confession is better than an exorcism, because a sacrament is of a weightier nature than a sacramental, and an exorcism is a sacramental within the church.
Cy Kellett:
But you could do an exorcism … Say, for example, someone who’s a Hindu person comes to you and you come to a moral certainty that this person is afflicted. You as a Catholic priest can assist that person?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Absolutely, because the Church recognizes exorcism as a ministry of charity. As a ministry of charity, the Church would always offer help to those who reach out to her. Now, obviously as Christians, we’re going to operate according to how the ritual is done within our church, so the person who’s a non-Catholic, maybe from another world religions such as being a Hindu, they would at least have to be receptive to the Catholic approach to doing an exorcism.
Cy Kellett:
Does it work? I mean, like, I suppose maybe I get this from the movies. You have this sense of we’re trying, we’re trying, but we just can’t get this devil out of this person. Is it that kind of thing, or is it in most cases the ritual itself done in faith and done properly is effective?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Done in faith and done properly is effective, as you say. Faith is the key ingredient. If you read through the scriptures, whenever Jesus encountered a lack of faith in people, especially when he returned to his hometown of Nazareth, it says that he wasn’t able to do much there, so much that their lack of faith distressed him. Faith is the key ingredient.
I like to remind people that in an exorcism, Jesus is not a bystander. He’s the main actor. It’s really what Christ is doing through the Church and through the Church’s minister, but it’s always the power and the authority of Christ. If we’re relying on me, we’re all in trouble.
Cy Kellett:
I see.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
But if we’re relying on Christ, that’s exactly where we need to be.
Cy Kellett:
Does an exorcist ever have anxiety about maybe my faith is weak today, or I am not feeling like a holy person today, or do you just trust that Christ is going to do the job if you do your job?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
The trust is always in Christ. I have to prepare myself before doing an exorcism. I also like to say there’s no such thing as an emergency exorcism. Usually when the ritual of the church is done too hastily is when the exorcist may get himself in trouble.
It would be important for me to prepare myself by celebrating mass, going to confession, spending time in prayer, reaching out to others that I would ask to pray during the time that I would be performing an exorcism. I would also determine who else I would invite to be present for this particular prayer of the church. These are people who are there to be prayer warriors. There’s no such thing as exorcism tourism. People aren’t there just out of a sense of curiosity, but they’re there to participate in the prayer of the church, but always allowing the exorcist to be the one who is in control of this particular prayer.
Cy Kellett:
How long would that period of preparation take?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
It can be a matter of hours. It can take a few days. It really just depends on the level of the presence of the demonic that the person may have. I’ve worked with people for well over a year before they were free. I’ve worked with people and within 45 minutes then the demons have been cast out. God is the one who always determines the moment of when a person will be set free, but even if the rite has to be performed over and over again, it always provides some benefit for the person who is afflicted, even if they don’t achieve complete liberation at that particular moment.
Cy Kellett:
You know, when you say that about the freedom and liberation, what comes to mind is the words of the Lord about the person who the demons leave them and then come back later. I’m not remembering where it is in the scripture.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
It’s in Luke’s gospel. It talks about once the demon has been cast out, it goes and wanders through the arid wasteland and coming back and finding the house swept clean, meaning the demon’s been cast out but God hasn’t been invited in. Then it goes and finds seven other demons worse than itself, and then they come and take up residence in the person.
What’s important about that point that you make is it’s not just about casting evil out. One has to want to invite God in. That’s really a good point, because I’m encountering so many people today that believe they’re dealing with the demonic, but they want nothing to do with God.
Cy Kellett:
Oh, yeah.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
They just want me to fix their problem, but they don’t really want to make a commitment to God and to grow in faith, holiness, and virtue.
Cy Kellett:
It’s very mechanical, as if like you needed a haircut or something. Just take care of the …
Fr. Vince Lampert:
The danger, I think, is that exorcists today are being viewed as magicians.
