Pope Leo XIII

Simple Prayer of Exorcism

Scripture and Selected Gospel Readings taken from Bishop Richard Challoner’s Revision of the Douay-Rheims Version of the Bible

Pope Leo XIII was immersed in great prayer when he saw the earth being invaded by evil spirits. And he knew that it was the
duty of St. Michael, the Archangel to place these evils back to their eternal prison – back in the pits of Hades. For this reason, Pope
Leo XIII composed the first prayer of this simple rite on exorcism.

This prayer was read aloud before an audience of 80,000 pilgrims by the Pope himself. This prayer can be used by all the
faithful since this form Exorcism deals not with the Rite of Exorcism reserved only for priests (Priests using the rite of exorcism must
request the Bishop’s since they possess the fullness of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ).

May this prayer be used always and often when a person experiences the presence of the Evil One in all walks of our lives.
Let us also us also use this prayer when we find ourselves helpless before habitual sin. Let us use this when we need Divine
Assistance. Let us pray this with the people dear to us and those who need it.

Celebrant (a Priest or a Layperson who is well-versed and schooled in this rite):

In the name of the Father ( + ) and of the Son ( + ) and of the Holy Spirit ( + ).

May the Lord be with us in this moment of special need.

Celebrant:

O Glorious Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in combat against the princes and the powers, against
the leaders of darkness in this world, against the evil spirits that poison our air.

Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power. Put you on the armor of God that you may be able to
stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against
the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. (Eph 6:10-12)

Come to the rescue of men and women whom God made in His image and likeness, whom God rescued at a great price from the
tyranny of the demon.

For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death came into
the world: (Wis 2:23-24)

For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body. (1 Cor 6:20)
Carry our prayer to the throne of the Most High so that the mercy of God may descend on us as soon as possible, and bring to
submission the dragon, that ancient enemy who is the devil and Satan, to throw him chained into the abyss so that he may never
seduce the nations.

And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold
on the dragon the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless
pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations, till the thousand years be finished. And after
that, he must be loosed a little time. (Apo 20 1-3)

Rite of Exorcism

In the name of Jesus Christ our God and Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of St. Michael the
Archangel, of holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, and supported by the authority of Holy Scriptures, we proceed
confidently, sure of resisting the astute assaults of the devil who is moving against us.

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face. As smoke vanisheth, so let them
vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. (Ps. 67:2-3)

Celebrant: Behold the Cross of the Lord: flee you forces of evil.

Response: The lion of the tribe of Judah, the Son of David has conquered.

Celebrant: Come to us, Lord, in your mercy.

Response: We place our hope in you.

Celebrant: We exorcise you, impure spirits, satanic powers, presence and influence of the evil one.

In the following prayer, every time (+) is encountered, the Celebrant should pause and put the Sign of the Cross on the person or the
place being prayed upon.

Celebrant: In the name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, we drive you away from these places (or this person), we weed you from
the souls created in the image of God and saved by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb (+).

Vile serpent, do not anymore trick humanity, nor persecute the Church.

The All-powerful God whom you pretend to be like and whose will is that all men be saved and know the truth, commands you (+)

With modesty admonishing them that resist the truth: if peradventure God may give them repentance to know the truth, And they may
recover themselves from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive at his will. (2 Tim 2:25-26)

(+) God the Father commands you.

(+) God the Son commands you.

(+) God the Holy Spirit commands you.

(+) CHRIST, the Eternal Word of God made flesh, commands you. HE who in order to save humanity, lost through your jealousy, was
obedient till death.

HE who constructed his Church on firm rock, promising that the gates of hell will never prevail against her, and that He will always be
with her all the days till the end of time.

(+) The Holy Sign of the Cross commands you.

(+) The virtue of all the mysteries of the Christian faith commands you.

(+) The Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who from the beginning of her Immaculate Conception trampled your insolent head,
commands you.

(+) The faith of the Holy Apostles Pater and Paul and other apostles commands you.

