Our life has two foundations: physical and spiritual. If you change the first, then people turn to doctors for help. And what needs to be done if a person has pain and suffering not only in his body, but also in his soul? When this happens, many people think that it is damage or the evil eye. And there are a great many such people. To help the tormented, they turn to prayers. Scoring with the help to remove spoilage is an effective method to combat it, as the thoughts and soul of a person are purified.
Father Herman is a warm-hearted, bright person who will help everyone who is even very confused. The main condition is to come to him. He chastises the possessed in the Church of Peter and Paul, Sergiev Posad Lavra.
Father Herman's Report
People have always had ambivalence:
- skeptics believe that damage is fiction and a person covers up his own weaknesses with it;
- others believe that there are demons that can "swallow" the essence of a person, and it is possible to be saved from this only with the help of prayer.
Such lectures are performed in the largest male monastery of the Orthodox Church in Russia, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In it, Father Herman turns his word to God to help people possessed by demons. He is a famous Orthodox archimandrite and just a kind and sincere person.
Father Herman is enlightened, it is difficult to assess his power and faith: he helps people in the most difficult and tragic situations. He conducts a rite from demonic possession in the Sergius Lavra, and also serves as a devoted abbot of the Church of Peter and Paul, located there.
Father Herman's lecture on driving out the demon and drunkenness is held daily in the church of John the Baptist. Such deeds in the church are called "ranks" - this is the sequential reading of several prayers over a sick person.
People from different parts of our country and abroad come to my father to receive physical and spiritual healing.
The main acts of Father Herman are aimed at performing the following actions:
- getting rid of diseases;
- exorcism of evil spirits and demons;
- drunkenness.
Obsession is a special kind of disease. In traditional medical science, such diseases are considered mental, and in the centuries-old history of the church, they are called corruption or obsession. This is the strongest trauma for the soul of a person; people believe that the demon penetrates into the very heart of a person.
The rite of exorcism of demons and demons (exorcism of the possessed) is performed by Father Herman himself every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, except holidays, at 12.00 in the church of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul, in the city of Sergiev Posad, street of the 1st shock army.
An exhortation of drunkenness and obsession with prayers makes it possible to permanently recover from these serious illnesses, since medications either do not help, or they do not exist at all. Any word of prayer returns to the person who has converted, himself, gives peace and tranquility, which a person has been waiting for for a long time.
You need to know: the ceremony of exhortation is a struggle between good and evil, therefore prayer is effective when the patient himself believes in her every word, and the person's heart rushes towards God.
Word of God
When lecturing obsessed people, certain prayers are read in the church, compiled by the holy fathers many centuries ago.
Then special church rituals are performed:
- chrismation with holy oil;
- spraying with holy water;
- blessing with the cross.
During these procedures, evil spirits can manifest themselves, bursting out of the patient with the following sounds:
- roar and croak;
- sobbing;
- the possessed bend and shake unnaturally.
It happens that possessed people are even tied with ropes and chains during the ceremony.
People for the procedure are brought not only from different places in our country, but also from abroad.
Before carrying out a ceremony to drive out evil spirits, they read a sermon, which talks about the factors that contribute to their penetration into the human body, and recommendations are given on how a person can independently avoid the "tricks of the devil".
According to the statements of the Holy Fathers of the Church, Jesus Christ very often uses demons as a kind of whip to punish people who have sinned, since there are no boundaries for them. They can easily pass through walls and through a person.
Penetrating into the human body, evil spirits infect virtually all organs, but most affected:
- heart;
- lungs;
- kidneys;
- arms and legs.
Demons and demons manifest their powers, causing various ghosts and phantoms before the eyes of the possessed. They severely torture a person, which as a result provokes the development of significant mental problems.
Corruption report
If a person has the evil eye, then problems develop in all spheres of life, and the state of health worsens. With such a lecture, the word of God has great power and is capable of destroying any evil that was delivered to a person.
You can strengthen the effect of lecturing by having sincere faith in God. In this case, a kind of shell of fire is formed near a person, touching which, demons and demons burn out forever.
Explaining in the church is the most effective help for people possessed by demons, because the power of teaching in the Word of God, and it is always pure and stable... Evil in people can be overcome if they have hope and goodness.
Screaming Psalms
The ritual is very often performed in psalms. Each of the psalms is responsible for a certain area of a person's life and activity, for his body and soul.
There are the following chants that are performed in the church when the evil spirits are driven out:
- from demonic possession - 45.67;
- with diseases - 29.46.69;
- with the confusion of the soul - 30;
- when the soul is hurt - 36.39.53.69;
- from the evil eye and witchcraft - 49,53,58,63,139;
- when overpowered by the evil one - 142.67.
Location of the presentation by Father Herman
Father German receives everyone in the Church of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist, which is located above the arch of the entrance to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Church Services are held every day from 13.00.
First, you need to fall to the relics of St. Sergius, kept in the church, and ask him for permission to attend the service. It is allowed to take children and sick people with you to the service. You can take a container with you, since, conducted by Father Herman, it is holy water, and holy water will have a positive effect even at home.
The first full-fledged official recording of the rite conducted by Father German was performed with the personal blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. It records every moment of the procedure.
Scientists have tested how the video made in the church affects the possessed people during the rite of exorcism of demons and demons. It turned out to be effective! This was confirmed by P. Gershunenko, a member of the Commission on Anomalous Phenomena of the Geographical Society of Russia.
