The Exorcist Files - S2-Case #11- Live Free- Pt. 1

Episode Date: September 4, 2024

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Do you crave more Exorcist Files content? Do you want to go deeper into theology and spiritual warfare? Well, you're going to want to subscribe to The Vault, our new premium subscriber program. The Vault is our way of ensuring we bring you content all year long. Subscribers will get access to exclusive once a month, Ask Me Anything episodes with Father Martins, where you can submit questions and vote on the ones you want him to answer most. You'll also get access to a very special case behind the case series,

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. I, in the presence of the Almighty God, do hereby and hear on most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear

that I will always hail, ever conceal, and never reveal any of the arts, parts, or points of the hidden mysteries of the ancient Freemasonry, which may have been or hereafter shall be, at this time, or any future period, communicated to me. All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same, without any mental reservation or secret evasion of mind, whatever binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots,

and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea. At low watermark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours, should I ever knowingly violate any of this, my entered apprentice obligation. So help me God, and keep me steadfast. the new performance of the same. Welcome back to the Exorcist Files, the prevailing podcast offering a preview into the Predternatural.

I'm your co-host, Ryan Bethay, and today is going to be, well, interesting. When it comes to our exorcism cases, I think most of us like them to be clear-cut. Someone did this. It opened a doorway. And, well, that's how the demon got in. Call an exorcist and wham-bam, demonic gateway slammed.

and to all a good night. Everyone goes home, demon-free, and happy. But the world of spiritual warfare is, alas, not subject to our desires and whims. Today we present a most disturbing conundrum. What are we to make of it when a sweet older lady, a church-going, powerful prayer woman, woman living a moral and righteous life, begins slowly having hell move into her home? And what happens when prayer just isn't cutting it, when intercession seems to only aggravate,

whatever insidious intruder has invited their way in. Well, for that answer, let us once again turn to our resident demon disciplinarian, Father Carlos Martens. Heads up. Today features a touch less dramatic recreations in a little bit more theology, history, and insight from the good father. You'll see why soon. So come ready to learn. As always, though, listen to discretion is advised.

So put that phone in do not disturb mode, and make sure you're in a way. well-lit space. It's time for The Exorcist Files. Here's Father Martins. Adelaide was three years into retirement. She had been a florist, and when she turned 66, sold her flower shop to one of her employees and began to enjoy life apart from the daily grind of work. She was now five years retired and spent her time gardening and volunteering at her church, which she loved. Among other things, she worked at the parish's food pantry each Tuesday morning and was a member of the homebound ministry, taking Holy Communion to shut-ins who could not attend Mass. Basically, Adelaide is the person you'd least expect to have any problems with the demonic.

But the devil doesn't play fairly. Adelaide contacted me because of strange, off-putting occurrences that she experienced regularly. whenever she was home, she had an overwhelming sensation of being watched. It is not uncommon for people to experience such a phenomenon. I think we've all been there, the sudden experience that something is looking at us when there's no one else in the room. But the manner in which she described it was different than most who have had the experience describe it.

It was more than just an eerie feeling. Whatever was watching her despised and detested her Don't worry Adelaide, I promise you It is not going to phase me Okay, well that's good to hear I It's okay, it's okay, you can tell me

I'm being watched Something is in my house And it's watching me Day and night, it's there I can't see it with my eyes but I feel it? I know it's there. I can feel it stare.

It's awful stare. And I know it hates me. Hmm. What do you think is watching you? I don't know. But at night I... At night I can really feel it. I see.

