Morals of the Church
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Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Section IV. On Adjuration

¶1.

(St. Thomas, II-II, q. 90; St. Alphonsus, Theologia Moralis, bk. III, n. 193, appendix; Homo Apostolicus, tr. 5, n. 20.)

Adjuration and Exorcism

695.

I. Notion. Adjuration is the invocation of God in order to bring someone to do or omit something (St. Alphonsus, III, 193, appendix, n. 1).

Adjuration and Exorcism

696.

II. Division. Adjuration is divided:

  1. Into explicit and implicit, according as God is invoked directly, or indirectly through creatures in which His attributes specially shine forth (n. 683).

  2. Into solemn and private. Solemn is that which is done by ministers of the Church as such, and therefore in the name of the Church, with the form established by the Church observed; private is not done in the name of the Church.

  3. Into deprecative and imperative, according as it is done in an imploring or preceptive manner (St. Alphonsus, cited place).

Adjuration and Exorcism

697.

III. Morality. Adjuration is an act of latria;1 since by adjuring we profess that the excellence of God is apt by which someone may be brought to something.

1 The invocation of some Saint - while stopping at him - in order to bring someone to something is an act of hyperdulia or dulia, according as the Blessed Virgin Mary or another Saint is invoked.

Adjuration and Exorcism

698.

IV. Entities to be adjured. To be adjured, that is, to be brought to something through the invocation of God, are capable:

  1. Directly, all and only rational beings, because they alone can be moved through the invocation of God. Therefore God Himself, Angels, Saints, wayfaring men, and demons can be adjured.

  2. Indirectly, irrational creatures can be adjured, namely either by adjuring God or the Saints not to allow them to harm, or by adjuring the demon not to harm through them (St. Alphonsus, cited place, n. III).

Adjuration and Exorcism

699.

V. Requisites for liceity are truth, judgment, justice (as was said about an oath), and due manner.

  1. Truth is placed in this: "that the one adjuring truly intends to attain what he asks, and that the cause on account of which he asks is true" (St. Alphonsus, cited place, n. II). Truth would be lacking, for example, if someone, pretending to be poor, were to adjure a rich man to give him alms. "But the lack of this truth will rarely be more than venial" (St. Alphonsus, cited place).

  2. Judgment is understood in this: that adjuration be made from a reasonable cause, "the lack of which certainly is only venial" (St. Alphonsus, cited place).

  3. Justice is understood in this: that the one adjuring try to bring another to an honorable matter. The defect of this is to be judged as defect of justice in an oath (n. 685).

  4. Due manner. Moreover, God, Angels, and Saints are to be adjured deprecatively; demons imperatively; men subject to the one adjuring can be adjured both imperatively and deprecatively; but those who are not subject to the one adjuring are to be adjured deprecatively.

Adjuration and Exorcism

700.

VI. Adjuration of a demon, or exorcism. 1. Exorcism - as adjuration taken generally - is distinguished into solemn and private, according as it is done or not done in the name of the Church. Solemn exorcism again is twofold, namely: 1. exorcism over the possessed; 2. exorcisms which occur in baptism and in consecrations or blessings.

  1. Solemn exorcism can be exercised only by those who enjoy power of Order, namely the Exorcistate. Besides: 1. as to exorcism over the possessed, a special and express permission of the Ordinary is required (can. 1151, § 1);1 2. as to exorcisms which occur in baptism and in consecrations or blessings, it is required that someone be the legitimate minister of those sacred rites (can. 1153).

  2. Private exorcism can be instituted by all; but the manner of instituting it, presented by the Roman Ritual, title XI, chapter 3, "can be used by Bishops, and also by priests who have authority for this from their Ordinaries."

  3. Exorcisms can be performed by legitimate ministers not only over the faithful and catechumens, but also over non-Catholics or excommunicated persons (can. 1152).

Note 1. Exorcism over the possessed is found in the Roman Ritual, title XI, chapter 2.

Note 2. Exorcism over the possessed does not infallibly expel the demon, as experience has taught; nevertheless exorcisms always "obtain some effect, not completely, at least imperfectly by weakening the powers of demons" (St. Alphonsus, cited place, n. VII).

1 This permission is to be granted by the Ordinary only to a priest endowed with piety, prudence, and integrity of life; he should not proceed to exorcisms unless, after diligent and prudent investigation, he has discovered that the one to be exorcised is truly possessed by a demon (can. 1151, § 2).

Adjuration and Exorcism