The factor of this influence is explained by the fact that in the process of watching the video, there is a feeling of involvement in what is happening on the screen. Therefore, we can conclude that the video really works!
The priests accept this as another proof of the Lord's power. The video of Father Herman's lecture has a powerful effect on people.
But even before watching a video at home, you need to prepare:
- go to church and confess your own sins;
- One should come to prayers with a clear conscience and a desire to get rid of, starting a new life with God.
To preach and read, you can get to the Holy Trinity Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad.
You can attend the sermon on any day except Monday and holidays from 14:30 to 17:00.
The worshipers who are sick need to contact a comfortable hotel with meals at the Church of the Archangel Michael, which is located a 15-minute walk from the Lavra.
It is impossible to order Father Herman's report in absentia, so if it is not possible to visit a church minister it is better to watch the video of the ceremony several times, but do not forget to prepare for viewing, as described above.
Casting out demons is a fairly popular topic. People who suspect not only obsession, but also damage, the evil eye, or suffering from a severe physical illness, seek to get an excuse - a special church rite for driving out demons. Is this correct and what constitutes exorcism in the Orthodox tradition - read the article.
In the article:
Casting out demons - the history of the rite of exorcism
Casting out demons or exorcism is an important part of theological science. Nowadays, you can study at a Catholic university and get an exorcist diploma. The rite of exorcising demons from a person is very ancient, it refers the person interested in the problem to the origins of Christianity.
The first exorcist, as stated in the Bible, was Jesus Christ... The most famous biblical legend of those that relate to the theme of the ceremony says how Jesus Christ drove out demons from a man and put them into the bodies of pigs. Possessed animals rushed into the abyss, which underlines the danger of the condition.
Initially, only Jesus Christ possessed the gift of casting out demons. Then the apostles received the skills (after the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of the Son of the Lord). Followers of the apostles are clerics who have received the gift. At all times, there were very few people capable of driving out the Devil.
Lectures on demons were popular in the Middle Ages. There are several real cases of exorcism in the last century, most with a tragic ending - the death of a priest or a possessed man. In Russia, the first written source of exorcism was the XIV century instructions on the expulsion of the Devil by the Kiev Metropolitan Peter Mohyla. Over the centuries, the demand for exorcists has not diminished, and the problem of introducing evil spirits into people exists.
Where demons are driven out of a person in Russia and Ukraine
Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad.
Priests from ancient monasteries have the blessing to conduct the lecture. There is one holy place in Russia where lectures are held - Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad... Previously, the expulsion of demons was carried out in Optina desert but recently monks were banned from lecturing. There are more such monasteries in Ukraine: Pochaev Lavra, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra other.
Father Herman from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra- the most famous exorcist in Russia. At the moment, only he has permission to perform the ritual of casting out demons. Father Herman's lectures are massive, which is why they are subject to harsh criticism from other priests.
There are known cases of healing during the service of Father Herman, but skeptics claim that hired actors played the role of the possessed. The opinion is confirmed by the fact that often it takes several, if the demon is strong enough, and on the clergy's lectures, even the possessed who are bedridden are cured at once.
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
In Ukraine, the most famous exorcist was father Vasily Voronovsky from the Church of St. Michael in Lviv... Unfortunately, the minister died a few years ago. Now exorcism sessions are held in many churches in Ukraine, including Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and in the Cathedral of St. George in Lviv... The monastery in the village is very popular Kolodievka Ternopil region... Rural exorcists work for free, considering exile as their duty, but questions about rituals are not answered due to the prohibition.
TO Father Superior Varlaam from the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos near Kiev come not only from all over the country, but also from abroad. The priest has been conducting individual and group sessions for thirty years.
Father Varlaam claims to distinguish obsession from physical and mental illness. The minister of the church agrees that only those who are possessed by the Devil need a lecture, and not those who suffer from corruption, curses and physical illnesses. According to the Ukrainian exorcist, even babies are possessed who pay for the sins of their parents.
How is the expulsion of demons from a person in the church
The rite of exorcism or the casting out of demons is carried out according to the model of the rite performed by Jesus Christ. The ritual is described in religious literature in some detail and has never changed, like the texts read many centuries ago for the expulsion of the unclean.
Jesus Christ was not only the first exorcist, but also the creator of the only true rite of exorcism in Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
The rite of exorcism in Orthodoxy is called a lecture. In the process of the ceremony, a person or a group of people is overshadowed by the sign of the cross with the help of a crucifix, applying it to the body, fumigating with incense, sprinkling with holy water, and reading a special prayer. An exorcist is a special order, for which a priest must obtain permission, which is extremely rare.
Prayer, for the purpose of exorcising from demons, is the longest in the canon of the Orthodox Church. It usually takes about twenty minutes to read the text. The words have not changed for several centuries.
It is impossible to come to church and immediately go to a session of casting out demons. A priest who agrees to take on a difficult and dangerous business must obtain permission from the bishop to conduct the rite. If there is no consent, you can only read a prayer for the health of a sick person. In some cases, this helps.
The priest must make sure that it is Satan's machinations and not mental illness. Some confessors know how to feel the presence of evil spirits, others do tests with holy water and crucifixion, which the demons fear. This fear and disgust is always noticeable to others. An individual conversation between a priest and a suspect of possession is an essential part of identifying evil spirits.
If a clergyman recognized the presence of a demon, and permission to lecture has been received, witnesses are selected from among close relatives, at whom the ancient rite is performed. Before the ritual begins, observers confess and receive a blessing to be present during the exorcism. There are strict rules for the selection of eyewitnesses: people should not become a weapon in the hands of a demon, and do not allow the faint of heart to see a terrible sight. Witnesses observe the ceremony and read prayers continuously.