And what happens at night? It gets really scary. I think it's safe. to say that many of us have had such experiences at one time or another, stepping into a room, even within our own home, and suddenly feeling that we are being observed or watched. And if you're an attractive person, this can happen at an exponentially higher rate. But to be fair, even average-looking people report this phenomenon. The sensation of feeling like one is being watched, or scopesthesia, for our psychic scrabble players out there, is a controversial subject. It is rooted in the hypothesis

that humans may possess an ability to sense when they are the focus of someone else's attention, even if they can't see the observer directly. Certainly, this would be a skill that would have significant evolutionary advantages, such as detecting threats. But to date, it has not been proven scientifically. In fact, most researchers have shown that people's accuracy of detecting being stared at while having no way to see the person staring at them, say, for example, someone watching you on a monitor in a different room,

or someone staring at the back of your head, where you can't see them, is no better than random chance. So, if you get a tingling sensation that someone is watching you, the odds are it may just be your phone buzzing with a text message. But hey, you got a text message, so someone loves you, right? However, don't fret. Even if we don't possess the ability to know when we're being stared at, especially when we don't have a direct view, we do have some special neural circuitry, which can help us pick

up on fascinating ocular and non-verbal body movements and communication. These movements help us know when someone is looking at us or avoiding our gaze. This is called gaze detection. For example, some studies suggest that we have an innate ability to notice when someone across the room is staring at us and then quickly avert their eyes. Brain imaging has shown that the brain cells that are activated when a test subject can see that they're being stared at are different from the cells activated when the stare's eyes are averted away from the subject or by just a few degrees. Basically, you know at some level when the person is staring at you directly and when they aren't. Eye contact certainly matters. Now, just to entertain the possibility here, if one had a

supernatural entity within his or her midst, an entity that exists at energy at some level, is it possible that perhaps some of our extra sensory inputs might be triggered, especially if the entity has any visual, perceivable traits, like when people report a spirit taking on the form of a very dark shadow they can just barely make out. Given how our neurons are so finely tuned to detect such subtle shifts, just maybe it's possible that we do have some ability to know if a spirit is indeed watching us. Now, let's get back to Father and Adelaide. Adelaide began telling me her story. Like many of the cases we've discussed, there was a progression.

A complete house infestation usually doesn't occur overnight. There is an escalation. Whatever is attacking now has been at work for some time. The devil works in patterns. An exorcist is always looking for patterns. Sometimes the first manifestations

can appear to be just eerie coincidences. I was in the bathroom, standing in front of the sink, just getting ready for bed, you know, when the toilet just flushed. Living alone, let me tell you, my heart skipped a bee. I didn't think really too much of it. I went back to the mirror and finished putting on my moisturizer and laid back down. Then in the middle of the night, it flushes again and startling wait.

A toilet's run, right? So, no big deal. but later that morning, and I thought this was a bit weird, father, in the morning, I was just sitting down to do some morning prayers. And the thing flushed again, right then. Do you think there was some problem with the plumbing, maybe the flapper was up, or there was just some issue with your toilet? Adelaide relayed that she experienced the feeling of being watched by something hateful from adolescence. from the time she was 11 or 12 years old. What was different, however,

was that in those years it was a rare occurrence, and although intense, it occurred perhaps two or three times a year and lasted only a few moments. Over the years and decades, however, it increased steadily until in her early 60s when it occurred at least once a week.

A few months after she turned 70, however, it increased dramatically. such that she now perceived it nearly around the clock. In addition, there was an experience that became concurrent with a sensation of being watched. An internal awareness that whatever was harassing her was waiting until Adelaide was under its complete dominion. Adelaide believed that the increased frequency

and intensity of the disturbances over time meant that she was slowly succumbing to its power. Adelaide was a woman of great faith and prayed intensely against what she had come to call the monster. In the past, praying against an attack seemed to keep the monster at bay, bringing about a period of freedom lasting weeks or even months. However, in the last year, no amount of praying stopped and attacks intensity or frequency. Along with the recent dramatic increase in these experiences and the awareness that was, whatever was causing them was waiting for complete dominion over her. Adelaide shared two other disturbances that began occurring.

The first was constant nightmares with the same recurring themes. Either she was running away from some unseen and unknown, quote-unquote, monster, or she was locked inside a dungeon-like room ominously awaiting being killed. While all of us experienced nightmares, It was the frequency with which she had them that was strange. The second disturbance was more chilling. One night, something attacked her. I'm sorry.