Cy Kellett:
Oh, I see.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
A lot of people who say, “There’s a Catholic priest. He has his bag of tricks. He has his crucifix and holy water. He has the ritual of exorcism.”
Cy Kellett:
Would you say that there’s a greater … We hear this idea that there’s more exorcisms now, there’s more need for exorcists now. One sees all this kind of material evidence that there’s something wrong in our society with just how angry people are and how confused and the things people will do that they wouldn’t do before. Is this all of a piece, and is it true that there’s more need for exorcists now than there was say a 100 years ago or 50 years ago?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
I would say that’s true. But the point I would make is I don’t believe that the devil has upped his game today. I just believe that there’s more people today that are willing to play the devil’s game. I would tie that into the growing trend of a lack of faith in society today.
You know, many studies recently now suggest that many people who grew up in traditional Christian homes no longer profess a belief in God. Many people claim to be atheist now. Faith in God will lead us in one direction. The lack of faith will lead us in another. Because faith is in decline, I think that’s what is giving the devil the upper hand right now. I think that’s why there’s a greater call for exorcisms. Just because there’s a greater call for them doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily needed.
Cy Kellett:
I see. I see. What are the things that … I wonder as an exorcists, you see the kind of end result of choices that have been made earlier. Are there things where you see people taking something casually or treating something as innocuous where you as the exorcist go, “No, you should not be doing that. You really should not be involved with that”?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Yes. When someone comes to me, one of the things that I would do is try to determine if this is of a demonic nature, what was the entry point? What did the person do to open up a doorway to evil into their life, if you will? Even the Vatican has put out a series of questions. There’s a Vatican course on exorcism that’s held every year, and there’s a whole series of intake questions that the exorcist can use to help him determine where the entry point may have been.
An example would be ties to the occult. There’s a lot of people today that believe that occult practices, going to see a psychic or a medium, trying to communicate with the dead, playing with things like Ouija boards and whatnot, they think it’s just all fun and entertainment, it’s just games, but they don’t realize that they’re actually dabbling with evil. Inadvertently, they may be opening up an entry point to evil into their lives. Again, they may think it’s just fun and entertaining, but in reality they’re dealing with evil.
Cy Kellett:
Father, I would like to never be in need of your services. That being the case-
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Put me out of business.
Cy Kellett:
Yeah. I would love it for you to be out of business. I’m sure you would as well. Just celebrate the sacraments. But I’d love you to be out of the exorcism business. How do I keep you out of that business? Like tell me as just an ordinary Catholic, how do I avoid involvement with these evil persons?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Well, the first thing is just to know our Catholic faith. There’s so many people today that may not have a good understanding or appreciation of the Catholic faith. Do we read the catechism of the Catholic Church? Are we reading the Bible? Are we going to mass consistently? Are we celebrating the sacraments consistently? Are we spending time in prayer?
The Church has a great treasure trove of many wonderful things that can help us to grow in holiness and virtue. One can do a holy hour ,pray in front of the blessed sacrament, pray the rosary. The Blessed Mother is a powerful ally for anyone who believes they’re up against the forces of evil. Again, it’s the ordinary aspects of our Catholic faith that will keep evil at bay.
But again, I think there are times where people say, “Well, what the Church says about that is really kind of out of step with modern society. There’s really nothing wrong with going to see a psychic for example.” But again, those are ways that people are dabbling with evil, and in doing so, we’re demonstrating a weakness in our faith and our commitment to God.
I can give an example. There is a major city here in the Midwest where the local bishop had asked me to write a little article, because across the street from a church was a lady that did palm reading. Many Catholics on Sunday would go to mass, walk across the street, and then have their palm read and see nothing inconsistent about that.
Cy Kellett:
Oh, yeah.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Again, just viewing it as entertainment, but not realizing that they were dabbling with something evil.
Cy Kellett:
Wow. Yeah. Well, I mean, I suppose that has to do with our formation in these days that we’re not formed to, I suppose, deny ourselves these entanglements with the world and the devil and in order to be fully attached to Jesus, that that’s just not the kind of catechesis we get.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Yep. I think there’s a lot of Catholics too that just don’t believe in the devil.
