The Exorcist Files - S2-Case #07- Dynasty of Death - Pt. 2

Episode Date: July 24, 2024

Joseph's battle with the demonic comes to a climactic finish with some help from an unlikely source.  SponsorsThanks to Lumen, for sponsoring this episode!  Head to lumen.me/EXFILES for 15% off your purchase.Learn a new language and impress your friends with our sponsor Babbel.  Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/exfilesHead to Exorcistfiles.TV for the latest information, more about the show and to get some of our anointed merchandise. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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where we relisten to past episodes and cases, and father reflects back on insights and anecdotes he just didn't have time to get into in the podcast. To subscribe, head on over to exorcistfiles.tv and sign up, or just click the link in the show notes. Again, that's exorcistfiles.tv to get access to the vault. He looked at me and was clearly afraid. But there was something else in his eyes,

something I couldn't really explain. I thought to myself, This is either the most powerful demon I have ever encountered, because he doesn't react at all to what I say, or he is the weakest, because he is so afraid he can't speak. Finally, I turned to him and asked, Demon, who are you? Quietly, and almost even shyly, he lightly shook his head and sad. I am. Welcome back to the Exorcist Files, a terrifying trium. trek into the theological twilight territories. If you're just tuning in now, stop, count to three,

but definitely not four. And go back and listen to part one. Our power certainly compels you. Where we last left off, Joseph, a good man, and a loving husband, found himself for seemingly no discernible reason, growing increasingly more terrorized by a sadistic and dark force that tried to coerce him into taking his own life. But a last-minute intervention by his wife Alicia saved him from death. Realizing their need for serious spiritual assistance, Alicia and Joseph went to see Father Martens to try and find freedom from a very present darkness. As always, listener discretion is advised. Now let's return to Father's office, where he had just begun praying for Joseph, and whatever happened to be dwelling in there wasn't too pleased.

With Joseph sitting down in a chair, I stood next to him, placed my hands on his head, and began praying. He manifested wildly. His eyes rolled back into his head. He vomited thick phlegm and shook violently. He kept yelling the word no in groups of four. No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no. It was almost rhythmic, and one of the oddest manifestations I'd ever seen. Blessed Lord, come to thy aid of your faithful servant. Have mercy now and send your angels. No, no, no, no. Reveal to us any foul thing that lies below.

Set your son free. A foul, rotting odor filled the room. The demon thrashed around, and his eyes rolled back. into his head. I commanded him to give me his name, and he taunted me. But when I commanded a second time, he complied very loudly. You who are manifesting demon in the name of Jesus, he will tell me your name. One, two, three, four. Demon, I command you to tell me your name. Can't you count, bastard? In the name of Jesus, tell me your name. Four letters is the hint. Let me spell for you. F, you see. Answer me, demon.

In the holy name of Jesus, tell me your name now. I'm inspired. Can't train, slough, Arba. I am four. Didn't really put much thought into your name, did you? Demon, you obey my commands in the name of Christ. Now be silent. Joseph, I'm speaking to you.

Trust God, Jesus is going to set you free. And you, demon, you call yourself for I command you. No, Joseph. Only four, forsaken, forsook, fornicator, for God. For you will be silent. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, you will obey the Holy Three, the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Three, to whom you must and will submit to the three who are greater than four.

They are not! They are not! They are not! They are not! They are not! Our listeners will remember from What's in a Name, episode five from season one, that one of the three questions Father Martins always asks is the name of the demon, and asking is putting it nicely. It's more like an interrogation with the KGB. Father is issuing commands. He is commanding the demon to reveal his name. The name of the demon not only allows Father to isolate that demon specifically,

especially in light of other demons joining in the fray and assisting him, but the name may also hint at the potential doorway that allowed the demon to enter. Demons will fight to guard this information and many times resist giving their names. Now, in this case, when a demon identifies himself as a number, well, that doesn't give you much to go off of. For all we know, the demon named four could just be the evil spirit afflicting golfers around the world. after Joseph's manifestation, I decided to move forward with pursuing permission from the bishop for a formal exorcism. I felt I had enough evidence from the combined events of the suicide attempt,

the repetition of speech patterns in fours, and the violent outburst in my office. While these are not the classic signs we have previously discussed, taken together and considering that no medical explanation had been found, I felt confident enough to move forward and call the bishop. After the first few exorcism sessions, it became apparent that far from a one and done, this possession was going to be a long one. With each session, there was little progress.