A few nights ago, I was asleep, and I thought I felt the covers moving. They were slowly sliding off me. I was half awake, so at first I thought I was dreaming. I pulled them up, and... and turned over on my side and then on my shoulder it was the creepiest thing i just prayed that i was imagining it thought i was going to have a heart attack and i felt the stare i knew if i rolled over whatever it was would be there so i just froze all i could do was say a prayer under my breath

I felt my leg being pulled and I was yanked apart from my bed onto the floor for help again. Suddenly stopped. My prayers made it angry. I bet they did. Were you hurt? No, not terribly. I have a nasty bruise, but, father, look at this. Adelaide rolled up her pant leg and around the bottom part of her right shin was a bruise

that looked like a giant hand grabbed and squeezed her tightly. There were the marks of outstretched, fingers, the tips of which had dug deep into her flesh. Given Adelaide's active role in her church and the impression she made on me during my time with her, I did not believe she was capable of making all of this up. Still, it was an event that happened to someone else in her home that became the clincher that evil was at play. One weekend, she invited her daughter and son-in-law and her only grandchild over for lunch after church.

Hi, Mom. Grandma! Hi, sweetie. Hi, guys. Dave, come here. Hi, Adelaide. You are looking younger every day. Oh, there's that charm that stole my daughter.

Mom, are you limping? Oh, it's nothing. I just, uh, I just banged my knee on my desk last night when I got up to use the restroom. Been there. I remember when I could sleep throughout the night without a... Oh, hush. You're a pop. Come on, everybody.

Lunch is almost ready. Now, Miss Aden, I think Grandma has the mac and cheese you like. The kind with dinosaurs? Of course with dinosaurs. What other kind is there? Yay! You spoil her. And Adelaide, you spoil us. Look at the spread. It's just really good to have you here.

They all went inside and enjoyed a nice meal together. Adelaide was a phenomenal cook. The same attention to detail she put into her floral arrangement. arrangements, she brought to her meals. Cooking for company was also a distraction, a way to try to tire herself out and forget about what was happening to her. It also meant that, at least for a brief period, she wouldn't have to be home alone. Adelaide was one of those women who's cooking everybody loved. She had made fried chicken using corn flakes and served it with a sweet potato mash that was crusted with clove, cinnamon, and marshmallows.

She also made her own elder flower liqueur and enjoyed making a little spritzer with sparkling water that everybody enjoyed. And of course, her granddaughter adored her mac and cheese. After dinner, her granddaughter, Aidan, excused herself to go to the restroom, which was down the hall, across from Adelaide's bedroom. The adults remained at the table talking and catching up. After a few minutes, her granddaughter came in disturbed and shaken. So Dave, how's the new Beamer?

It's doing well. I lowered it last month. I'm working on the engine now. Ooh, that sounds fancy. Mm-hmm. He loves those cars. Well, I want to be the first one to get a ride in it when you're done. You got it.

You have a date set up with me. All right. Mom, Dad, I don't want to play anymore. Oh, honey, what do you know I want to play? you. Someone is joking with me and I don't like it. Oh, sweetheart. Who is joking with you?

Someone keeps tapping me on the shoulder. What? What did you say, sweetie? I heard a noise in your room, Grandma, and then when I open your door, someone tapped me on the shoulder. Honey, we're all in the dining room. It wasn't

us. It was probably the air from the van up there. No one is playing a joke on you, sweetheart. Yes, they are, Dad. They touch my shoulder right here like this. Two times. Aiden, no one is touching. You're right, sweetie.

It's not funny. Now, why don't you go play in the living room where Grandma can see you? And I'll get dessert ready, okay? 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 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.

dot com slash X-Files to learn more about Exodus 90. That's Exodus 90.com slash E-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. Bye. Two things had kept Adelaide from approaching the church about her experiences over the She remembered, as a little girl, over hearing her mother and her mother's sister talking about the feeling of being watched. So when it began occurring to her, she understood it to be something that happens to everyone, or at least to most.

