www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Iconwriter's Daily Prayer and a question about demons

I wa given, as a Christmas gift, the "Iconwriter's Daily Prayer", a book of exceptional beauty, compiled by iconographer Vladislav Andrejev. The book is, as I said, very beautiful to look at, hardbound with a ribbon bookmark and full color icons. The book is subtitled "Rule of the Seven Sacraments"; it is in the form of seven prayers for the days of the week, in which each of the sacraments is linked to a particular festal icon and an additional mystery. For example, Monday is the prayer of Holy Chrismation, the icon is the Theophany, and the mystery is the mystery of Holy Water.And so on. This structure appears elegant and deeply mystical.
However, the opening prayer, which is to be prayed before each of the offices, is "The Denial of Satan", in which the Devil is addressed, rebuked and expelled. I have always considered it unwise for anyone except an exorcist delegated by a bishop to directly address an unclean spirit. I recall Cardinal Ratzinger stating as much a number of years ago, in response to some prayer groups in Turin who got into considerable spiritual trouble by this practice. My question to the learned members of this forum is this: is there precedence in Eastern practice for this approach or is this an innovation by Mr Andrejev? What are your opinions of this?
I have thought that perhaps I would merely substitute the traditional Prayer to St Michael for these self-announced exorcisms. [Is this prayer strictly a Western one? Did the East with its strong devotion to the Archangel Michael evolve similar prayers of intercession?]
Thanks so much in advance for your insights.

Slava Isusu Christu!

It has always been the tradition both East and West for lay people to perform minor exorcisms in their prayer Rule; these however, are to be differenciated from major exorcisms which are performed by a member of the clergy or in the East a person, again appointed by the hierarch, whether lay or monastic who has the gift or charism to perform exorcisms. In the West as per the 1983 Code of Canon Law only a priest appointed by the bishop for said purpose may perform a exorcism after a thorough systematic investigation.

In the East laypeople can perform minor blessings and minor exorcisms. A minor blessing is the patriarchal fatherly blessing of his home or children, the blessing of the food, et al. Minor exorcisms are usually prayers asking God to rebuke the Evil One; they are never in the form of a direct command. They are in the passive form never in the assertive form such as "Satan I command thee..." In the West of course there are the Leonine prayers and the exorcism for lay use which is also in the passive form.

The Eastern Church recognizes the gift of certain of the pious layfolk and may approve of an exorcism performed by a healer or starosta, but only after permission of the Hierarch. It seems however that the Byzantine Catholic Churches use the methodology of the Latin Church in this regard.

In Christ,


Robert Andrei Horvath

Thank you Robert for an informative post; that's pretty much what I thought. What troubled me was the direct address to demons, commanding them to depart and so on. It is quite a lengthy "prayer" though in fact most of it is not addressed to God or the Virgin but to the devil. If I use the rule I will substitute the prayer to St Michael.