We seemed to be stuck in a cycle. I'd issue commands, and the demons somehow safely ignored them, without losing any ground. He just kept claiming that he had the rights to possess. Every time I commanded him to reveal the origin of those rights, he roared back with nothing but insults and expletives. Demon number four, I commend you to tell me how you came into him.

He is a pile of excrement, a trash bin for all the shit you dispense, you filthy chriest, go drink from a cesspool, and wash your chalice in it, wade in it until you find a communion host that someone shit out and eat that too. Joseph claimed to have cleaned his soul by confessing, within the sacrament of confession, every sin he was conscious of committing. It seemed to change nothing. The demon was just as powerful in the 15th session as he was in the first. I asked Joseph whether he had ever made a pact with the devil or with anyone else who might represent him,

such as a fortune teller, a psychic, a healer, or even an old girlfriend. No was always his response. And I believed him. It was clear from his face he wasn't lying. If he was lying, then Joseph was for sure a better liar than I am at spotting lies. And like all exorcists, I'm a professional lie detector. I began to look for signs of curses. I asked him whether he had made any enemies who might have a reason to seek revenge,

anyone who, for example, was envious of him and who may desire to act on that envy. I asked him whether there was an old boyfriend of Alicia's whose heartbreak might be driving him to send a curse his way. Joseph knew of no such persons. He was such a friendly, kind, and generous individual that it would be hard to imagine someone desiring to settle a score with him for past hurts. He was the type of guy who seemed incapable of intentionally hurting anyone. In terms of Alicia, she and Joseph began dating early in high school. Each was the other's first date, so there was no prior boyfriend. I was stumped.

Everything I had done with Joseph should have removed the demon's rights, but they didn't. Somewhere there was a permission that was hidden from all of us. For months, we went through numerous exorcism sessions, with the same types of manifestations and results each time. Each time the demon smugly claimed his rights were untouched, and he was exactly where he belonged and liked to be. So at this point, listeners are probably wondering, how do you do this for months with no progress?

How could this happen? If a demon maintains he has rights and refuses to leave, an exorcist is left in a tough situation. Unfortunately, exorcists do not possess omniscience. They do not have exhaustive knowledge of everything, so they have to keep poking and prodding in hopes of finding a doorway that was opened. The demon kept referring to rights he had acquired. Occasionally, a minor demon presented himself, but these were dispatched quickly.

The main possessor, however, remained securely in place. As we have discussed on this show previously, the job of the exorcist is not properly speaking to cast out the devil. The job of the exorcist is to find out why the devil is there, to discover the rights the demon has obtained that allowed, him to take over his victim from the inside. This knowledge usually comes from the victim himself, since the victim is the one most knowledgeable about his situation. This is why it is crucial for the victim to cooperate with the exorcist, for there to be a successful liberation. Sometimes the victim's

family or friends can add crucial information that the victim himself cannot articulate, such as a wound within the victim, a wound the demon was able to exploit. An exorcist may have a gut feeling as to the reason for the possession in this or that particular case. But there are cases if the victim himself cannot supply adequate information. He will find himself in the dark. In such cases, he just keeps praying and asking God for a breakthrough. Those cases are especially tough, because there is no telling when the devil's hold will be broken. Will it be a week, a year, a decade, two decades. An exorcist spends much time looking and praying for breakthrough. And then, finally, there was a breakthrough.

During one session, a new demon emerged. He came unexpectedly after the main possessor retreated and the team was taking a 15-minute break. Everyone on the team quickly got back into position and readied for another fight. Amen. Father Martin's here. I want to do a quick plug for one of the most powerful tools I've seen for breaking free and growing closer to Christ. Exodus 90. The Exodus 90 challenge begins this year on January 20th, but this isn't just a 90-day program. Exodus 90 is a spirituality for modern men that is built on three ancient pillars, prayer, self-sacrifice, and fraternity. We all long for something more. We long to be the men God

created us to be, sons of a loving father. It's time to be. It's time to long for. to turn away from our idols. It's time to break free from the pharaohs that hold us in bondage. If you're ready to make a fresh start and embark on a journey to uncommon freedom in Jesus Christ, then download the Exodus 90 app today. This is your chance to break free, refocus, and rediscover who God is calling you to be in the new year. It starts January 20th. So go to Exodus 90.com X-Files to learn more about Exodus 90. That's Exodus 90.com slash X-Files to join tens of thousands of men from all over the world for Exodus 90. Again, it begins Monday, January 20th.

