Of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications

The ritual book was published on 26 January 1999, making it the last liturgical book to be revised following the Second Vatican Council of 1962–1965.[1] The preceding revision of the document was in 1614.[2] A slightly amended edition was issued in 2004.[3] The document was originally issued only in Latin, but some versions in the vernacular are extant.

Following the trends in Catholic approaches to alleged cases of possession since the pontificate of Leo XIII in the 19th century, the new revision includes a warning not to confuse mental illness with demonic possession. It also removes several descriptions of Satan, which sat uncomfortably with the Church's doctrine, and states that the devil is "a spirit without body, without colour and without odour."[2] Although taking many forms, Satan as a metaphysical or spiritual being exists without real physical attributes, but only the assumed forms.

The 2004 edition contains two chapters and two appendices.

Title: The Rite of Major Exorcism

This text is used for the formal ceremony of solemn exorcisms, which are always performed with the express permission of a bishop. It is for use only by mandated priest-exorcists.

Title: Various texts which may be used ad lib as part of the rite.

This Chapter is subdivided into three sections: a collection of nine psalms with concluding prayers; a collection of five Gospel readings; two pairs of deprecative and imperative formulae of exorcism.

Title: Prayers and exorcism for use in particular circumstances of the church.

An introductory rubric states: The Devil and other demons can not only afflict persons (by temptation and vexation), but also places and objects, and can cause various forms of opposition and persecution of the Church. If the diocesan Bishop, in the particular circumstances, judges it opportune to announce meetings for the faithful to pray, under the guidance and direction of the priest, selected prayers and directives can be taken from the following pages.

Appendix One contains the following liturgy: • A liturgical greeting. • An optional liturgy of the Word – reading(s) and homily. • A collect addressed to the Holy Spirit. • Optionally, general intercessions concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. • A statement of purpose. • An extract from Psalm 68[4] with congregational response. • The act of exorcism, first as an deprecative formula, then imperative. • The Sub tuum prayer and a slightly revised version of an exorcism prayer to St Michael. • A sprinkling with holy water, blessing and dismissal.

Title: Prayers which may be used privately by the faithful in the struggle against the powers of darkness.

Appendix Two contains the following (all in Latin): • Five collect-style prayers to God. • A short litany of invocations of the Holy Trinity. • A long litany of invocations of Jesus. • Short invocations to the Lord with the sign of the Cross. • Invocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary, including the Sub tuum and Memorare. • The well-known shorter Prayer to St Michael. • A short litany of saints.

• The second part of the Roman Ritual, containing the exorcism ritual in its entirety. Note that this is an unofficial English translation of the Latin text in force prior to the 1999 revision.