Article VI. On Adjuration

460. Definition. Adjuration is the interposition of the divine name or of a sacred thing, by reverence, fear, or love of which the person adjured is induced to do or omit something.⁶¹¹

Adjuration therefore differs from other invocations of the name of God: first, from an oath, in which God is invoked as witness or guarantor for confirming some truth; but in adjuration the divine name is invoked to obtain something from another. Adjuration likewise differs from prayer, in which God is invoked to obtain something directly from Him; but in adjuration the one adjuring endeavors to obtain something from another on account of God. Adjuration is an act of religion, since through it we profess that the divine name is so venerable that, when it is heard, others are induced to do or omit something. Adjuration is an act of latria when it is made by the direct interposition of the name of God, or at least of some thing in which the divine majesty especially shines forth, e.g., by the Passion, death, or blood of Christ. Adjuration is an act of hyperdulia or dulia insofar as it is made by the Blessed Virgin or the saints considered in themselves. But if it is made by the death, life, or love of a father or mother, etc., it is not properly a religious adjuration.

All who have some knowledge of God can be adjured, namely, God Himself, Christ, the Blessed Virgin, the saints, wayfaring men, and finally demons; to the latter, however, only a compulsive adjuration can be directed, as will be said below.

⁶¹¹ Cf. S. theol. 2, 2, q. 90, a. 1. Adjuration, in German: Beschwörung.

461. Divisions. Adjuration is divided:

1. Into solemn and simple (or private).

A solemn adjuration is one made in the name of the Church by ministers of the Church according to prescribed ceremonies, e.g., the exorcism employed in baptism. A simple or private adjuration lacks solemnities of this kind and can be made by anyone.

2. Into deprecatory and imperative (or compulsive).

A deprecatory adjuration exists when by prayers we strive to obtain something, with the name of God interposed. Thus St. Paul adjured the faithful Romans, saying: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God."⁶¹² Adjuration of this kind also occurs frequently in the Litanies, e.g., "By the mystery of Thy Incarnation, by Thy Passion, deliver us, O Lord." But then they are called rather obsecrations.⁶¹³ A deprecatory adjuration can be directed to any person, whether superior, inferior, or equal, with the demon alone excepted.

An imperative adjuration exists when, with the name of God interposed, something is commanded only to subjects. Thus St. Paul adjured the Thessalonians, saying: "I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren."⁶¹⁴ Thus the prince of the priests adjured Christ Himself, considering Him as his subject: "I adjure Thee by the living God that Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ."⁶¹⁵ Thus demons especially are adjured in an exorcism.

⁶¹² Rom. 12:1.

⁶¹³ Cf. above, n. 337.

⁶¹⁴ 1 Thess. 5:27.

⁶¹⁵ Matt. 26:63.

462. Principle. Adjuration clothed with the due conditions is an act of the virtue of religion and therefore is licit and lawful.

That a right adjuration is an act of the virtue of religion is easily understood, because through it we venerate God by interposing His authority as most efficacious for obtaining the things requested. But if adjuration is an act of religion, it is also clear that it is in itself licit and lawful. The same is clear from the perpetual use and doctrine of the Church.

The conditions required for the lawfulness of an adjuration are the same as for a lawful oath, namely, truth, justice, judgment.

a) Truth in adjuration requires that the one adjuring have a sincere will to obtain the thing requested and that he present a true and not feigned cause for his request; or briefly: that the one adjuring not deceive the person adjured. The absence of this condition rarely exceeds venial guilt. Hence a man who pretends to be poor and adjures a rich man by the divine mercy in order to obtain alms ordinarily sins only venially. For although he abuses divine authority to render his unjust petitions efficacious, nevertheless this abuse does not yet seem of itself to be a grave sin, because divine authority is employed not to confirm a lie but to move another to perform a good work. If, however, the pretense itself concerns grave matter and is consequently a grave sin, then, according to certain authors, even the adjuration employed to put such a pretense into execution is a grave sin.

b) Justice demands that the one adjuring intend to obtain a lawful thing. A defect of justice in adjuration is more probably a grave or light sin according as the action requested is gravely or lightly evil. Hence he commits two mortal sins who adjures a simple and ignorant girl by the love of God to commit fornication; but he who adjures another by the love of God to tell a jocose lie commits two venial sins. St. Alphonsus⁶¹⁶ thinks that even in this last case there is a grave sin because of the abuse of adjuration, since it seems to be a sufficiently grave irreverence to induce another to an evil thing by the aid of divine authority.

c) Judgment requires that adjuration be made for a just cause and with due reverence, and not, as it were, from a disorderly habit. A defect of this condition is of itself only a venial sin, because not so great an irreverence is thereby inflicted upon God, and because such an adjuration seems to be nothing other than a vain assumption of the name of God. Beggars who always add adjurations to their petitions often sin venially through a defect of this condition.

⁶¹⁶ Theol. mor. l. 3, n. 193.