God bless you. Ready? Is he secured? Yes. Good, good. Demon, in the name of Jesus, tell me your. name. Demon, in the name of Jesus, who are you?

Tell me your name. Again, there was no response. I repeated the command a third time. Demon in the name of Jesus, who are you? Tell me your name. Still nothing. This was unusual. The demon said nothing.

There was no anger in his face. Neither did he display any belligerence or hostility. In fact, he looked frightened. He peered around looking as if what was occurring was completely unexpected to him. I have encountered such situations before. It can occur, for example, when a demon is unexpectedly thrown into an exorcism by a higher-ranking demon as the higher demon's way of protecting himself. When a demon is on the verge of being cast out in his desperation to remain inside the victim,

He will pull any and every stop he can to prevent it. If there is a weaker, lower-ranking demon available, he may throw him into the confrontation with the exorcist to buy himself a reprieve from the pain and affliction that the exorcism is causing him. The demonic world is hierarchical. Higher-ranking demons are not to be disobeyed or the punishment meted out to subordinates is swift and severe.

The fact that you are a peon who can be ordered around is part and parcel of being a lower-ranking demon. A superior may throw you into the midst of torture to save his own skin. And guess what? Now you are the one being tortured. But there was something else that was different. I could see the pupils of Joseph's eyes. In those moments, when the demon manifested through Joseph,

he caused Joseph's eyes to roll back such that I could only see the whites of his eyes. They then stayed in that position as long as the demon was manifesting, sometimes for well over an hour. In this manifestation, however, Joseph's eyes were normal. My suspicion was that a new demon with different characteristics was manifesting. As we learned from Father Basil Cole in our bonus episode on the angelic hierarchy, there are thought to be nine recognized choirs of angels, with three ranks. It's not an exact science, but scripture alludes to the various types of angels.

For example, Isaiah mentions the cherubim. Ezekiel references the seraphim. The archangels Michael and Gabriel are mentioned in Daniel, doing battle and delivering messages, and Paul's reference to the battle against the powers and principalities in Ephesion 6 all point towards a diverse array of angelic beings. The argument for the existence of a demonic hierarchy, comes from the idea that when the angels who became demons rebelled, they retain their ranks.

However, instead of serving God, they now do the bidding of he who was once called Lucifer, now Satan, the father of lies, and the commander of all demons. As Father Martens has shared, he doesn't feel there's any real value in knowing too much about an alleged demonic hierarchy. Jesus is at the top of all hierarchies, and the demons, well, they can just go to, well, you get it. Let's get back to the new manifestation that just emerged in Father's Battle. I repeated the command a fourth time.

Demon, I command you to obey in the name of Jesus. Tell me your name. He looked at me and was clearly afraid. But there was something else in his eyes, something I couldn't really explain. I thought to myself, this is either the most powerful demon I have ever encountered because he doesn't react at all to what I say or he is the weakest because he is so afraid he can't speak

finally I turned to him and asked Demon who are you quietly and almost even shyly he lightly shook his head and said I am no demon Do not lie to me. In the name of Jesus, tell me your name, demon. I am, but for the grace of God most merciful, I would be with them.

By the grace of God? Never before had I heard a demon reference God's grace. That was totally unexpected. I have heard demons confess to God's divine attributes, His holiness, power, majesty, etc. but only after a long battle and when he is forced to do so. I didn't force him at all here, so his answer more than surprised me. If you are not a demon, what are you?

A human. Are you living or dead? Then the Lord judged you. Yes. How did he judge you? His mercy, the Lord... Again, in all my years, I have never heard a demon speak this way.

I have never experienced a demon referring to God's mercy except to deny that he has any. In fact, they vehemently rage against God having any mercy, as if the demons, who are torturers by trade, knew anything themselves about mercy.

I dug deeper. So you're in heaven? I am undergoing my probation. I wander the earth. But why are you here with us in this room? The Lord in His mercy sent me. I am Joseph's great, great-grandfather and their responsibility for his suffering.

For months, we had been hammering away at this demon with no progress. And then suddenly, a new personality emerged. speaking of God's grace, and now claiming to be his great-great-grandfather. To be sure, demons lie. But in all of my years in this work, I have never heard a demon reverently acknowledge God and his mercy. Thus, I was beginning to think that it might be possible that this was really not a demon. I pressed on. How are you responsible for what Joseph is suffering?

