Word: deviled
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...precritical." Individuals tend to personify evil, he explains, "because we see it in people." But for sophisticates acquainted with sociology and other disciplines, says McBrien, "sin is now seen as something systemic, institutional and structural, as well as personal." Laments William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist: "The devil has been soft-pedaled and de- emphasized by the church." Absent the notion of a personal devil, of course, exorcism becomes an obsolete, in fact meaningless, exercise...
That might have been enough for many preachers, but O'Connor wanted to give the devil his full due. He warned in his sermon that "diabolically instigated violence is on the rise" and asserted that heavy-metal rock music can "help trap people, especially teenagers," into dabbling in disgraceful Satanist practices. In particular, the Cardinal denounced rocker Ozzy Osbourne's tune Suicide Solution ("Wine is fine but whiskey's quicker/ Suicide is slow with liquor . . . Suicide is the only way out./ Don't you know what it's really about...
Indeed, the practice has fallen on hard times in the wake of Vatican II. Candidates for the Catholic priesthood no longer pass through the minor order of exorcist en route to ordination. The official baptism ritual, which included an ancient exorcism formula ("Accursed devil, come forward and acknowledge your condemnation . . ."), today concentrates on asking God to / fill the child with his grace rather than expelling the power of darkness...
...official Roman Ritual still includes a rite of exorcism. The code of canon law includes rules for exorcism, specifying that only a bishop may authorize one. Rome still holds fast to belief in Satan: in a 1986 sermon, Pope John Paul insisted upon the reality of a personal devil and recognized the possibility of demonic possession. The secret draft for a forthcoming Catechism for the Universal Church, now being examined by the world's bishops, continues the traditional teachings about Satan and fallen angels...
...name of our Lord Jesus Christ." In addition to such ritual bouts, Catholic priests are occasionally called upon to pronounce blessings to ward off weird and possibly sinister occurrences. Just two weeks ago, for example, an Indianapolis priest uttered such prayers at the home of a teenage devil worshiper. The reason: objects kept moving about inexplicably...