Cy Kellett:
I see.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
They don’t believe the devil is a reality. You wonder then, what is their view of the Church? Is it just a club, something that you’re doing on Sundays? But really is it about eternal salvation? The name Jesus means God saves, and what is he saving us from? My answer would be he’s saving us from something evil.
Cy Kellett:
Yes, right. I wonder how people make sense of the fact that he himself was an exorcist. It’s absolutely clear this is one of the main three pillars of what he does, including healing. He heals people, he casts out demons, and he sanctifies people. Could you say something about Jesus himself in the scriptures as we meet him there as an exorcist?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Yeah. I think there’s a lot of people that downplay that role. I’ve heard people say, “Well, Jesus knew that these people weren’t possessed, but because during that particular moment in history people believed in demon possession, he was just feeding into what they’ve already believed.” But I think that’s reading too much into it, because as you just pointed out, Jesus makes a clear distinction between those who were suffering from physical elements, of which he cured them, and he made the distinction between those who were dealing with the demonic who were possessed.
Cy Kellett:
Yeah, and he also wasn’t like sneaky or devious. Like he wouldn’t tell people, “I’m casting out demons,” when he was healing. That’s inconsistent with his personality.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
It wasn’t meant to be anything terrifying.
Cy Kellett:
No.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
It wasn’t anything to be afraid of.
Cy Kellett:
Well, I have to say something though to you, Father. Were I a priest and the bishop said to me, “Hey, I think you’d be a great exorcist,” I wouldn’t want the job. I suppose I’m ashamed to admit this, but I’d be afraid. I don’t really want to face demons. You don’t experience that?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Well, I might share a little bit about how I became the exorcist.
Cy Kellett:
Okay.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
The archdiocese of Indianapolis historically has always had a stably appointed exorcist. Our exorcist died in 2005, and then the Archbishop we knew was probably looking for a replacement, so all the priests were trying to stay under the radar. I happened to be at the Archbishop’s residence for a meeting one day and he looked at me, and I was planning to be on sabbatical in Rome in the early part of 2006. He said, “Since you’re going to be on sabbatical, I’m appointing you to be the exorcist.” He even said, “I have no idea what I’m asking you to do, but while you’re in Rome, I want you to research this topic and to get the training that you need.” Then he’s like, “Let’s go on to our meeting,” and I was just sitting there dumbfounded completely.
Cy Kellett:
Yeah. That’s a very casual way. Yeah.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
That was Archbishop Daniel Buechlein. He was say a Benedictine monk from Saint Meinrad in Southern Indiana. He has since passed away, but over the years we would have a lot of good laughs. He would say, “The reason I appointed you was because I needed a priest who believed in the reality of evil, but not one who would be too readily to believe that everyone who comes to him is actually dealing with the demonic.”
Cy Kellett:
Right.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
I would say to him, “Hey, Archbishop, I was talking to some of our younger priest and one of them wants to be the exorcist,” and he says, “I worry about anybody that would want the job.” He said, “The fact that you weren’t looking for it means you’re the great candidate.” Then I would say, “Archbishop, I really want to do this.” He’s like, “No, no, no. You’re not trying to fool me.” He goes, “You’re going to continue doing this ministry.”
Cy Kellett:
Nice.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
When he retired early because of health, I asked him, I said, “Now, does my appointment go away?” Because normally when a bishop retires, then certain appointments go away. He’s like, “No, no, no, no, no.” He goes, “Yours is a pastoral appointment, so it will continue on.” Then I’ve been reappointed by the bishops that have since succeeded him here in Indianapolis.
