The Devil Returns: Practices of Catholic Exorcism in Argentina

Abstract

Exorcism has been a well-known practice since the beginnings of Christianity. It entails facing the presence of a hostile spirit in the body of the faithful, with the intervention of a specialist whose objective is to chase out the intruding spirit. In Catholic contexts, the priest has the monopoly on this ritual, a practice considered spiritually and physically risky for the executer. As a conse- quence, the exorcist is often supported by a group. Seen as a legitimate demand by some Church members, and an expression of psychiatric illness by others, the prac- tice of exorcism has grown. I present here the results of a comparative ethnographic and qualitative research undertaken in Argentina between 2013 and 2018. I have worked with groups developed by Catholic priests who carry out these rituals every week as an answer to an increasing number of requests by the faithful. This chapter analyzes the involvement of various agents: possessed people, priests, exorcist?s assistants, relatives of the possessed, and psychiatrists. Possession and the subsequent ritual of exorcism place the body at the center of particular manipula- tions, spawning also practices related to body regulation. Participants under- tand both possession and expulsion as related to healing and liberation processes, and in line with the quest for well-being found in the Charismatic Catholic spirituality.