THE DEMON KISSED AND CARESSED CALVIN’S WORKS; THE WOMAN WAS DELIVERED AND CONVERTED TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH
The following testimony was provided about the powerful intercession of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, in a case involving demonic possession.
Ostrog, Poland. 1627.
A Calvinist noblewoman was possessed by a demon. She exhibited many classic signs of genuine possession, including replying to questions in whatever language they were asked.
The Calvinist ministers were unable to cure her, and so hesitantly approached the local Jesuits.
The Jesuit rector replied to them:
“Don’t you consider our ceremonies superstitious and our exorcisms meaningless? Why then do you come to us? Is it faith or necessity that brings you? Send your own ministers and your schismatic priests, and see what power they have over the Devil. Then come to us. For it’s only fair that the trial should be considered as a proof of the reality of the two religions.”
The Calvinists said their ministers did not have the power to cast out the demons. So the rector agreed they would see the woman.
The account continues:
“After this, a visit was made by the Catholic authorities to the woman to see if she was really possessed, which they soon confirmed. As soon as the rector sprinkled her with holy water and touched her with a relic of St. Ignatius without her knowing it, she began to writhe and twist her body, saying that a bone of St. Ignatius tormented her.
As the rector was even more eager to heal the souls of the Calvinists than the body of the woman, he instructed them to bring the book of Calvin’s ‘Institutes’ or some other book containing their own dogmas and give it to the woman. This was accordingly done, and the Devil began to kiss and caress it with great marks of joy. The rector then took it and hid a picture of St. Ignatius between the pages; then he presented it to her again. The demon drew back, screaming with anger, and would not even touch it.
Being compelled to acknowledge what it was he feared, the unclean spirit answered, ‘The picture of St. Ignatius that you have placed there!’
The Calvinists were greatly confounded at this, and one of them said in anger, ‘You Papists have a good understanding with the Devil, so you can do whatever you want with them.’
One of the Jesuit fathers then said, ‘Since this evidence doesn’t satisfy you, let’s try this. I’ll pray to God that if yours is the true faith, the Devil may pass into my body and torment me, but if the Catholic faith is true, he may enter into you for one hour only. Will this satisfy you?’
Not one of them would consent, and all were silent. Then they earnestly begged the rector to assist the poor woman if he could. The rector promised and then went away.”
Every time one of the Jesuit brothers came to the woman, “she flew into a passion. However, if a Calvinist presented himself, she called him her dear friend.”
The woman was eventually exorcised after the brothers offered fasting and penance for her, the exorcist offered Holy Mass, and administered the rite of exorcism. After the demon went out of her, “right then and there, she solemnly renounced her errors and professed the Catholic faith.”
It is one of the great evidences of the Catholic Faith that whenever someone needs help confronting the demonic, they often (not always) have to call a Catholic priest to do it.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, who continues to cast out demons for the conversion of souls through the instrumentality of Your priests!
Source: Paul Thigpen (protestant convert), “Saints Who Battled Satan: Seventeen Holy Warriors Who Can Teach You How to Fight the Good Fight and Vanquish Your Ancient Enemy” (TAN Books, 2015), 116-19, which was quoting the words from the following book: Antonio Francesco Mariani, “The Life of St. Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits, Vol. 2” (Thomas Richardson and Sons, 1849).
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