After driving out the demon (more than one session may be required), one should fast, pray to both the patient and his relatives, order magpies and prayers. If the person from whom the demon was expelled does not change his lifestyle in accordance with Christian morality, the demon can return.
Casting out demons from a person - a double opinion of the priests
The opinion of the clergy about the church reports was divided. Some priests are convinced that they are doing a useful deed, driving out evil spirits from people during worship. Confessors see benefits in their actions, because in almost every session there are possessed people who give themselves away with loud screams, convulsions and other signs of demonic possession.
Most of the clergy believe that the significance of the exorcism is exaggerated. The ministers of the church are convinced that the lectures are a tribute to the occult fashion for the fear of damage and the evil eye. Sessions, they say, are rarely true possessed. Rumor has it that the possessed in churches are hired actors, but eyewitnesses to their public appearances deny this.
Conducting mass reports is a gross violation of the church rite. The exorcism is carried out for one person only by the priest with permission. Attending a session as a witness requires the blessing of a clergyman: you cannot go to the temple and see. Not everyone can be an observer of an exorcism - a strong nervous system, good physical and mental health, the absence of serious sins and belonging to the close relatives of the possessed one are required.
Mass reports, according to opponents among the clergy, are harmful. Every person is possessed by demons to some extent, but only people whose physical bodies are possessed by an unclean force (at the extreme stage of possession) is needed. Many are trying to cure diseases, the evil eye and corruption with the help of the church rite, which is wrong. During the sessions, you can not only not get rid of your own negativity, but also "pick up" someone else's.
Where in Russia, in what churches and monasteries do they exorcise demons, heal the corrupted and demon-possessed?Exorcist
Now in our country, only one church is allowed to engage in exorcism, that is, the expulsion of demons from a person, this is in the TRINITY-SERGIAN LAVRA. The exorcist, Father Herman, casts out demons at his services.
In Orthodoxy, the rite of exorcism is called a lecture. This ritual consists of reading a special prayer, making the sign of the cross, and smoking incense. Remember the saying "runs like the devil from incense"? It's about the possessed.
Only a priest who has received a special blessing from the bishop has the right to lecture. The rest of the priests, if they want to help a person get rid of demonic power, read the usual prayer for health. In some cases, it also helps.
During a pilgrimage trip to Optuna Pustyn, I had to ask the monks if anyone could reprimand the demoniac in the monastery. It turned out that there are monks - exorcists, they used to chastise those who came to them for help, but now the church forbade them to do this, leaving permission for exorcism only to Father Herman in the Lavra.
Separately, it should be said about the prayer itself, casting out demons. It is the longest in the canon of the Orthodox Church - about 20 minutes long. They read it in Old Church Slavonic. The text of the prayer was developed and successfully tested as a sure remedy for demons many centuries ago. Since then, not a single word in prayer has ever changed.
At the moment, the most famous place of exorcism in Russia is the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the Gate Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Just starting to be interested in this issue, another question arose. Is it really possible to heal a demoniac in such a service? Father Herman casts out demons en masse during the service. And in Orthodox Christian literature, a brochure about the expulsion of demons, bought in one church, I read that demons must be cast out at an individual reception, i.e. one on one, and not with a large number of people, since demons can move into another person, etc.
***
About the expulsion of demons in the Lavra
... "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" ... The crucifixion in the hands of the priest only touched the head of a woman of 40-45 years old. And suddenly ... a terrible animal roar shook the awe-inspiring silence of the temple. The woman was literally thrown from the cross by an unknown but terrible force. With full swing, her stout body collapsed to the floor and began to thrash in terrible convulsions. The crowd, which had previously been so dense that it seemed that the apple had nowhere to fall, dispersed almost instantly. People, clinging to each other, looked down with compassion and horror at the bending, beating, shaking, roaring man ...
Believe me, this is not an excerpt from the script of another horror movie. Life, as often happens, presents plots more terrible than any fantasy. The event described took place in real terms just a few months ago. The place of action is the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where Father Herman, the abbot of the monastic brethren of the monastery, conducted his next "lecture".
From the history of the issue
The word "exorcism" is probably not familiar to every modern person. In the old days in Russia, this sophisticated overseas term corresponded to a simpler, but no less terrible definition - "casting out demons"!
Almost any religion, including Christianity, recognizes the existence of dark forces - evil spirits, demons that live in the astral world and obey the prince of darkness who has fallen away from God. In various revelations, he is called differently - Ahriman, Iblis, Satan. However, everywhere its essence is defined in the same way - the enemy of the human race, an insidious liar and a fighter against God.
The first mention of exorcism in Christianity we find already in the Gospel itself. During His earthly life, Jesus Christ repeatedly expelled demons trembling before Him from people possessed by these infernal (i.e., hellish) entities. But perhaps the most impressive is the episode of Holy Scripture, which tells how our Lord forced a whole crowd of evil spirits (remember: “our name is legion!”) To move into a herd of pigs. Distraught from such an unexpected "neighborhood", the animals threw themselves off the cliff into the sea.
The most experienced adherents of Christianity in spiritual life sometimes received the power to drive out unclean spirits, commanding it in the name and power of Christ the Savior. However, this kind of practice is fraught with very serious consequences and at all times demanded from a person incredible moral purity, mastery of his physical instincts, ascetic exercises and an ascetic lifestyle. Far from everyone, even a warrior of Christ experienced in spiritual battles, dared to enter into an open battle with the forces of hell.
