US bishops release translation of exorcism rituals

Oct. 25: Pope Francis acknowledges faithful during his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square. The Vatican reportedly approved an English-language translation of the exorcism rituals (AP)

The Vatican approved an English-language translation of the exorcism rituals, reports said.

The rituals were first officially promulgated in 1999 in the De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam, which codified centuries-old unofficial practices by the clergy, the Daily Mail reported.

The translation is being published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Although distribution of the new document, titled “Exorcisms and Related Supplications," is restricted to bishops, other interested parties can obtain a copy by seeking a bishop's permission, according to the Catholic Herald.

Church Canon law automatically affords bishops the authority to conduct exorcisms, but properly trained priests can also act as exorcists with a bishop's prior approval.

An appendix to the new translation, titled "'Supplications Which May Be Used by the Faithful Privately in Their Struggle Against the Powers of Darkness," is being sold online and is intended for use by private individuals, including those suffering from demonic possession and their family and friends.

While the new translation will help parties involved in an excorcism to fully understand the proceedings, some members of the Church do not see it as a game-changer.

“The first and foremost reason for an exorcism is to rid the person of the demon," Fr. Andrew Menke, the executive director of the USCCB's Secretariat of Divine Worship, told the Catholic News. "And whether the person understands what’s being said or not is irrelevant on one level. They just want to be free of this oppression."