During the birth of our sixth child, my wife hemorrhaged terribly. After three days, she was close to death. We were poor farmers and had no money for doctors. Desperate, my brother spoke of a man who could heal her. I sought out the sorcerer, and he claimed he could heal my wife. But at a cost, he performed. a ritual and offered me a deal if I would simply give to him every fourth grandchild in my family line my wife would be healed and you agreed to this fact to my shame and my selfishness against the will of

almighty god I did I should have accepted what God had decreed but instead I tried to bypass past God and I bargained with his enemies. My wife was healed of the hemorrhage, as was promised. But I brought a great evil into this world. Joseph is only the latest to suffer from it because of this pact. Twelve of my grandchildren have suffered. Taken their own lives. Only if this pact is renounced will come freedom.

It is all my fault. Had I not repented, I would have been condemned and would dwell with demons forever. Blessed be the name of the Lord, God Almighty, who is mercy itself. Joseph's great-great-grandfather revealed that his name is William and that he was born in 1841, 144 years before Joseph's own birth. since Joseph was the fourth-born child to his father, who was a direct descendant of William, he was subject to the curse.

From the time the curse was made until Joseph was born, twelve others were fourth-born and were subject to it. All took their lives before reaching middle age, although some did so while they were still quite young, while still in their earlier mid-teens. One of the cursed even told, his life before the age of 10, and Joseph recalled as a kid when two of his relatives took their lives. The two suicides were only separated from one another by a few months, and the pain they brought to

the family was immense. The appearance of Joseph's great-great-grandfather was one of the first times a deceased human appeared and spoke in the midst of one of my exorcisms. The experience was awed to say, the least. In all of my reading on exorcism, I had never encountered such a concept. Anecdotally, I had heard from a few exorcists of it happening, but it was extraordinarily rare. And so, like the sixth sense, father saw dead people. Well, one dead person, actually. Now, hearing this story, I had two thoughts. Like Bill Murray, joking to Sigourney Weaver and Ghostbusters, you have enough people in there already. My first thought was, is this an example of multiple personality disorder, expressing itself under extreme duress.

Secondly, if this is entirely demonic, Father is battling Satan, Father of Lies, so couldn't a demon just pretend to be a dead relative? How would one know that any of this is true and not a misdirect? Perhaps Father was wearing the demon down after so many sessions, and it was a last desperate ploy to evade eviction. Someone can naturally and rightly raise the concern that, because my opponent, is the father of lies, how can I be sure that I was, in fact, encountering a bona fide human soul, and specifically the soul of Joseph's ancestor, and not just another demon?

There were several things in the encounter that were different than every other experience I've had in dealing with a demon. I've already mentioned that the spirit who identified himself as Joseph's great-great-grandfather made reference to God's mercy. I had never heard a demon reference the mercy of God except to deny that it exists. But when he said, through his mercy, the Lord saved me, that gave me pause.

Demons don't speak like that. One thing, however, would give me complete assurance that the appearance of Joseph's great-great-grandfather was not just a mere demonic deception. I ordered him to recite, the Hail Mary. No demon would ever do so. Of what you say is true, recite the Hell Mary. Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,

Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word. When I commanded William to say this, I braced myself for a violent assault of expletives. But the fact that there was such a peaceful compliance with my request made me believe I was actually speaking with Joseph's great-great-grandfather and not a demon. Now, why the Hail Mary, and not simply the test outlined in Scripture from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13, which says, Therefore, I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the spirit of God says,

Jesus be cursed. And no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. Why specifically one dedicated to Mary? According to Father, Mary is someone for whom the devil has an absolute hatred. While he fears God, he has special an enmity and disgust towards Mary. In contrast to the devil and his demons, who are malevolent and reverendant, rebellious opposers of God who are relentless in their attempt to corrupt souls. The Catholic and Orthodox traditions revere the Blessed Virgin Mary as a symbol of purity,

virtue, and obedience to God, the very embodiment of what demons are not. Mary played a pivotal role in God's plan for human redemption through her willingness to become the mother of Jesus, mankind's unique and only Savior. Because of her obedience to God, Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that she now possesses the place in heaven that once belonged. to Satan. Thus, the anemnity between the devil and Mary is due to her importance in salvation history. One thing also to note, while Maryology, the theological study of Mary, as it is known, has different interpretations in Christian traditions outside of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions,

it's probably worth noting that even the Hail Mary includes the phrase, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, which I'm going to guess, no demon would ever utter. When Joseph's great-great-grandfather left, there was a kind of reprieve. No demon came out, and I had direct access to Joseph, who was becoming more alert and responsive. There was definitely a shift in the atmosphere. Joseph, I'm addressing you now. Do you know where you are? Yes. I'm in your chapel. I remember coming in. sitting down and...

