Exorcism against Satan and the rebellious angels

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF POPE LEO XIII

Origin of this Powerful Prayer

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and of the Mother of God. Amen.

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in our battle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. (Eph. 6:12) Come to the assistance of men whom God has created to the image of His own likeness and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. (Wis. 2:23; I Cor. 6:20)

Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with all the Army of the Angels, as already you fought against Lucifer, the prince of pride, and his apostate angels. And they did not prevail, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, who leads astray the whole world; and he was cast down to the earth and with him his angels were cast down.  (Apoc. 12:8-9)

Behold, this primeval enemy, a murderer from the beginning  (John 8:44), has taken courage. Disguising himself as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14), he wanders about with all the multitude of evil spirits, invading the earth and seeking to blot out the name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That accursed dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice upon men of depraved mind and corrupt heart: his spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilential breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.

These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the Spouse of the Immaculate Lamb; they have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth was set up for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that once the Shepherd has been struck, the sheep might be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help to the people of God in their battle against the evil spirits, and give them the victory.

Holy Church venerates you as her guardian and protector; to you, the Lord has entrusted the souls of the redeemed to be led into heaven. Pray therefore the God of Peace to crush Satan beneath our feet, that he may no longer retain men captive and do injury to the Church. Present our prayers to the Most High, that without delay they may draw His mercy down upon us; seize the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit so that he may no longer seduce the nations.  (Cf. Apoc. 20:2-3)

EXORCISM

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Michael the Archangel, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, [and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry,] (Lay people omit the words in red.) we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.

Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before His face.

As smoke is driven away, so let them be driven; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.  (Ps. 67:1-3)

• Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee bands of enemies.
  He has conquered, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David.
• May Thy mercy, O Lord, descend upon us,
  As great as our hope in Thee.

+ The crosses indicate a blessing to be given if a priest recites the exorcism, or a sign of the cross if it is a lay person.

We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, satanic powers, infernal invaders, wicked legions, assemblies and sects; in the Name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, +  may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made in the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb. +  Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church of God, torment God’s elect and sift them as wheat. The Most High God commands you, +  He with whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be equal; He who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  (I Tim. 2:4) God the Father commands you. +  God the Son commands you. +  God the Holy Ghost commands you. +  Christ, the Eternal Word of God made flesh, commands you; +  He who to save our race outdone through your envy, humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death  (Phil. 2:8); He who has built His Church on the firm rock and declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her, because He will dwell with herall days, even to the end of the world.  (Matt. 28:20) The sacred Sign of the Cross commands you, +  as does also the power of the mysteries of the Christian Faith. +  The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you, +  She who by Her humility and from the first moment of Her Immaculate Conception, crushed your proud head. The faith of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and of the other Apostles commands you. +  The blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of all the Saints command you. +  

Thus, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God, +  by the true God, +  by the holy God, +  by the God who so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that every soul believing in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting  (John 3:16); stop deceiving human creatures and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation; stop harming the Church and hindering her liberty. Begone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man’s salvation. Give place to Christ, in whom you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood. Humble yourself beneath the almighty Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the holy and terrible Name of Jesus, this Name which causes hell to tremble, this Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of heaven are humbly submissive, this Name which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly, repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the God of Hosts.

• O Lord, hear my prayer.
  And let my cry come unto Thee.
• May the Lord be with you.
  And with your spirit.

Let us pray. — God of heaven, God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God who has power to give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God but Thee and there can be no other, for Thou art the Creator of all things visible and invisible, of whose reign there shall be no end, we humbly beseech Thy glorious Majesty to deliver us by Thy power from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits, from their snares, their lies and their furious wickedness; deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to keep us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

• From the snares of the devil,
  deliver us, O Lord.
• That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty,
  we beseech Thee to hear us.
• That Thou may crush all enemies of Thy Church,
  we beseech Thee to hear us.

(Holy water is sprinkled.)