But as time went on and the frequency and intensity of the experience has increased, she was too embarrassed to approach a priest. They have enough on their plates, she thought. I'll feel foolish bringing to them a matter this silly. But with the entity now throwing her out of bed and praying on her granddaughter, Adelaide knew she needed to get help. Much like other cases we've profiled, one can only speculate as to why she would stay in her house after experiencing such things. I've often wondered with some of these stories, why wouldn't she just get up and leave?

Her daughter and son-in-law live nearby, so what would be the issue there? If I had to venture a guess, perhaps it was because at this point she was afraid that whatever she had would follow her to someone else's home. But for me personally, if I was thrown out of bed in the middle of the night by an unseen force, I'd be checking into my nearest holiday in Express and checking those Zillow listings, ASAP. Listeners will remember from season one, that Father has an intake form that those requesting his ministry must fill out so he can get a better sense of what to expect. This intake form is substantial and far more than a few rudimentary questions. He wants to know all the details. When someone requests prayer ministry from me, I have him fill out an intake form that

gives me a picture of his person and life circumstances past and present. The form contains a series of questions addressing different areas of relevance. I pose these questions by way of a form, rather than by interview to save time. In this way, those requesting to see me can take all the time they need to explain their situation by typing their answers to the questions. Having a preset form ensures thoroughness by eliminating the possibility that I may omit to ask a question of relevance.

More importantly, though, it keeps the person filling out the form focused. I have learned that when allowed to explain things orally, folks can struggle to stay on point. That's a polite way of saying they ramble. They will over-explain some things and under-explain others. Things they may think are not relevant, but from my perspective may be crucially relevant. Filling out an intake form is a condition for receiving prayer ministry

because it allows me to study and pray over the details of a potential case even before I meet with the person. Before I begin any exorcism, I spend time analyzing, strategizing, and praying over what I see on the intake form. To clarify here, when Father says prayer ministry, that doesn't necessarily mean a formal exorcism. And in fact, it's usually not. We say this a lot, but it's crucial to remember. Formal exorcism, or a solemn exorcism, as it is known, is very rare, and requires a lengthy and substantial investigation and approval process conducted prior to a bishop, granting permission for one. The church presumes mental illness or natural causes before entertaining

supernatural ones, and they are relatively uncommon. In the case of Adelaide, he is engaging in prayer, deliverance ministry, and what could be called minor exorcism, which to be sure can be very effective. In fact, most victims do not require full-blown exorcisms. Among other things, the intake form asks the individual to describe his level of spirituality and church involvement. In the case of Adelaide, she was very involved in the life of her parish and enjoyed a close relationship with God. For over two decades, she also participated in a local charismatic prayer group that met every Monday night.

Regarding the intake questions that probed areas of sinfulness, I asked the obvious. For example, I inquire about the person's faithfulness to observing the Ten Commandments, whether he has participated in the occult, etc. It was apparent Adelaide was a person who was focused on living a life worthy of a Christian. She attended Mass each Sunday and received the sacrament of confession regularly. To be clear, her frequenting of confession was not due to lingering habitual sin in her life,

but due to a lifelong practice of not allowing more than two or three weeks to go by without confessing. Her love of God manifested itself, among other things, in a disaster. for purity of soul. Beautiful. Adelaide loved the Lord and lived her life as his faithful disciple. She strove for virtue in everything she did and was actively involved in her church, and she delighted in holy things. She was repulsed by the sinful. Thus, the quandary we were presented with is, why is she experiencing diabolical vexations, and why is the enemy gaining power as time progresses. People walking with the Lord don't typically experience such things.

