Need to Know
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
No, it’s the name of Jesus that demons hate, not the language. Jesus is going to protect anyone who calls upon Him no matter what language, to think otherwise is to lessen God at the expense of an accidental, in this case, language.
I have heard it from at least one priest that I trust that this is a time honored truth. Demons also do not like bells. I believe that is why St Damien was so keen to get them for his church at Molokai.
In the fight against the Enemy, I will gladly use a dirk or a pikestaff and not stop long to debate the relative virtues of each.
There’s a cute story about Mayor Edward Koch and Cardinal O’Connor, who were longtime friends. Koch had suffered a heart attack, and woke up at the hospital with O’Connor praying by his bedside. O’Connor asked Koch if it was ok that he was praying in Latin. Koch replied that he was pretty sure God only heard prayers in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.
I believe both Fr Amorth and Fr Ripperger, both trained exorcists, have confirmed that the soldiers of the Enemy do, indeed, hate Latin passionately. Of course they hate the name of the Lord just as much. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Why, exactly, would demons hate Latin more than any other language when Jesus himself spoke Aramaic? If Latin is more effective than English then I would think an Aramaic rite of exorcism would be even more effective.
It’s said that the inscription on the Cross “This is Jesus, King of the Jews” was written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. I don’t know if that matters.
“Why, exactly, would demons hate Latin more than any other language?”
Latin, in itself, is a language, perhaps not more or less holy than others. …Given the Roman Empire’s reputation, Latin arguably expressed many quite…foul…ideas for a long time. Yet, ….Latin WAS the vernacular in the Church in the earliest centuries. Sooo… we’ve had most of 20 centuries of Masses, exorcisms, and devotions offered in …Latin. Vatican II allowed for current vernacular for parts of Mass which most require the faithful understand. ..It did not declare Latin obsolete. So…demons hate or fear Latin because… it’s a little like the A Team arriving and…taking care of business. Quickly and vigorously.
John F-
I like your thoughts about 20 Centuries of Latin having an effect.
If demons are susceptible to PTSD, then after twenty centuries of Latin *exorcisms* I would imagine there is added effectiveness to those same words heard again and again.
Just think of the cringe most of us feel when we hear the word “synodality” – and multiply it by 2000 years!
I probably should specify that this view of use of Latin assumes that clergy and laity mostly had virtuous, holy intentions in mind. If they had instead harbored serious doubts or even disbelieved the faith, …Latin would have become even more blasphemous than any other language.
Aramaic rarely exists except in some very small Arab communities that are fading (Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Iran) and in some Eastern Rite Masses ie. Maronite Mass. It’s a good question that given Jesus spoke Aramaic, why has the language almost disappeared. One question we can ask God when we get to Heaven.