463. Scholion 1. On exorcisms. An exorcism properly so called is the expulsion of the devil from an obsessed man; broadly so called, it is the annulment of diabolical influence in some other creature. That the devil can, God permitting, truly besiege a man and dwell in him is of faith, since Christ Himself often cast the devil out of men thus obsessed. Hence there also exists in the Church a special order of exorcists for casting out demons. When a solemn exorcism is employed publicly, all those things which the Roman Ritual⁶¹⁷ prescribes concerning this matter are to be observed. Before all things, however, the express and special permission of the Ordinary is required,⁶¹⁸ whose office it is to judge whether a diabolical obsession is truly present and whether it is expedient to perform a public exorcism. For great scandal can arise from a public exorcism imprudently employed. But privately and secretly, not only clerics who by force of the order of exorcist possess special power over demons, but also laymen, can pronounce an exorcism. For this is nowhere prohibited to laymen, nor does any inconvenience arise from it. Hence we read in history that certain lay saints, such as St. Catherine of Siena and St. Anthony the Hermit, cast out demons.

An exorcism duly pronounced, even by a priest or by a bishop, does not have an infallible effect, at least a complete one, i.e., the complete expulsion of the devil from an obsessed man. Therefore the words of Sacred Scripture, "These signs shall follow them that believe: In My name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues,"⁶¹⁹ do not signify that all believers can always and immediately cast out demons, but that they can do so when the progress of the Gospel shall demand it; just as all believers cannot always speak with new tongues either. Nevertheless, with St. Alphonsus⁶²⁰ and several other authors, it must be admitted that an exorcism pronounced by a cleric marked with the order of exorcist produces ex opere operato at least an attenuation of the powers of the obsessing demon.

An exorcism broadly so called is employed in baptism; indeed, irrational creatures are sometimes thus exorcised, e.g., salt, water, clouds, so that diabolical influence may be averted from them. For the Church deservedly supposes that the devil sometimes, God permitting, greatly harms man both immediately by himself and through the mediation of irrational creatures. Therefore Noldin⁶²¹ rightly says: "It is greatly to be recommended to ministers of the Church that they perform a simple exorcism more frequently, mindful of the word of the Lord: 'In My name they shall cast out devils'; but especially over those who are troubled by a vehement temptation, and over penitents whom they notice to experience difficulties in eliciting sorrow and a purpose concerning their sins or in sincerely manifesting their sins. They can use this or a similar formula: 'In the name of Jesus I command thee, unclean spirit, to depart from this creature of God.'" Experience proves that an exorcism is sometimes employed with good fruit in the confessional, provided that it is done in an entirely secret manner, so that not even the penitent notices it.

⁶¹⁷ Tit. II, c. 1.

⁶¹⁸ Cf. decree of Leo XIII, 18 May 1890 (Collect. de Prop. Fide, n. 2303); Code of Canon Law, c. 1151, § 1.

⁶¹⁹ Mark 16:17.

⁶²⁰ Theol. mor. l. 3, n. 193.

⁶²¹ De sacr. n. 53, note 3.

464. Scholion 2. On the invocation of the divine name through praise. The Angelic Doctor⁶²² treats of this matter immediately after adjuration. Let the following be said briefly: God is to be praised not only with the heart but also with the mouth, because a) this pertains to the external worship of religion, and b) thereby we ourselves and others hearing are induced to greater reverence for God. This praise is very fittingly expressed by beautiful and becoming song. The contrary doctrine of the Waldenses and Wycliffites, who compared clerics singing with the prophets of Baal, has been rejected by the ecclesiastical practice of all centuries. And indeed, singing performed worthily and devoutly in church serves greatly for increasing devotion. Hence St. Augustine⁶²³ says concerning himself: "I wept in hymns and canticles, deeply moved by the voices of Thy Church sweetly sounding." Cajetan⁶²⁴ rightly admonishes that two things are to be guarded against in ecclesiastical singing: namely, that it not be sung as though the song itself according to itself were more pleasing to God; and that it not be sung for the sake of our own or another's delight in ecclesiastical Offices.

The use of organs and other musical instruments had not yet been introduced into ecclesiastical Offices in ancient times.⁶²⁵ When organs were first introduced is not so certain. Some say that this was done in the time of Charlemagne; but, as appears sufficiently clearly from S. theol. 2, 2, q. 91, a. 2 ad 4, in the times of St. Thomas the use of organs was not yet universal in all churches. Pius X issued excellent statutes concerning ecclesiastical singing in the motu proprio of 22 Nov. 1903.

⁶²² S. theol. 2, 2, q. 91.

⁶²³ Confess. 9, 6 (Migne, Patr. lat. 32, 769).

⁶²⁴ Commentary on 2, 2, q. 91.

⁶²⁵ Cf. Wetzer and Welte, Kirchenlexikon, s.v. "Orgel" [Organ].