"I know Jesus, and I know Paul"
In the most difficult battles with demons, the unclean spirit "immigrated" into the caster himself.
So, in the "Acts of the Apostles" (19, 13-16) there is a story about some would-be exorcists: "Even some of the wandering Jewish spellcasters began to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who have evil spirits, saying: we conjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches. This was done by some seven sons of the Jewish high priest Sceva. But the evil spirit answered: I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you? - and a man rushed at them, in whom there was an evil spirit, and, having overcome them, took such power over them that they ran out of that house naked and beaten. "
"Strong pop"
... During another prayer service, a young woman of about thirty-five, turning her face away, suddenly began waving her arms like a dog in front of her - she was aware of the light puffs of incense burned in the priest's censer.
It is difficult to describe in words the intonation of her voice when she angrily shouted at Herman's father: "S-old fool, - and then, as if with regret in her voice:" Ouch ... strong pop! " Accustomed during his numerous "lectures" to everything, the elderly priest paused only for a moment and, standing half a turn, in a stern voice only imperiously threw at the one who, sitting inside the woman, insolently bellowed abuse at him: "Come on, shut up. now!" More this someone did not express his thoughts about what was happening - only grumbled dully and displeased inside the woman.
There were also much more serious cases. One possessed was brought to Trinity-Sergiev, chained to a bed. When he was just being brought to the gate of the Lavra, he began to rage terribly and break out of his bonds. He backed up his actions with the most selective obscenities. The verbal constructions built of profanity were so high that you can hear similar "pearls" far from every "eatery". Calm came to him after several hours of the prayer service of Father Herman in the church, where the possessed person was brought right from the bed.
Demonic Burns, or Why the Kid Screamed in a Man's Bass
Usually at the prayer services of Hegumen German, performed in the church of St. Prophet John the Baptist, gathers up to a hundred people. Among them, as a rule, from three to five are possessed.
However, they are by no means always present at every service. If there are such people in the church, then the "oddities" begin almost with the first words of the prayer service: some unintelligible and frightened cries, groans, murmurs, incomprehensible movements. Children who have “something” in them begin to cry for no reason. At the very approach of Herman's father, one such baby roared with a real male bass and began to rage, tearing himself out of the hands of the mother holding him. And this at a time when other children happily put their faces under the holy water. Outwardly, many of them even brightened outwardly, smiling happily and listening to something mysterious that was happening inside them.
The possessed behave quite differently. When they are splashed with holy water, they writhe and shudder, as if from burns. During the service, Abbot German several times bypasses all those present, anointing with holy myrrh and sprinkling with holy water - each individually. Those who have an "anomaly" of an infernal character usually, rolling their eyes with a roar, recoil back, sometimes fall. The woman mentioned at the beginning of the article, while the service was going on, fell to the floor four times. And every time - convulsions, convulsions, roar ...
The lady who cursed the priest (who came to the temple, as it turned out later, with a friend and son of 6-7 years old), at the end of the service, with difficulty approached kissing the Crucifixion. The picture was heartbreaking: she herself - the image and likeness of God - reached for the Cross, and the one sitting inside her with all his might shied away from him. It is impossible to describe this scene. You must see her with your own eyes!
Despite my obvious tactlessness, I, unable to contain my professional journalistic curiosity, approached this woman with questions: “What did you feel? Why were they shouting like that? " The tired tired eyes looked at me: “I don’t know. Everything happens against my will. "
Revenge of the prince of darkness
Possession is not contagious, like, for example, tuberculosis or scarlet fever. But one thing should be remembered: you cannot mock the forces of darkness, even if you are a convinced materialist and "Voltairian"! Satan, being a liar and a deceiver who does not recognize any divine laws, nevertheless knows them well and, like a lawyer-chican, always defends the rights of the “injured party” before God. His "appeal in cassation" appeals to the original justice of the Creator, who established the Ecumenical law, before which all are equal and for the righteousness and immutability of which God is glorified by all existence. At the moment a person inflicts "offense" on Lucifer, it does not matter that the latter rebelled against God (for this Satan has already received the punishment - eternal excommunication from the Almighty with overthrow to Tartarus!). The prince of darkness hypocritically cries out to God, like a creature, without a reason on his part "offended" by the specific "word or action" of an individual person.
By the fairness of the Law established by Him, the Creator is forced to grant any “offended” the right to repay the “offender” to the same extent. The so-called God's connivance to the powers of darkness takes place. And the latter will not make them wait for themselves with revenge: generosity and nobility are not the lot of fallen angels, they take revenge cruelly and mercilessly!
Suggestions of suicidal thoughts, despondency, despair, hatred, anger, troubles in material life - the arsenal is great. The goal is one - the enslavement of the human soul! The most optimal way is to get inside a person.
What the seers said about the end times
From wherever they do not stretch to the Lavra, to the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Orthodox. Judging by the appearance, clothing, speech, people from Moldova, Siberia, and the Urals travel to Sergiev Posad, the capital of all Russian Orthodoxy, for spiritual guidance. There are a lot of visitors from Ukraine. Believers, often families, travel hundreds of kilometers specifically to accomplish only one thing - to venerate the holy relics of St. Sergius, the great miracle worker and abbot of the Russian land. To those relics that have been incorruptible for six hundred years and to which our ancestors have venerated since time immemorial - just imagine! - John the Terrible and Peter the Great. But, as often happens, many of us, who for decades have lived just an hour's drive from Sergiev Posad, have never visited this great patriotic shrine. Are there few of us like that - mired in the everyday hustle and bustle ?!