So here's someone who is going to church, going to confession, has no overt dabbling with the occult, or any major sin in her life that we can discern at this point. So what is happening? Like the true detectives we are, we have to try and look at this from every possible spiritual angle. Adelaide is claiming to have demon problems, and all things being equal. People are normally not thrown out of bed, complete with the physical marks to prove it. So the facts of the case are that the devil has somehow gained rights into her life. Or she needs a new mattress, ASAP. As we've discussed in previous episodes, the most common way through which the devil gains jurisdiction over us is through engaging in sin, particularly mortal sin. Now, of course, we all have sin in our lives. That's the tragedy of the fall of

Adam and Eve in the garden. The sin of Adam, which we call original sin, plagues us all. So even if one is living a moral and upright life, doing great things for God, and being an amazing person. They are still accountable for this original sin and guilty of it. Why does this matter? Well, let's head to a brief theology corner where Father Martins will share some insights to help prep us for the remainder of this case. There is a very important dynamic at play about which most Christians are unaware. It is a dynamic that has major implications for this case. The dynamic is this. The sin of Adam broke the universe and ushered in hellish consequences. Notice first of all that I said the sin of Adam.

I did not say the sin of Adam and Eve. Yes, Eve was the first to eat the forbidden fruit, the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that God had declared to be off bounds. But what occurred when she did so? Nothing. If you read the account in Genesis, you see that life went on,

As before, everything remained unchanged. The price of gas remained the same, so to speak. However, when Adam ate the fruit, all hell broke loose. Why? Because God made the covenant specifically with Adam, not with Eve. It was Adam's job to keep it because dominion over the world had been given to him. God never made the covenant with Eve. Specifics matter here.

When Adam disobeyed God's command, the friendship with God that both he and Eve possessed and every future human would possess was destroyed. Jesus makes an allusion to this in John 1515 when he says, I no longer call you servants but friends. In establishing a new friendship, he plainly states that there was no prior friendship. The loss of divine friendship brought with it crippling effects.

For one, human health and immortality were gone. Humans now face sickness, infirmity, weakness, and eventually their demise. Death has entered the world. Two, paradise is no more. The world became itself broken and is now hostile in so many ways. To survive, humans need to strain and labor to eke out an existence. 3. The devil became the prince of this world. The implication being that all humans are conceived as his subjects.

This has immense implications. At death, every human is destined to be eternally separated from God. Humans, both the holy and the wicked alike, had forever to look forward to in hell. What prevents this is baptism, combined with upright moral living according to Christian standards. Should a person lose the state of grace gained through baptism by committing immortal sin,

then he needs to regain it through repentance and sacramental confessing of his sin. The word sin in Hebrew, which is Ket, and it means to miss the mark or to fail, the catechism of the Catholic Church defines sin as an offense against God that sets itself against God's love and turns our hearts away from it. Now, in Catholic doctrine, there are actually two different levels of sin humans can commit. Venial or minor sins, as they are known, consist of offenses against God that injure but do not remove the presence of divine grace from within us. For example, if a Christian told a little white lie or stole a dollar from someone, or rated this show anything less than five,

stars on Apple or Spotify. The point being, it's a sin. It's wrong, but it's not a mortal sin. When a Christian commits a grave sin, what the Catholic Church calls a mortal sin, the church teaches that the devil gains complete jurisdiction over the soul because the sanctifying grace that was imparted to him at baptism is evicted. This is until the individual repents, confesses, and is absolved of his sins sacramentally. This, of course, differs from many Protestant traditions, which view grace and salvation once imparted as permanent. Though to be fair, all Christian traditions believe in the necessity of acknowledging and admitting sins as part of following Jesus. This is why scripture has so many verses about forgiving each other. It's like God knew

we'd fall short time and time again. None of these, of course, apply D'Adleyed to our knowledge. We also know the devil can gain jurisdiction through trauma. This, of course, does not mean that someone traumatizing you causes you to be demonized. Rather, it is that as humans, when we are injured, unforgiveness and resentment, confesser. The devil does not play fair. He hits people when they are down. The wounds caused by trauma act as a food source and a habitat for demons to dwell.