That was two hours ago. Do you remember anything else after that? I... No. Nothing. I'm sorry. It's all black. Joseph seemed completely unaware that the disembodied spirit of William, his great-great-grandfather, had just spoken through him.

But armed with this new information, I began leading Joseph in the renunciation of the pact. hoping this would be the key to ending his torment. Joseph, I think I know how this demon came to be inside you. I'm going to need you to repeat after me. In the name of Jesus? In the name of Jesus? I forgive my great-great-grandfather.

I forgive my great-great-grandfather. The fault! That is peace. But it wasn't that Godfather needs forgiveness. How the last did you find that out? Who do you work the shit? But it wasn't that simple.

I have spoken before about the keenness of the demonic intellect. They observe us and have a perfect memory that never fails them. They are constantly collecting information about us and are ever ready to use it in lethal ways. Yet, as these demons just show,

At times, they are oblivious to the most obvious happenings and seem to be as dumb as a bag of hammers. This is one of the tragedies of demonic existence. They were created as angels with astoundingly powerful abilities. While they remain angels, their nature is broken because of their fall. There are gaps and cracks in their nature. This demon zoned out when he should have been. been zoning in. Because of that, he was unaware of the visit by Joseph's ancestor.

Demon, in the name of Jesus, be silent. I command you not to interfere with this child of God any longer. Your sordid pact is about to be dissolved. Damn you, you, fat priest. A deal is a deal, like your stupid book says. Yes be yes, no be no. Anything else is of the evil one. Demon, I command you to be silent and to bring forth Joseph. Joseph, I know you can hear me. I need you to continue to repeat after me. I forgive my great-great-grandfather. I forgive my great- I forgive no. My family is forsaken, all forsaken. No forgiveness for this fecal. I forgive my great-grandfather. He was a That's father. That's all he was, your great father. A snibbling wretch who sold you to me. You belong to me. The pact is made.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Mine, mine, mine, mine. Forever with four. Demon, I bind you. I bind you and forbid you. from interfering with Joseph. Keep going, Joseph. You're almost there. I forgive my great-great-grandfather. For making a pact with the devil. For making a pact with the devil.

Stop! No! No! No! Demon be silent. For making a pact with the devil. As a member of his bloodline, I speak on his... bath. As a member of his bloodline, I speak on his behalf. And on his behalf,

I say, damn him. He will rot with with us in his forever home. We're almost there, Joseph. We're almost there. It's hold as weakening. Everyone, please, I want us all to join together in a song now. Join me in praising Mother Mary in this hymn.

At this point, I instructed my team to start singing the famous hymn to Our Lady of Guadalupe. depending on the demon, there are certain hymns that are particularly efficacious against them, just as there are relics or saints. If I encounter a demon, for example, whose job it was to announce the birth of the Savior over the shepherd's fields, I will sing a Christmas carol and watch it wound him. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe refers to an account of the Blessed Mother appearing to a recent convert to Catholicism Juan Diego on December 9, 1531, and a subsequent revival that had enormous implications for the

nation of Mexico. In the story, Juan Diego, while on his way to Mass, encountered the Virgin Mary near Mexico City. The Blessed Mother requested a church to be built on the nearby Tapiac Hill. When the local bishop demanded a sign to authenticate the story, Juan Diego, under the Blessed Mother's instructions, returned to find Castilian roses miraculously growing on the hill. which were not native to the land, and even if they had been, would not be growing in December. He gabbed them in his cloak, and upon opening his cloak to present them to the bishop, they discovered the virgin's image to be miraculously imprinted on the Dilma. This sign convinced the bishop, leading to the construction of a church in her honor.

