Dear Joseph:

It is amazing how many Catholics, in frustration, go to psychics, shamans, and other such people.

READ MY LIPS PEOPLE, er, my typing, to all who read this. DO NOT EVER consult with occult people—psychics, mediums, shamans, psychic healers, etc. For that matter it is wise to not go to any non-Catholic, or to any Catholic who thinks Catholicism and these occult arts can be combined.

Folks, our apostolate is here to advise you and help you. If you need quick advice go to our One-Time Appointment Calendar to make an appointment.

Whatever demonic harassment that is going on, going to psychics, shamans, mediums, and such people will place you in deeper demonic harassment making it much harder to get free. It can even lead to possession in some rare cases.

Anyway, I just heard about this case in Indiana and thus have not had time to review it, so there is little I can say about the case, but I can answer your specific questions.

Demons do not have to have a reason to do anything. Evil is often completely arbitrary. Trying to figure out the "whys and whyfors" can make one nuts. Often, there is no specific reason. It reminds me of the old saying, "why climb that mountain? because it is there." No other reason is necessary than "because."

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to demonic behavior. Their primary limitations are whatever limitations that God places upon them. Otherwise demons are angels, fallen angels, who have all the same powers as angels of God, except they use those powers for corruption.

In this current case, the demons have much motivation to attack the chief of police because the chief of police is trying to help the family. That's all the motivation is needed.

Sometimes demons who are harassing a family may stay with the family even when they move to some other house. Other times when the family leaves the house the demons stay behind and the family is free from them. Still other times when the family leaves the house the demons leave the family and the house and I guess choose to go someplace else. This is why in some cases when the afflicted family leaves the house and the new owners of the house do not experience anything. But, it's also the case that the afflicted family can leave the house and the new owners of the house have the same problems.

We can never presume the motivations of demons other than we know their motivation is to cause havoc due to their intense hatred for God, especially for our Blessed Mother, and for all of his children.

Most common demons like to work in the darkness. But, if it serves their purpose they will publicly do their thing. In our culture right now there is a improper interest in things demonological. Demons love to encourage this because the more people who are improperly interested in such things the more likely they will be seduced by demons in some fashion. TV shows like TAPS, and the other ghost-busting shows, which are hundred times worse than TAPS, prick people's curiosity and sense of adventure. That is why nearly every cable channel seems to have some sort of ghost-busting program. The people who do the ghost-busting, the paranormal investigators, are generally idiots and what they do is dangerous beyond their knowledge.

We can never forget the adage, "curiosity kills the cat." That is never more true than those who do paranormal investigations, deliverance or otherwise come against demons, and otherwise engage in things in which they have no idea what they're doing. But the public eats it up, and more, because of these shows ghost busting groups are popping up even in small cities around the country. I am horrified by this and pray for these people because they truly "know not what they do." No one should attempt this sort of activity unless they are thoroughly versed in theology, trained, and have the calling of God to pursue such an apostolate. The determination of calling cannot be made by oneself. It takes the discernment of others, in conjunction with the person, to determine if God is really calling a person to this work.

Our training program take 3-4 years, followed by a 3-year "residency." The courses include theology, angelology, Church documents on the subject, science, even a bit of physics, investigation skills, critical thinking, and much more. Our St. Michael Academy is the most extensive training program in the world. There is a reason for this: spiritual warfare, and in particular, deliverance is not a game, it is not an adventure, it is deadly serious, and our adversary is smarter and more powerful than we are on our own. Christ and our Guardian Angels must be ever-present to help us in this work.

In many ways the devil is getting bolder because he knows his time is short. The last one hundred and fifty years or so has seen an explosion of evil and of demonic attacks.

As for the priest saying there were demons and ghosts in the house I really can't comment on because I'm not sure what he meant by that. As I said I have not had the time yet to look into this case. But, nearly all ghostly apparitions are demons. Even when the apparition seems to be a dead grandmother, it is a demon in disguise. While God may permit purgatorial ghosts to temporarily roam the earth, those ghosts do not do anything violent, or untoward, or evil, in any fashion. I recommend that people read the essay, Seven Kinds of Ghosts, which will explain the various types of ghostly phenomena.

There is only one case that I'm aware of where a human spirit may have been allowed to leave hell, under the escort of a demon, to possess the man's daughter. That was the case here in Iowa, which is the most famous case of exorcism until the St. Louis case that was the basis for the movie, The Exorcist. The Iowa case can be read in the booklet entitled, Begone Satan! by Fr. Carl Vogl. It is the true story of possession and
exorcism in Earling, Iowa of a woman cursed by her own father, possessed from 16
years old until her 40th year.

Fr. Vogl reports that one of the spirits possessing the girl was her father. Fr. Vogl was not experienced in these matters and may not have understood that such a declaration by the spirit was most likely a lie.

This case is also one that showcases that an innocent person may be possessed. While possession usually involved culpable behavior by the one possessed, this is not always the case. Innocent people can be possessed, as this case shows.

As always, may God bless you,
Bro. Ignatius Mary