The wounds caused by trauma threaten our relationship with God and with others by distorting our view of reality and undermining our ability to love and to trust. It's a terrible reality. If the devil can keep us from loving and trusting our brothers and sisters and God, He can isolate us, and isolation leads to big problems. This is why Father Martins is such a big fan of therapy and getting mental health treatment, as it can help heal wounds that might be a breeding ground for unforgiveness, resentment, and everything else the devil likes to feed on.

To end the section on a positive note, though, God knew this, and if we walk closely with him and are quick to forgive, scripture does promise if we stand firm and resist the devil, he will flee. With Adelaide not having any obvious sinful doorways, I entertained the possibility that someone could be cursing her. While curses are real and can even afflict Christians, it is relatively rare for people like Adelaide who are living God-centered lives.

She could think of no one who had it in for her. The only thing left to check for was the presence of generational sin. By now, our listeners to this show, no father's position, is that generational sin is certainly real. Scripturally, we've covered this in other episodes, and there's little debate about whether it is a thing we see in Scripture. Rather, the debate today among differing theological traditions is whether those baptized in Christ are free from all generational sins' effects.

Of course, some of the testimonies on this show seem to point to the answer being no, specifically Tammy Comer's testimony and Joseph from our season opener. Another dynamic that is worth mentioning, and is for me personally a source of great frustration, is that many times when we see suffering, we must consider that we simply may not be privy to the entire picture, especially the spiritual factors at play. In the Old Testament, there is a very inconvenient book called Job.

The book of Job, part of which we call the wisdom literature and scripture, is the story of a man who suffers and endures perhaps the most awful tragedies a human can experience. The book begins by saying Job was a righteous man, upright and blameless. Then, in a strange and fascinating exchange, Satan and God have a dialogue where Satan accuses Job of worshiping God only because of all the blessings he enjoys. He taunts that Job would surely curse God if all of it was suddenly taken away. In response, God and Satan engage in a sort of wager, where God permits Satan to afflict Job's wealth, health, and family, but prevents Satan from killing him. And while he was enduring this horrendous season, he was surrounded by his well-meaning

but theologically incorrect friends, who tried to get Job to realize that it must be some sin he had committed that led to his tragic circumstances. They of course didn't know the dynamic that was at play, that Job was the victim of a demonic persecution. They didn't have the full picture, and if we didn't have the first part of that story, we would simply see a man who had fallen on the hardest of times and probably think, wow, he's really unlucky. Now the best part of the story is the end, where God reveals himself to Job and essentially puts him. it's him in his place, reminding him that he is God and that Job cannot understand everything. Job repents, and he utters the timeless phrase, my ears had heard, but now my eyes have seen.

He is a changed man, and God restores his fortunes, blessing him more than he had before. Satan was humiliated and God glorified. There was a purpose in it all. It's worth remembering that there may be far more going on than we can possibly understand. Now, after two really long Ryan monologues, let's get back to Father and Adelaide. Adelaide, we are going to go through and do some renunciations. Remember, you are safe here. God is with us. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Okay. Thank you, Father.

So does anyone else experience these things that you do? No, it's just me. I mentioned my granddaughter, whatever it was, It interacted with her. But that was at my house. Okay, so let's just pray, okay? Okay. Repeat this after me.

Jesus, I affirm my life is yours, and as a member of my bloodline, I break any generational curses on my family. Jesus, I affirm my life is yours, and as a member of my bloodline, I break any generational curses on my family. I led Adelaide through renunciations against any generational sin in her family

and prayed that God would free her from its effects. As I prayed, Adelaide's face flushed red, and the top of her head, where my hand was, became it intensely hot. Heat that both of us fell. She also felt nauseous and stabbing pinpricks all over her arms. Oh, ah! Are you okay? What's going on? What are you feeling? Oh, I feel like I'm being squeaked.

from the inside. Oh. Okay. Jesus, we ask that you heal your daughter now. If there be any presence of the devil here, expose it and set your daughter free. Oh, help me. Obviously, we hit something.

But even after an hour of praying, there was no change in the symptoms she felt. The heat was as intense as ever. Her arms continued to be pricked, and the nausea was present as long as I prayed. To be clear, Adelaide was not manifesting diabolically. She was in complete control of her person. But while receiving prayer, something began attacking her.