People from all over Russia come here, among other things, in order to get to the spiritual children and heirs of the Monk Sergius - to Father Naum, who has the gift of clairvoyance, or Father Herman, who drives out demons at his services.
And this is the thought that came to my mind. Almost exclusively believers, religious people come to the prayer services of the latter, but even among them there are some possessed. How many of these, inconspicuously carrying an unclean SOMETHING in themselves, exist among us, mere mortals, many of whom, living up to whitish gray hairs, never knew the way to the Temple - who, like St. to the apostle Paul, his way to Damascus ?!
The ancient seers spoke of the last times as a terrible bacchanalia, when demons escaped from hell before the coming of the Antichrist, in droves would begin to inhabit people who opened their souls to them with their godlessness, depravity, vices, anger, hatred, envy, love of money, selfishness and dislike. Take a look around! Do not the mores of modern times ("O tempere, o mores!") Correspond to these descriptions of sinful people, first given as the most important characteristic of the nearness of the end of the World two thousand years ago by St. by the apostle Paul in one of his epistles. The official church, which has always been very skeptical and wary of all kinds of homespun prophecies about the dates of the End of the World, today openly claims that we all live in the last times. Father Herman also speaks of the terrible coincidence of the signs of the impending End in his sermons. Perhaps it's time to seriously think about the corruption of life and the future of our immortal souls! ..
P.S
For those who are interested in the article, I will add that Abbot Herman receives all the suffering in the church of St. the prophet John the Baptist, located above the very arch of the entrance to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (travel: to the station "Sergiev Posad", then three hundred meters on foot). Services begin every day at 13.00. Nobody will demand money from you, admission is free. However, if you take with you five to ten rubles for donations to the Lavra and alms for the poor, then, frankly, it will not be a sin.
Before the beginning of the service, it is necessary to venerate the relics of Saint Sergius and ask for his blessing in the soul. You can bring children and sick people with you. And take a small container with you: Father Herman's prayer service for the holy water - pour some holy water for yourself at home.
In Orthodoxy, the rite of exorcism is called a lecture. This ritual is the reading of a special prayer, overshadowing the possessed person with the sign of the cross, as well as fumigating him with incense. The prayer that casts out demons is the longest in the canon of the Orthodox Church - its duration is about 20 minutes. The text of the prayer has not changed for many centuries.
Exorcism history
In theological science, exorcism is called the expulsion from the human body of evil spirits, the henchmen of the Prince of Darkness, using a certain religious ritual. This rite is very ancient and goes back to the origins of Christianity.
The Gospel describes how Jesus Christ, while wandering through Galilee, repeatedly cast out unclean spirits from the suffering. One of the most famous biblical stories about the practice of exorcism tells of how Jesus drove demons out of a man and put them into a herd of pigs. Animals possessed by demons rushed into the abyss. "What is your name?" - asked the Savior of evil spirits before exile. “My name is legion,” the demons answered. Thus, in the Holy Scriptures for the first time it is said that a person can be possessed by many demons.
At first, only Jesus Christ possessed the gift of casting out demons. Subsequently, after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, they also received this gift. Theologians claim that it was through them, the founders of the Christian Church, that this ability was passed on to their followers - the priests.
The number of people who really know how to cast out demons was apparently small at all times. However, in the Middle Ages, a huge number of priests appeared among the ministers of the Church, confident that they could do it, although in reality they could do nothing to help the possessed. Naturally, their activities could not bring anything but harm, and their "successes" in this field of the Inquisition led to the fact that the modern Catholic Church no longer officially resorts to exorcism.
Reporting is a specialist's business
In Russia, the most ancient written source about exorcism is the instructions for driving out demons, set forth in the missal of the Kiev Metropolitan Peter Mohyla, which dates back to the XIV century. The Orthodox Church not only does not deny the casting out of demons, but also actively practices it. True, priests who know how to lecture can be counted on one hand.
It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that only a priest who has received a special blessing from the bishop has the right to chastise, that is, cast out demons. The rest of the priests, if they want to help a person get rid of demonic power, recite the usual prayer for health. In some cases, it also helps.
Signs of obsession
Before leading someone close or acquaintance to lecture, people consult with a priest from their parish and receive his blessing. In addition, it is necessary to make sure whether a person is really possessed, since the early centuries of Christianity there are many signs of obsession. Here is some of them.
The demon possessed is afraid of the church, at the services he feels bad and often faints. Sprinkling with holy water, touching the cross can cause him physical suffering. The same thing happens when he inhales incense.
A demon possessed physically cannot receive any of the Christian ordinances. The sound of the church bell gives him a headache. However, obsession may not be so explicit. There are cases when it manifested itself in systematic pain throughout the body, loss of consciousness and poor health outside the church.
A formerly calm person can become unusually hot-tempered, irritable and even aggressive if demons enter into him. One can also talk about obsession if a person who was previously indifferent to alcohol and drugs suddenly goes all out and cannot stop.
Not to be confused with psychopathy?
It is not uncommon for obsession to be confused with mental illness. So, for example, the symptoms characteristic of one of the types of schizophrenia may resemble the behavior of a person who has become a victim of dark forces. The patient is completely sure that he has been possessed by a demon, and even during the lecture may behave like a possessed person. The priests are also aware of this phenomenon of the human psyche. Usually they come before the beginning of the service and talk with the sufferer, over whom the ceremony is to be performed. An experienced priest immediately sees whether a person is possessed or mentally ill. The ritual is contraindicated for sick people, because it can aggravate their condition.