The event marked a significant moment in Mexican history, with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, becoming a central symbol of Mexican identity and faith, and the Basilica of Mexico City, becoming one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. While skeptics may consider this a medieval legend, the aftermath is astounding. In one of the most dramatic mass conversions in history, roughly 8 million people converted to Christianity shortly after the apparition. Today, the symbol of the Virgin is a cornerstone of Mexico's spiritual and cultural fabric and remains one of the most significant Christian revivals in history. Now, with that little bit of Christian trivia answered, I can see why Father would put this hymn on his exorcistic Spotify playlist to sing to his foul four-lettered opponent.

Here, stop that singing. Joseph, keep going. Repeat this. As a member of my great-great-grandfather's bloodline, I speak on his behalf, having the same authority as he. As a member of my great-great-grandfather's bloodline, I speak on his behalf, having me. the same authority as he. I renounce the pact he made with the sorcerer. I renounce the pact he made with the sorcerer. Pact is forever.

No renouncing. On behalf of my great-great-grandfather, I give back to him what he gave him. Damn you all! On behalf of my great-great-grandfather, I give back to him what he gave him. And I take back what my great-great-grandfather gave him. And I take back what my great-great-grandfather gave him. I render the evil pact null and void. I render the evil pact null and void.

Very good. Okay, let's finish this. Demon, you who identify yourself as number four, I demand you to come forward now, present yourself. Go fuck yourself. Your worthless words with the suicidal basket case have achieved nothing. He's mine, the knot titans. His time is short, even shorter than the noose that waits for this prize for our father. Join your family, Joseph.

He belongs to God. In the name of Jesus, I demand you tell me, are there any more rights that you possess over Joseph? In the name of Jesus, you will answer me now and tell me the truth, demon. Don't worry, priest. Plenty of room for you to join him. We have a special place we say for your type. You can dwell with us, me, Joseph, and his scrotumous great-great-grandfather.

With us, four rooms, four nooses, forever, forsaken for our father. Answer the question, demon. Do you have any other rights over Joseph? No. Then, in the holy and mighty name of Jesus, I cast you out of Joseph and every other soul of which you gained access due to the pact. I remove from each and every one, depart this child of God, and return to the pit you came from now. Sometimes when demons depart, there is nothing but a simple exhale from the victim. Though usually it is more dramatic than that.

When this demon departed Joseph, the door to the chapel flung open and then slammed shut again. It was a sign of the demon's departure. Joseph was finally free. When the exorcism came to a close, he no longer felt suicidal and he was back to his old personality. Very importantly, unlike in the past, he showed no favor towards the number four. Ironically, up until the demon began to stake his claim on Joseph, Joseph always had a strong dislike for the number four, although he never knew why. In high school, for example, he was assigned the number four as his jersey number when he made the football team. He asked the number to be changed.

When the coach wouldn't budge, rather than accept the number, to everyone's shock, Joseph quit the team. No one understood why he felt so strongly about it. Even Joseph didn't know why he was so adamant against something as trivial as a number. But he was. Intensely. Doubtless, it was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth,

working within Joseph. Joseph was a baptized Christian, and at one's baptism, one becomes a child of God. That gives God authority over the child. Joseph was a good man who lived a good Christian life. As such, the Holy Spirit was operative in him in a manner that superseded the curse. As Father attests, this is a very unique and exceptional case.

For starters, we had a disembodied spirit manifest in an exorcism. That's a new one. And it brings up a fascinating discussion of ghosts, lost souls, and the subject of purgatory. Purgatory, according to Catholic doctrine, is a state of purification for souls who have died in God's grace, but still need to be cleansed of venial sins and an attachment to sin before entering heaven. This belief is based on biblical references to a purifying fire in 1st

Corinthians 315 and the need for nothing unclean to enter heaven in Revelation chapter 21, verse 27. While Protestants generally reject the idea of purgatory, arguing that it would negate the finished work on the cross that Christ accomplished, and it's not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, we are in this case nonetheless left with the fact that a disembodied spirit appeared to Father Martins. Was it a demon? It seems highly unlikely a demon would recite the Hell Mary and praise Jesus, even in an attempt to deceive. In addition, the entity provided key knowledge to liberate the individual. As Jesus said, when accused of driving out devils by devils in the Gospels, a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. So what was it?

