Father Ripperger has created concern in some traditional circles over his Deliverance Prayers for the Laity.
These such prayers are often said to be protestant in origin. However, Catholics have usually referred to them as prayers of ‘adjuration’.
St. Anthony is well known as the patron of lost items, but he also has a great prayer of ‘deliverance’, which Pope Sixtus V had inscribed on the obelisk in Saint Peter’s Square.
In the original Latin, the prayer says:
Ecce Crucem Domini!
Fugite partes adversae!Vicit Leo de tribu Juda,
Radix David! Alleluia!
Behold, the Cross of the Lord!
Begone, all evil powers!The Lion of the tribe of Judah,The Root of David, has conquered!
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Here’s what the Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, the greatest Moral Theologian in Church history and a Doctor of the Faith, said about them (translation by Ryan Grant):
IV. Privately it is lawful for anyone to adjure [bind] a demon; but solemnly only for the ministers of the Church constituted for this purpose, and with the express license of the Bishop. (The Salamancans, ibid. n. 5, in common with others, from Luke 10:19: “Behold, I have given you power to tread over serpents and scorpions, and over every power of the enemy.” And from Mark 16:17: “In my name they will cast out demons.”)V. Moreover, especially in regard to the adjuration of demons, two things must especially be noted here: 1) That with them the adjuration is imperative, but not depracative; 2) that they are only done to remove damage and vexation of the obsessed, but not for vanity and curiosity; hence the Doctors say in common with the Salamancans (ibid. punct. 6 § 1 num. 55), that one cannot be excused from grave sin who gives many useless speeches while the demon is obsessing.–Theologia Moralis, book 4, chapter 1, On the First Commandment of the Decalogue, Appendix de Adjuratione
St. Thomas declares that the words of Christ, “in My name that shall cast out devils” (Mark 16:17) give all believing Christians warrant to adjure the spirit of evil. This, however, must not be done out of mere curiosity, for vainglory, or for any other unworthy motive. According to Acts 19:12, St. Paul was successful in casting out wicked spirits, whereas the Jewish exorcists, using magic arts purporting to come from Solomon, “attempted to invoke over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying: ‘I conjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches,'” were leaped upon and overcome by those possessed, in such sort that they found it convenient “to flee out of that house, naked and wounded.”In adjuring the demon one may bid him depart in the name of the Lord, or in such other language as faith and piety may suggest; or he may drive him forth by the formal and fixed prayers of the Church. The first manner, which is free to all Christians, is called private adjuration. The second, which is reserved to the ministers of the Church alone, is called solemn.
Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Sancte Míchael Archángele,
defénde nos in próelio;
contra nequítiam et insídias diáboli esto praesídium.
Imperet illi Deus, súpplices deprecámur,
tuque, Prínceps milítiae caeléstis,
Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos,
qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in mundo,
divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde.
Amen
Blessed Michael, archangel,
defend us in the hour of conflict.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil
(may God restrain him, we humbly pray):
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God thrust Satan down to hell
and with him those other wicked spirits
who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen