Cardinal Rivera says every priest is an exorcist

Mexico City, Mexico, Jul 15, 2008 / 19:15 pm

The Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, said during a pastoral visit to the parish of San Pedro Cuajimalpa that every priest is an exorcist because of his priestly ministry and is called to exercise the service of expelling the Evil One especially through the Sacrament of Confession.

The parish of San Pedro is known for the “healing” ministry of its current pastor, Father Jose Jil, as well as that of its former pastor, Father Pedro Pantoja.

“Every priest is called to fight against evil in his midst, not only through his example and council, but also through his own office: that of exorcist,” said Cardinal Rivera.

Cardinal Rivera said that when he became Bishop of Tehuacan, he did not see the need for a “healing” ministry in that diocese. But when he came to Mexico City he realized there was a need to directly combat the action of the devil in the faithful, “whose wounds, more than psychological, are of a moral order due to the serious contamination of human values.”

He revealed that this experience led him to dedicate a priest in each of the eight regions of the most populous archdiocese in the world to the work of exorcism through “prayer, healing and liberation, to help the faithful who are under the control of evil.”

Cardinal Rivera recalled that the priest’s greatest act of liberation from evil lies in the sacrament of Reconciliation.