Cy Kellett:
Can’t get out of the job. Well, so on that question of fear, just two things. One, do you in the course of exorcism have exorcisms that are more extreme and less extreme so that in some instances you might not see and hear things that are extraordinary but in other instances it might be quite extraordinary? Like people speaking in languages that they don’t know. I don’t know, having extraordinary physical powers and the things that we associate with possession. Do they kind of have a gradation like that?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
They do. The Church trains exorcists to look for four things, the ability to speak and understand languages otherwise unknown to the individual, superhuman strength, elevated perception, knowledge about things the person shouldn’t otherwise know, and then an aversion to anything of a sacred nature, such as being blessed with holy water, being shown a crucifix, having a relic laid on your head during a prayer. If these things elicit some type of a demonic response, then these are things that can help me determine what it is that I’m dealing with and what level of the demonic is present. Because usually when somebody is possessed, it’s not a question of one demon, but of many demons. Usually there’s a cluster, and there’s one that’s more dominant.
When the angels fell from grace, they fell from the different ranks of the choirs of angels, so there is a ranking. There is a hierarchy within the demonic world as well. Based on the level of the demonic that I’m dealing with could determine whether or when the liberation will take place for the individual.
Cy Kellett:
You’re saying sometimes an individual might know things about you as the exorcist that they shouldn’t know? Like they’ll tell you things?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Yes, and that’s why … It’s not the individual would know that, but the demon would know that, because the exorcist is trained to always make the clear distinction between the person as an individual created in the image and likeness of God and now the presence of the demon that is using that body as if it were its own.
Demons can watch and observe us, and so there is that fear that during an exorcism that maybe the demon, once it manifests, starts spouting out the sins of the priest or those others who are present in the room. Again, that’s why I mentioned earlier, there’s no such thing as an emergency exorcism. It’s always very important to follow the prescribed ritual of the Church and the steps of preparation. If I prepare myself properly, I don’t have anything to be concerned about.
In all the manifestations that take place, the things that people are interested in, the foaming at the mouth, the eyes rolled in the back of the head, the growling, the snarling, maybe levitating, crawling up the wall like a spider, I mean, I’ve seen all these types of things over the years, but these are things that the demons are doing to instill fear. The demons want me and those others who are present to say, “Wow, look at what the devil is doing.” But I’ve learned over the years not to focus on these theatrics of the devil, but to stay focused on the prayer of the Church. I’m not interested in what the devil is doing. I’m more interested in what God is doing to bring liberation and freedom to this person who is suffering from the demonic.
Now, I’ve been doing this for 15 years. Now, early on, I can tell you there was a lot of apprehension doing an exorcism for the very first time. When I was in Rome for three months, I participated in 40 exorcisms that the Franciscan priest who trained me allowed me to sit in on, but he was doing it. I was just there to observe. But once back here in the States, it’s me now. I can’t rely on him. I have to rely on the training that I received and then again the power and the authority of Christ that he’s given to the Church.
Cy Kellett:
There even can be the breaking of physical laws like that, like climbing up a wall or levitating? That kind of thing could happen?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Because the devil can play on a person’s memory and imagination. The question would be, is it really happening or is that what I believe is happening because the devil is manipulating my imagination?
Cy Kellett:
Yeah. I would be asking that as I was running down the street.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
One of the exorcisms in Rome-
Cy Kellett:
I’m very impressed that you stay there. Say again.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
One of the exorcisms in Rome, a person levitated. As the demon started to levitate, and it’s this crazy hysterical laughter, and the eyes were rolled in the back of the head, and I’m looking at that, but then I was more interested in what the priest who was training me did. He wasn’t even phased by it. He simply continued to pray. He reached over at one point, put his hand on the head of the person, pushed the person back into the chair, and continued to pray. He didn’t even flinch.
I learned that important lesson. Who cares what the devil is trying to do? Stay focused on what God is doing. I’m not terrified at all in doing exorcisms. I’m not terrified of manifestations or-
Cy Kellett:
Wow.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Those types of things, because I know the power of God is greater than the power of evil.
