US Catholic church releases English-language version of exorcism book

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has released the first official English-language translation of an exorcism book that was previously available only in Latin.

The book, titled "Exorcisms and Related Supplications," is only distributed to bishops, although exorcists, other clergy, scholars and seminary professors can obtain a copy with a bishop's permission.

Fr. Andrew Menke, executive director of the USCCB's Secretariat of Divine Worship, said that providing an English translation of the book "should make it easier for a bishop to find a priest who can help him with this ministry."

"Given that there's less facility in Latin than there used to be, even among priests, it opens the door to more priests to do this. Until now, not only did the priest have to be wise and holy, but he also had to have strong facility in Latin," the priest told Catholic News Service (CNS).

Some priests have also suggested that the move could potentially help "good" exorcists excel in their chosen field.

Under canon law, priests may only perform an exorcism after proper training and receiving permission form their bishops.

CNS noted that bishop automatically have the right to perform an exorcism and can grant that authority to priests.

The official 84-page ritual was promulgated in Latin in 1999 and amended in 2004. The revised text were based on rituals that have been in use by the Church for centuries.

The English translation of the ritual book was approved by the USCCB at its 2014 fall general assembly, and the Vatican gave its "recognitio," or approval, of the version earlier this year.

Menke, who is not an exorcist, said that hearing the prayers offered in English could also benefit the person seeking an exorcism.

"The first and foremost reason for an exorcism is to rid the person of the demon. 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," Menke said.

The Daily Mail reported that the actual prayers which are used in exorcisms have never been officially released by the Church, but some unofficial translations have been published and sold in books.

The main part of the book is the rite of major exorcism, but it also contains an appendix of prayers that anyone can use. Menke said that such prayers can bring comfort to anyone who prays them, whether or not an individual is undergoing an exorcism.

The priest further noted that repeatedly reflecting on the prayers can be part of the healing process for a person troubled by demons, because in many cases, the rite must be perform multiple times before the person can experience "definitive healing."