How, then, do priests distinguish the mentally ill from the possessed? First, one of the abilities of people who know how to cast out demons is the ability to feel the presence of evil spirits in a person. Secondly, some priests have a medical education and are familiar with the basics of psychiatry. In addition, many have been doing this difficult business for many years and almost every day, so their eyes, as they say, are trained.
In some churches, interviewees are held with those wishing to be lectured to find out if these people are really possessed. But in the past few years there have been so many possessed people that the priests simply do not have enough time for individual conversations.
Report in the Lavra
Now the most famous place of demons in Russia is the St. Sergius Lavra of Oitsk, located in the city of Sergiev Posad. This is one of the main centers of Russian Orthodoxy. Here rest the imperishable relics of the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, revered in Russia with special reverence. Every day hundreds of pilgrims from all over Russia and from neighboring countries come to the Lavra to venerate the relics of the holy miracle worker. Someone wants to pay tribute, someone wants to ask for good health, and someone comes to the saint for advice. But there are also those who come to the monastery hoping to get rid of the demons.
Almost every day, the abbot of the monastic brethren of the Lavra, Archimandrite German, gives a lecture. Several hundred sufferers invariably gather for this special service. The ceremony is held in the small church of St. John the Baptist, which is located on the territory of the temple complex of the Lavra. This church is small, so people during the service sometimes have to stand even on the porch.
Father Herman is often ten to fifteen minutes late for a report. Connoisseurs of local customs say that he does it on purpose so that those who come will gain courage and strength: after all, a lecture is not an easy rite.
Before starting the lecture, Father Herman preaches an hour and a half sermon every time. “Sin is also a disease,” he says. - and the more we fall into sin, the weaker our spirit becomes, and the gates of our mind are opened for demons. "
And when Father Herman begins to lecture, a terrible thing begins. The oppressive silence is replaced by a cacophony of sounds, many of which have nothing to do with human voices. Some people scream, others scream hysterically, children sometimes begin to speak in low male voices. It happens that people bark, grunt, wriggle, roll on the floor.
Once a man was brought to the Lavra, possessed by a demon, who was so violent that he had to be chained to a bed and carried directly to the temple on it. After the lecture, the man calmly got up and went home on his own.
Casting out demons is a rite that requires tremendous physical and mental strength. After the lecture, Father Herman looks as if he has been dragging heavy stones up the mountain all day. But the former possessed, having got rid of the devils that tormented them, feel the greatest relief.
Casting out demons - myth or reality? In search of an answer to this question, RIA Novosti journalists witnessed a ceremony about which the Russian Orthodox Church does not have an unambiguous opinion, and talked with church and secular experts.
"Shut up! Run away!" - exclaims Father Herman, making a cross over a crowd of people.
The Peter and Paul Church near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is jam-packed. Here, several times a week at noon, the famous Archimandrite German (Chesnokov), whom many call an elder, performs the rite of "healing those possessed by unclean spirits." In the Church, this rite is also called "lecture".
Before the beginning of the rank, Father Herman explains why an "unclean spirit" can settle in this or that person. The reason is simple - sin. “And we are sick because we sin,” he says.
Father Herman preaches for a long time, more than an hour. People stand, and in the center they sit in a semicircle on benches and chairs and try to listen attentively to the priest, who is actively gesturing, repeating: "We must go to the temple, and not to fortune-tellers or psychics! If someone has books with conspiracies, fortune-telling - burn it today immediately! It is very useful to receive communion! ".
Some come out of the stuffy temple into the street. The rest are shifting from foot to foot, someone yawns, someone looks at the icons, someone checks the messages on the phone. Everyone is waiting for the start of the lecture.
Unlike most Orthodox rituals, during the rite of exorcism of evil spirits, the priest always stands facing the parishioners. Father Herman says prayers not in a chant, as is usually the case at services, but very emotionally, with an abundance of gestures, like pastors from American films. The believers in the front row move even closer to the altar. A thin old woman in a black scarf begins frantically to baptize her belly. Next to her is a woman with two photographs of a young man - during the sermon, she did not take her eyes off the altarpiece of the Savior, and now she is constantly crying.
After reading the prayers and the Gospel, Father Herman with two priests descends from the ambo and begins to smear the forehead of each with blessed oil. He asks the woman with the child how long he has been ill.
"A year and a half, father. After the fast began," the woman cries. "Are you married to your husband? You need to get married! This makes him sick," the archimandrite minted.
Then he picks up a simple metal teapot with holy water and begins to sprinkle abundantly, reciting a special prayer. His gaze is directed at the worshipers, but it seems that he is not looking at them. The cassock is all wet from holy water, there are large puddles on the floor. The worshipers shudder from the cold spray, but immediately smile. “Mothers, if you partake your children every Sunday, then no illnesses will take them!”, The exorcist repeats many times.
"A demon possessed my mother"
"Father, what to do?" - this question is often asked by people whose relatives, in their opinion, are possessed by demoniacs. The priests give a different answer, based on a personal view of the lectures.
“Something was wrong with my mom. We constantly fought over some trifles. Every day she told me: damn you, you don’t have to live anymore, you don’t even deserve a torn pillowcase,” says Oleg from Moscow (name changed at his request).
Mom forbade him to go to church, was very irritated when he saw an icon or a cross. The man secretly turned to the priest, who advised sprinkling the apartment and mother's things with holy water. But, according to him, "there were no changes."