Cy Kellett:
I guess that’s where I wanted to end with you. I want to recommend again to people the book Exorcism: The Battle Against Satan and His Demons. As you can tell from this interview, Father Vincent Lampert is a very reasonable and well-reasoned person, but very helpful in understanding what exactly the Church means by exorcism and by all of these things. I will recommend to you again the book Exorcism: The Battle Against Satan and His Demons.
But I was wondering, Father, before we go about what being the exorcist has done to your life of faith. Also, Father without prying, but I mean you hear about doctors who become somewhat tired and traumatized by emergency situations, or police officers or soldiers. I wonder if there’s a positive for your faith life, but I wonder if there’s also a cost in being somewhat dealing with these extreme things so often?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Yeah. On the first part of the question, I would say that being an exorcist has helped to rediscover priesthood as a vocation, vocation meaning a calling from God. Because there’s a danger for priests today, because there’s fewer and fewer of us, to see priesthood as an occupation, something that we do rather than something that God has called us to do. I’ve been a priest now for 29 years, and I would say that as an exorcist, I’ve rediscovered my vocation as a priest.
The second part of your question is true. Dealing with people that are on the fringes, dealing with the demonic can be very draining and taxing. Again, as I mentioned earlier, I get over 1,800 communications a year from all kinds of people, and certainly I can’t minister to all these people. I network with other exorcists across the United States and even other parts of the world and try to connect with people with someone in their local area, but there’s no way that I can help everyone who reaches out to me. Some people, when I tell them that, can be very angry and upset and make all kinds of negative comments and things like that.
I’ve rediscovered what it means to be a priest, but there is a price to pay for that, because I also realize that maybe some of the things that priests worry about in parish life don’t really seem to be that important to me when you put it up against dealing with the demonic. Some of the day-to-day, in and out worries at the parish, there’s a clogged toilet or a roof that’s leaking, these things in the grand scheme of life just really don’t matter to me because I realize there’s things of a greater nature that need to be addressed.
Cy Kellett:
What a beautiful testimony Father. Again, Father Vincent Lampert, our guest. The book is Exorcism: The Battle Against Satan and His Demons. May I ask you for your blessing on us and our listeners before we go, Father?
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Absolutely. Thanks for having me here today, and let’s offer up this prayer. In the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Loving God, we ask your blessing upon all of our listeners who are gathered here today. We pray that you will continue to watch over, bless, and protect them. Certainly keep them safe from the presence of evil in their lives. But even more importantly, may they always see how you are active in their lives, and may your face shine brightly in them and in all of their loved ones. We ask your blessing upon everyone now in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
Cy Kellett:
Amen.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
Amen.
Cy Kellett:
Father Vincent Lampert, thank you so much. It was just delightful to spend time with you, and I hope that especially young men listening might listen for that call, because it’s a beautiful testimony to the vocation of the priesthood as something absolutely vital, something that Catholics and non-Catholics, everybody needs a Catholic priest. Thank you, Father.
Fr. Vince Lampert:
You’re welcome. Thank you. God bless.
Cy Kellett:
One of the things that I learned from Father Lampert, and I really appreciated learning it, that exorcist is an act of charity on behalf of the Church, so it can be something that’s offered to anyone, whether they’re Catholic or not and it gives us a sense of the love of Jesus for every one of his children. When we focused on that, the demons are much less scary. Although I have to say, I got a little freaked out by some of what he said, I feel less freaked out now, because Jesus loves us and he has the power. There’s nothing to worry about if we put ourselves in his hand.
I hope you’ll enjoy Father Vincent Lampert’s book. Don’t forget if you’ve got an idea for a future episode, and some people have been sending those, we really appreciate it, send it to our email focus@catholic.com. focus@catholic.com. If you’re watching on YouTube, please like and subscribe. That makes all the difference to us. And please consider supporting this podcast and helping to grow it. You can do that by going to givecatholic.com and making your donation givecatholic.com.
Once again, I’m Cy Kellett your host. This is Catholic Answers Focus, and we’ll see you next time right here, God willing, on Catholic Answers Focus.