Section — Marc, Institutiones Morales
§ 4. On Magic and Malefice
- Magic is a generic name and designates the art of effecting wonderful and unusual things.
One kind is natural or white magic, which works wonderful things through natural causes, for example chemical ones. There is no reason why we should long remain over this, since of itself it is licit. But another is diabolical or black magic, and is, as we said, superstition either of divination (divining magic), or of vain observance (working magic), and, where it is done for harming, it is called malefice.
NOTION. Malefice is the force of harming others, from pact and cooperation of the demon. Those who use malefices are commonly called sortilegists.
DIVISION. One malefice is called amatory, or philtre, whose end is to excite carnal love or hatred, with the demon moving the imagination and humors of man. Another is called poisonous, by which harm is inflicted upon some person or his goods (III, 23).
Note. One infected by malefice does not lose liberty; but, strengthened by divine grace, he can resist the temptation. Therefore if he consents, for example to lust, he sins mortally, although, by reason of vehement passion, he is more easily worthy of pardon.
- PRINCIPLE. Malefice contains a twofold malice, and sometimes is subject to ecclesiastical penalties. For in malefice there is grave sin against religion, insofar as it is superstition, and against justice, on account of the injury which is inflicted upon neighbor. - It is punished with excommunication latae sententiae if formal heresy is joined to it. Confer n. 1314. See the Holy Doctor (III, 27).
- MODE OF REMOVING MALEFICE; PRACTICAL RULES.
I. Mode of removing. 1. Malefice cannot be removed through another malefice to be inflicted by another man or by a magician. 2. But it can be removed by using: natural means, for example medicine, destruction of the sign by which the demon harms, use of a contrary sign, provided it is honorable; or supernatural means, prayer, exorcism, sacraments of the Church (III, 24, 25). Cf. n. 622.
II. Practical rules. 1. As regards malefices and magic, let the priest beware lest he exceed in this matter either by excessive credulity or excessive incredulity, and let him first take care lest someone lose his reputation from false suspicion of sortilege; and then let him prudently reconcile persons oppressed by sortilege with God, through a good confession, prayers to be recited daily, etc.
Shepherds, blacksmiths, rustics who heal draught animals or cattle are to be questioned; likewise certain old women rightly suspected. "Besides various superstitions, they are to be examined: a) for what end they attached themselves to such superstition, for example whether by reason of vehement passion, sadness, vengeance, avarice, or of procuring the name of sanctity; which would be sacrilegious hypocrisy; b) concerning apostasy, idolatry, and heresy: for they deny Christ and God and renounce the sacraments; they hold the demon as God or a Saint, and do not think him damned or wretched, and consequently that his followers are not to be damned; c) concerning blasphemies against God and the Saints, and concerning sacrileges: for they abuse sacred things, as holy water, Eucharist, etc.; d) concerning lust and commingling with the demon; e) concerning harms inflicted upon neighbor (III, 28, resp. 1).
"They are to be admonished that they ARE BOUND: a) To abjure and dissolve an express pact, if they have one with the demon, or commerce with him. b) To burn their books, papers, bindings, and other instruments of the art. c) To burn the handwriting, if they have it; but if the demon alone has it, he is not necessarily to be compelled to return it, because the pact is sufficiently dissolved through repentance. d) To repair harms inflicted" (III, 28, resp. 2).
Especially, although prudently, the faithful are to be turned away from superstitions of whatever kind; for they are AS IT WERE SACRAMENTS OF THE DEVIL. Moreover, the Doctors note that to enter into society with the devil is a probable sign of eternal reprobation; because, just as conversation in this life with God and the angels through prayers, etc., belongs to the beginning of eternal happiness, so society and conversation with demons belongs to the beginning of damnation (Laymann, l. 4, tr. 10, c. 3, n. 4).
Cf. Janssen, Gesch. des deutsch. Volkes, B. VIII, Hexenwesen; Surbled, Le secret des sorciers (Science cath.), 1902; Paulus, Rom u. die Blutezeit der Hexenprozesse (Hist. pol. Bl., B. 141, p. 241); Spee, Cautio criminalis.