This was puzzling. And having the attack's intensity be the same, despite praying for an hour, that told me that while the prayers were singeing the spirit that was afflicting her, The spirit was not subject to the prayers full effect. Jesus, we ask now that you set your daughter free. Yes, Lord. Liberate her from this demonic ensnarement.

Whatever evil is here, I command you to go now. Yes. Oh, please. Help me, God. Has anything changed you? Do you still feel it? Oh, Father, I'm sorry. Oh, it's still there.

Okay, it's okay. We'll figure this out. Christ has already won. We just need to be patient with the victory here. We kept praying but made no progress as far as removing whatever she was feeling. We did another session. Same thing. And then another. Prayers, but no progress. It was quite frustrating. But then one day we had a breakthrough. All right. I... I want to do another set of renunciations.

Father, haven't we done these already? Yes, and normally once is enough, but sometimes, and we don't know why, we have to say things again and pray again. Okay. So now, please repeat after me. And this time, can you use your full name? Because, actually, Adelaide, what is your main name? It's Campbell.

Campbell? That's Scottish, right? Yes. Why? And just like that, we had a lead. We might be dealing with free masonry with an Adelaide's family line. I asked whether Adelaide knew if any family members had been Freemasons. I don't know if you'll know this, so don't worry if not.

But do you have any family members who were Freemasons? My grandfather was. He was a very involved Mason. I think I heard he was a master mason. or something. Bingo. Finally, something we could dig into. I have seen many radically improve when Masonic curses were renounced and broken.

And in the words of Andy from Parks and Rec, this case just stayed interesting. Will Adelaide get free? Are Masonic curses the culprit for Adelaide's diabolical assaults? Or is it just another dead end? You'll have to tune in next week to find out. But don't worry, the episode isn't even over yet. We are going to set the table and do a little deep dive into Freemasonry now.

I had heard of Freemasonry when we started, but I wasn't entirely sure what it was prior to doing the show. Freemasonry is a tradition of rituals, beliefs, and rules of conduct practiced by a variety of fraternal organizations around the world. It isn't clear exactly when Freemasonry began. From what we could find, though, the oldest Masonic lodge in the world, located in Scotland, has recorded meeting minutes dating back to 1599. Masons and his historians trace their history back even further. It is widely believed that masonry is rooted in the stone guilds of the Middle Ages. Documents from as far back as 1390 describe the duties and fraternal organization of stone masons and other craftsmen. Some trace free masonry as far back as the construction of Solomon's temple and even to the mysterious religions of ancient Egypt. However far back they go, we do know that at least by the 16th century, these fraternities had expanded their membership

and focus beyond the domain of just craftsmanship. The local meeting places for masons came to be known as the lodges. In the 1700s, Freemasonry, as we know it today, emerged as these lodges began to centralize under national governing bodies, called Grand Lodges. For many of us, we may associate Freemasonry with community service or a local organization like a Rotary Club or the Shriners. But if you look into the history of Freemasonry,

especially in America, you will find names like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Henry Ford, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, just to name a few. And it remains a big deal, so big a deal, in fact, that the Vatican actually had to reaffirm its stance on it. Now, before I go any further, I think it's important for people to know that in response to a surge in Freemasonry membership, the Vatican recently issued in an explicit ruling, quote, active membership in Freemasonry by a a member of the faithful is prohibited because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry. End quote. The letter was dated November 13th, 2003, and was signed by Pope Francis. So for Catholics, let me be clear. It's a non-starter. You must avoid Freemasonry,

or you are out of communion with the Catholic Church. The Church is aware that many who join the Masons do so simply for social and business networking purposes. Many professionals are Freemasons. Still, the very nature of the organization is incompatible with the Christian faith. Within their publications, Masons define the order's aims as follows. Quote, Freemasonry unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic, or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind, end quote.