Well, whatever it was, I don't think it was demonic. We will cover purgatory and the topic of lost souls in future episodes, but I want to take a minute to comment on the other intellectually troublesome part of this case, the very difficult dynamic of Christians suffering for the sins of their ancestors. Like Tammy Comer's case in the final episode of Season 1, A Taste of Honey Part 3, Joseph was a committed Christian, a good man by all accounts, and filled with the Holy Spirit. And yet he suffered the consequences of actions taken by a person he had never met, but whose curse he was subject to.

What are we to make of this? On the surface, this seems wildly unfair. Joseph didn't open this door, so why was he being punished? While the discussion is probably just another branch of the why suffering debate, there are a few considerations that we can chew on to come to a greater understanding of this mystery. First off, the Christian view of the world is that sin entered into the universe through one man and woman, and as a result, all of creation is broken.

While Christianity teaches that Jesus removes the eternal penalty for this sin and returns us to relationship with God, it does not say that he removes all the consequences of the sin in his life. One need only look around in our world to see the ravages of sin, and anyone who doubts human sinful nature, once again, need only look at a four-year-old. Sorry, I'll rephrase, a young child, without any discipline to see that the natural factory settings of a human could have been scrambled. Somehow, people know how to lie, cheat, manipulate, and commit every other kind of evil with surprisingly little training. Scripturally, the Bible presents attention here. In the Old Testament, Exodus chapter 20 verse 5, God speaks of visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.

However, Ezekiel, chapter 18, verse 20, counters this by asserting, the son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father. Yet throughout the Bible, we see a repeating pattern of God holding, the people of Israel accountable for the actions of their ancestors. Some Christians argue that Jesus's sacrifice took away all the effects of generational curses. Yet, we need only look around and see, from a sheer biological standpoint, hereditary illnesses and DNA damage that can be passed down family lines still exist. Is it that far-fetched to think that spiritual ailments could not also be passed down? Again, one can debate it theologically, but for the exorcists we have interviewed on this show, for them, there is little doubt. When curses get broken and people get healed,

that settles the question for them. While solving this theological riddle is far above the sponsorship rates we can charge for this show, thankfully in the case of Tammy Comer and Joseph are now liberated plumber. We can celebrate the healing of two people whom Christ has set free. When it comes to exorcism cases, there are a few absolutes outside of Jesus' victory and his authority over demons. Why God chose to orchestrate Joseph's freedom in the way he did is beyond me. We have to trust that God has a plan for all of us,

and in his ultimate goodness, he knows exactly what we need to go through to get us where he wants us to be. Why does it have to be this way? Who can say? As the sovereign Lord of all, God has the right to construct, the universe in the manner he desires.

Joseph is free, and that is something in which we can all rejoice. And with that, we can say farewell to four. Wasn't that fascinating? I know we're going to get 444 questions about lost souls, ghosts, purgatory, and everything in between. We will forego that discussion until a later time. And since this was our first story from season two, we do hope you will leave us a five-star, not four-star review. No force, ever again.

Parting thought. Now here's a little challenge. The demon known as four revealed himself in very subtle ways in both episodes far before the manifestation. Did you catch all the hints? If not, go back and listen, see if you can catch them all. Parting thought. Can you imagine if the demon's name was 27? That certainly would have made the editorial process here a lot more difficult. We'll see you next time, folks. Thank you for listening to The Exorcist Files. To keep in touch with us and get some of our anointed merchandise, you can visit us at Exorcistfiles.tv. You can also email us the inevitably, absurd, and overly specific criticisms at Exorcist Files at gmail.com. All cases are recounted by Father Carlos

Martens from his personal archives. The role of Joseph was played by Joe Coffey. Yes, his name is Joe. The Great Great Grandfather by Daniel Schwab and Father Martins by Paul Leach. It does take a legion of people to make this show possible, so thank you sound designer, editor and mixers, Dan Blessinger, and Michelle Martinez, music and scoring by James Cavell and Tom Strayley. This case was adapted and written for the show by Ryan Bethay and Father Martins. Additional story and script consulting by Jonathan Langley. And now a moment to honor some very special individuals who helped make this show possible. To Jean-Carlow, Evan Loomis, Dr.'s David DeSouza and Dr. Sabar, Manahatra, Michael Estrum, and Ernesto Pablo Posa-S-Carsia,

thank you so much for helping make Season 2 a reality. Your contributions went above and beyond, and we are so grateful. These are like the Million Mile Medallion members. Their generosity really helped us out. Executive producers are Carlos Martins and Ryan Bethay. See you next time.