CANONICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EXORCISM AND THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

摘要

The Catholic tradition had long ago acknowledged the power of God over the Devil and the evil spirits or demons. God’s power is Supreme over evil. God through Christ has set human beings free from the chain of the Devil. Christ earthly ministry as we will be demonstrating in the sacred scripture reveals his power over the Devil and demons. The diocesan bishop is also entrusted with the task of sanctifying the people entrusted to his care. The ritual of exorcism in the Church is to be understood from the perspective of the sanctification of the human person. This paper is interested in the diocesan bishop’s obligation to sanctify the faithful especially those possessed with demons.