Then, at one of the Orthodox forums, he learned about the lectures. Oleg admits that "somehow miraculously" he persuaded his mother to go to the temple, where they perform the rite of exorcism.
“Now (after the report - ed.) She behaves very calmly. Father advised me to come again. I later learned that many people do this,” Oleg said.
“The abbot of our parish blessed me to go to the monastery to give Father Herman a lecture, saying that I was possessed,” says Galina (name has been changed) from the Leningrad Region.
She didn't believe it for a long time. But one evening, convulsions began - at first it seemed to her that it was an epileptic seizure.
“But the next day I found out that a miraculous icon of the Mother of God was being brought to our church. It turns out that, not knowing about the arrival of such a shrine, I already felt it. It doesn’t look like self-hypnosis,” she said.
When the icon was brought, Galina "for a very long time could not approach" the relic without outside help. According to her, at that moment she was cursing in the temple, cursing everyone around her, banging her head on the floor.
“I then cried for a long time and asked for forgiveness for the curses, but the priest, calming me down, said that this demon was trying to intimidate everyone,” the woman explains. As a result, she went to her father German for a report, after which, according to her, everything went away.
However, there are other reviews about the benefits of the ceremony. Alexander Dvorkin, President of the Russian Association of Centers for the Study of Religions and Sects (RACIRS), professor at the Orthodox St. Tikhon State University, cited a case from his research practice.
One Orthodox believer, who had certain mental problems, fell into the sect of the false Christ-Vissarion (head of the organization "Church of the Last Testament"). When the new adept Vissarion began to have doubts in the sect, he decided to go for an excuse. But, having passed the ceremony, he did not feel anything - and concluded that he correctly believed in Vissarion: after all, if he were a false Christ, the exocyst would have expelled the demon of evil. Since then, this believer has been in the sect for many years, walks and teaches the Orthodox that Vissarion is right, and the lecture "irrefutably proved this."
"It helps if you believe"
Archimandrite German has been practicing mass exorcism of demons for over 30 years. To him, according to the Dean of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Pavel (Krivonogov), many people come. "Do the lectures help? Yes, I was an eyewitness. And it happens that someone is not helped. It depends on the person, on his faith, on the state of his soul," - said the dean. He does not agree that the lectures performed in the Lavra can be called massive (for which the rank is most often criticized). Usually, as the Dean noted, 50-60 people come to them, and not thousands, as you might think.
It is believed that the rite of casting out demons should be performed only in exceptional cases, when a person is under the total influence of the dark spirit that has taken over him and no longer controls his movements and actions.
In the Gospel it is written about the demoniac in Gadarene, who beat against stones day and night, and when he was chained, he broke the bonds and ran unconscious through the wilderness. Christ by his power in an instant freed the unfortunate man from the heavy bondage. In the first centuries of Christianity, even pagans knew about the existence of special persons who conjured those possessed by the name of Jesus Christ and thereby expelled evil spirits from them.
Often, this was beyond the power of even the apostles - the closest disciples of Christ: the New Testament describes a case when they could not expel a demon from a possessed youth. Over time, Christianity developed an understanding that victory over evil spirits is possible only with a decisive correction of his life by a person, while observing strict asceticism, and not thanks to a formally fulfilled rule.
© Photo: photo provided by the press service of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra
© Photo: photo provided by the press service of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra
At the same time, the expulsion of demons in the Orthodox tradition is considered a special gift of God, which only some people receive because of their special, holy life and which they can realize only with the blessing of their spiritual father.
Exorcism in Russia
"According to the doctrine that after the Fall, humanity is in close communion with unclean spirits, trying to completely possess every soul, almost all Christian cult actions, including prayer at home, contain elements of exorcism. Spells against demons are contained in the rite of baptism, the great consecration water and others, "says Ilya Vevyurko, a religious scholar, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University.
Exorcism is familiar to popular culture, first of all, from Western films about Catholic priests. There is even an Association of Exorcists in the Roman Catholic Church, courses and conferences are held for them. Experts from the Moscow Theological Academy have no unequivocal opinion about whether exorcism is inherent in Orthodox Christianity.
For example, Alexei Osipov, a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, believes that, unlike the Catholic Church, exorcism is historically alien to Eastern Christianity. “In Russia, they never lectured. Only at the end of the 20th century, due to the penetration of Catholic influence into Russia, certain people began the practice of lecturing, and often without any blessing. Then, when the popular rumor rushed, they began to do it openly. But no special they never received blessings, "Osipov emphasizes.
But the professor of the MDA, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, believes that the practice of exorcism is regulated from the point of view of the canons, therefore, it is not marginal. “Practice assumes that such a rite is performed with the blessing of the ruling bishop. But only if it is regular,” the professor clarifies. This practice came to Russia from Byzantium immediately after baptism, "together with liturgical books, which were translated from Greek."
Modern exorcists use the text of the rite of the lecture from the famous missal of the Metropolitan of Kiev Peter (Grave) of the 17th century.
To church or clinic?
A couple of hundred years ago, various mental illnesses were sometimes attributed to demonic possession. Today, the Church accepts the achievements of science and at the same time speaks of the possibility of the influence of evil spirits on human behavior.
"At present, the Church does not have a clear methodology for separating possessed and mentally ill people. Sometimes this is practically impossible, since demonic content is combined with mental illness. Sometimes the demonic possession proceeds in isolation. Before the revolution, the Holy Synod specifically addressed the psychiatry clinic of the Medical-Surgical Academy ( now the Military Medical Academy - ed.) with a request to provide guidelines for priests with similar spiritual practice. Grigory Grigoriev.
