Incense, candles, crystal and exorcism (Roman Catholic perspective) I have read that incense is a bad thing and it can bring demons to your house. However others say it will create a clean house. Rabbi Keduri, some say, did smoke incense, but he did not inhale it, and when asked, said it was supposed to keep the demons away. 

What does the RCC say about it? What is so special about smoke, candles and crystals?

Could any RCC experts give me a good source?
Your question has to be divided into two parts: How are Catholic exorcisms actually performed and how is one able to help liberate the possessed through various sacraments and sacramental outside an actual exorcism.

It should be noted that sometimes the liberation of a soul from the grips of the evil one happens after just a few exorcisms, while others take years to be freed from the demon.

The Roman Ritual is where Catholics get its official rules on how to perform the Rite of Exorcism (Ritus Exorcizandi Obsessos A Daemonio).

According to the Roman Ritual, the exorcist is to be donned with a surplice and a purple stole (which at a particular point in time during the exorcism is to be draped over the shoulder of the possessed). The exorcist is to have holy water on hand and the following to items may be present:


  13 He ought to have a crucifix at hand or somewhere in sight. If relics of the saints are available, they are to be applied in a reverent way to breast or head of the possessed (the relics must be properly and securely encased and covered). One will see to it that these sacred objects are not treated improperly or no injury is done to them by the evil spirit. However, one should not hold the Holy Eucharist over the head of the person nor in any way apply It to his body, owing to the danger of desecration. Exorcism Of The Possessed.


Fr. Gabriel Amorth was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome who has written two books on the on the subject of exorcisms: An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories. Although they are not official Roman Catholic documents, they are in fact a very rich source of information of how some priests use various sacraments and sacramentals to help in the liberation of the possessed outside the actual Rite of Exorcism.

In his books, Fr. Amorth states that both the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion are excellent aids in freeing a person from the possession of the demon.

Fr. Amorth would say Mass in the homes of those tormented by the devil. Other helpful things (outside an actual exorcism), he would encourage is to have the house blessed. He also mentions the use of sacramentals such as holy water, blessed oil, exorcized (blessed) salt, blessed religious medals (especially the now famous St Benedict's Medal) burning of blessed incense in the home and so on. All these sacramentals , as well as many more , have their own particular blessing and/or exorcism listed in the Roman Ritual.

The Book of Tobit has an episode (Tobit 6: 1-7) in which the angel Raphael gets Tobias to burn incense in order to make the demon flee away.

The use of crystal (balls?) is complete nonsense for the use of help in the liberation of the possessed and would, at least in my mind, be a hindrance towards the liberation of a soul, as being something out of New Age or even worse.

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