(+) The blood of the martyrs and the intercession of the saints command you.

Stop deceiving humanity, and serving them with the poison of eternal condemnation. Flee from here, Satan, inventor and master of all
deceits, enemy of the salvation of all men and women.

Fall back before Christ in whom you have nothing in common; fall back before the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that
Christ himself bought by his blood.

Humble yourself before the powerful hand of God, tremble and disappear at our invocation of the holy and terrible name of Jesus
before whom the powers of hell could not stand, to whom all the virtues of heaven, the powers and dominations, are submissive and to
whom the seraphims and cherubims sing praises without ceasing:

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts!

Celebrant: Lord, listen to my prayer.

Response: And let our cry come to you.
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you.
Celebrant: God of heaven and earth, God of the angels and archangels, God of patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of apostles, God of
martyrs, God of confessors, God of virgins, there is no other God than you, nor could there be other God than you. Creator of all
things visible and invisible whose reign will not have end, humbly we beseech the majesty of your glory to liberate and guard us from
all powers, lies, and influence of the demon. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Response: Amen.
Celebrant: From all the insinuations of the devil, deliver us, O Lord. That You grant Your Church the security and freedom necessary
for your service.
Response: Amen.

The celebrant sprinkles Holy Water on the place where this exorcism is prayed
 Selected Readings from Scriptures
St. Matthew 8:28-34

And when he was come on the other side of the water, into the country of the Gerasens, there met him two that were
possessed with devils, coming out of the sepulchres, exceeding fierce, so that none could pass by that way. And behold they cried out,
saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was, not far
from them, an herd of many swine feeding.

And the devils besought him, saying: If thou cast us out hence, send us into the herd of swine. And he said to them: Go. But
they going out went into the swine, and behold the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea: and they perished in the
waters. And they that kept them fled: and coming into the city, told every thing, and concerning them that had been possessed by the
devils. And behold the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their
coasts.

St. Luke 4:33-35

And in the synagogue there was a man who had an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, Saying: Let us alone,
what have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God. And
Jesus rebuked him, saying: Hold thy peace, and go out of him. And when the devil had thrown him into the midst, he went out of him,
and hurt him not at all.

St. Luke 8:27-39

And when he was come forth to the land, there met him a certain man who had a devil now a very long time, and he wore no
clothes, neither did he abide in a house, but in the sepulchres. And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him; and crying out with a
loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I beseech thee, do not torment me. For he
commanded the unclean spirit to go out of the man. For many times it seized him, and he was bound with chains, and kept in fetters;
and breaking the bonds, he was driven by the devil into the deserts. And Jesus asked him, saying: What is thy name? But he said:
Legion; because many devils were entered into him.

And they besought him that he would not command them to go into the abyss. And there was there a herd of many swine
feeding on the mountain; and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. The devils
therefore went out of the man, and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were stifled.
Which when they that fed them saw done, they fled away, and told it in the city and in the villages. And they went out to see what was
done; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at his feet, clothed, and in his right
mind; and they were afraid.

And they also that had seen, told them how he had been healed from the legion. And all the multitude of the country of the
Gerasens besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear. And he, going up into the ship, returned back again.
Now the man, out of whom the devils were departed, besought him that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying:
Return to thy house, and tell how great things God hath done to thee. And he went through the whole city, publishing how great things
Jesus had done to him.

St. Luke 9:37-43

And it came to pass the day following, when they came down from the mountain, there met him a great multitude. And
behold a man among the crowd cried out, saying: Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only one. And lo, a
spirit seizeth him, and he suddenly crieth out, and he throweth him down and teareth him, so that he foameth; and bruising him, he
hardly departeth from him. And I desired thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.

And Jesus answering, said: O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring hither
thy son. And as he was coming to him, the devil threw him down, and tore him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and cured the
boy, and restored him to his father.

Compiled by Gino Paradela