According to him, if a priest "reads a church prayer with faith," then a demon-possessed person - in spiritual practice such people are "extremely rare" - will experience a sharp relief of his mental state. Spiritually-related mental disorders usually resolve after the discourse.
But mentally ill people, according to the doctor, not only will not benefit, but even worsen the condition. "For example, in some forms of schizophrenia, delusions of influence on religious grounds can develop. This requires serious drug treatment in a hospital setting," the psychiatrist explained. Therefore, he advises to see a doctor first. And if he does not help, then to the temple.
The abbot of the Optina Compound in Moscow, Archimandrite Melchizedek (Artyukhin), explained why, for example, there was never a lecture in the famous Optina Pustynia. “In difficult spiritual cases, the Optina elders advised confession (detailed, from childhood), unction and communion. This is the tradition. Innovations are sought by those who have no desire to take root in tradition, but have a desire for everything at once without fighting themselves. Fruitless practice. Healing is a process, not a focus, "says Archimandrite Melchizedek.
"Report the lecturers"
Priest-psychiatrist Grigory Grigoriev emphasizes that before the revolution, clergymen were recommended to give lectures individually, "in order to cut off patients with hysteria, who were called hysterics in the church." According to him, they often attract attention at church services with harsh outcries and other demonstrative actions, which are perceived by believers as demonic, although they are not. The demoniac, according to the priest, is distinguished by the fear of church sacraments, holy relics, holy water and miraculous icons.
Professor Alexander Dvorkin is extremely negative about the current practice of the report. According to him, he is in solidarity with the opinion of Patriarch Alexy II, who many years ago, at one diocesan meeting, said that one should "reprimand the reprimands."
"Reporting is a completely unconventional phenomenon that degenerates into some kind of hysterical, gloomy and extremely unpleasant show. Of course, as an Orthodox person, I understand that demonic possession undoubtedly happens. Christ expelled demons from possessed people, the saints also did it to Him. name ", - said the head of RACIRS.
Where and how much do they drive out demons
According to MDA professor Osipov, today it is not the people who received this special gift thanks to the holy life that are taken up for the lecture. “Sometimes people take up scolding out of arrogance, vanity, self-interest, of which we find more than enough evidence,” Osipov states.
"It is clear that the lectures bring popularity to the priests who conduct them. People begin to go to them, this brings massive funds, increases income, therefore, in certain dioceses, the hierarchy supports such events, or at least does not interfere with their holding," he notes. in turn, Dvorkin.
Judging by the reports on the network, trips to the village of Chikhachevo, Ivanovo Region, to see Schema-Archimandrite Ioannikiy (Efimenko) are quite popular among believers. Hieromonk Vladimir (Gusev) is also known in the city of Livny, Oryol region. In Ukraine, they go to the Pochaev Lavra or to the Ilyinsky Monastery in Odessa for lectures.
On the Internet you can find lists of dozens of other places throughout Russia where lectures are given. Therefore, on numerous sites of pilgrimage services there are even special tours to famous exorcists. Pilgrimages are held mainly on weekends, it is advised to sign up for them in advance, due to the large number of those who wish.
As a rule, on the sites of pilgrimage centers it is mentioned about donation for the trip, but the "donation amount" cannot be seen - it is announced when communicating on the phone. It can include, for example, only a round-trip road. There are also all-inclusive packages that include, in addition to travel, lodging, meals and necessities. For example, a trip from Moscow to Livny will cost about 6 thousand rubles, including two prayers "For the sick" (as they call the lecture in the pilgrim center) and unction.
For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that you can attend the reports without making a donation.
"Unauthorized expulsion"
Another problem is the recognition of the legitimacy of an exorcist. On the Internet, you can often find articles about how in some village a priest casts out demons in various ways.
"Anyone can put on a cassock, a cowl, take up a cross and declare himself a bishop, a gracious old man - and he will have followers and so on. It is clear that no one keeps statistics (report - ed.)," Said the host of the Internet of the "Father Online" project, Hieromonk Macarius (Markish).
Bishops can ban such self-proclaimed demons from the ministry or defrock them. However, according to the hieromonk, a person casting out demons is unlikely to accept the decision of the hierarch - therefore "he will become a self-sacred, or a direct schismatic, a sectarian."
“In particular, we can say: since our country is free, everyone can declare himself (an exorcist - ed.),” Markish is convinced.
Experts with a negative attitude to mass reporting are in favor of eradicating this practice. However, in their opinion, it is extremely difficult to do this. Popular rumor supports the exorcism. And if, according to Professor Osipov, one tries to "forbid", for example, giving lectures to Father German, there will be a lot of noise.
“Sometimes those on whom it depends do not attach much importance to what is happening, do not understand how many people simply die because of this, become abnormal,” Osipov is convinced.
He criticized the popularization of exorcism and the clergy performing it. “If the saints hid their gift, then now you can find on the website of our Lavra the timetable, on what days and hours the priest performs the miracle of exile. Christ himself did not do this according to the schedule,” our interlocutor concluded.
However, the Dean of the Lavra, Archimandrite Paul, is convinced that little depends on a person - no one can limit "the power of God's grace." "The Lord himself controls and heals. It's not like drinking aspirin to make it easier," he emphasizes. The main thing that is required of a person is to sincerely believe.