Sounds great, right? The problem is, Freemasonry is an occult organization. Masonic membership requirements are simple. One must be an adult male of good moral character who believes in a supreme being. The organization makes no specification about who the supreme being is and state that members may belong to the religion of their choice. However, the meaning of the language, signs, and symbols employed by masonry within its rituals have a very different meaning than what Freemasonry claims they have.

In the U.S., there are fingerprints of masonry in the heart of our capital. The most obvious example is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, located in Alexandria, Virginia. Dedicated to George Washington, it documents his involvement with the fraternity. He served as the first master of the Virginia Lodge, and then a year later was sworn in as president of the United States. Interestingly, Masonic influences accompanied the laying of cornerstones of two of America's most preeminent sites. Both the cornerstones for Washington, D.C., and the Statue of Liberty, had Masonic involvement. The plaque accompanying the laying of the cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty says,

At this site on August 5, 1884, the cornerstone of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and Lightning the World, was laid with ceremony by William A. Brody, Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York, Grand Lodge members, representatives of the United States, and French governments, Army and Navy officers, members of foreign delegations and distinguished citizens were all present. This plaque is dedicated by the Masons of New York in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of that historic event. Also, the Great Seal of the United States, as seen on Dollar Bills, featuring the unfinished pyramid in the all-seeing eye, is often associated with Freemasonry, as the eye within a triangle is a symbol used by Freemasons

to represent the great architect of the universe. We looked into this, and while on the surface, it sure seems to appear to be related. It's not entirely clear. There are actually three compelling points that make it a bit murky. 1. The Eye of Providence was already a well-established symbol of the Trinity and God's providence within Christian usage dating back to the Renaissance. 2. The actual Freemason on the design committee, Benjamin Franklin, proposed a biblical scene from the Book of Exodus, not Masonic symbols. The man who introduced the Eye of Providence Pierre de Simetar into the Great Seal was not a Mason. From what we can tell, the Eye of Providence,

didn't occur in Masonic iconography until 1797, which would be 15 years after the United States adopted it. So did the masons influence the government, or did the government inspire the masons? We can't say for sure. Now, I know you're wondering, for a friend, of course, how does one even join a lodge? The experience of becoming a Mason consists of an applicant completing three ceremonial levels called degrees. These three degrees are based on the medieval grade system for stoneworkers, apprentice, fellow, and master. And they symbolically represent a man's three stages of development,

youth, adulthood, and old age. Obtaining them makes one a member of the Blue Lodge, which is the basic membership requirement for joining and progressing within any branch of Freemasonry. It is during these initiation rituals that Freemasonry's occult nature emerges. Just as a magician promises one reality, magic, but only ever delivers slight of hand illusion. So does Freemasonry claim religious neutrality, but in the end, ensnars its members and their descendants, in a religious and spiritual covenant through word and concept trickery,

merely examining the first oath is sufficient to obtain an appreciation of the deception that underlies all of Freemasonry and the covenantal ties that are forged when making it. To be initiated as a first-level Mason, what they call an entered apprentice, the candidate strips himself of his clothing and jewelry, including his wedding ring,

and vests himself in a blue pajama-type suit. There's a saying, the clothes make the man. Our choice of clothing and ornamentation reflects our identity. To ask a man to strip himself is to ask him to set aside that identity. There is no Christian ceremony, for example, where a man is asked to remove his wedding ring or the cross around his neck that signifies his devotion to Christ or the family of saints to which he belongs.

To demand that he do so for a masonabye, vow implies that such a vow supersedes even his Christian identity. If you cannot see the devil salivating at the Christian's compliance to this requirement, you should. Demanding that a man remove the signs of his religious identity is itself an act of religion. And a candidate's compliance with that demand is his acceptance of that act's religious dimension. When the ritual begins, the candidate rolls up one pant leg and uncovers the left part of his shirt exposing his heart, which is touched with the point of a sword. Blindfolded and with a rope tied in a noose around his neck, he has brought to the lodge's

senior deacon who asks, Who comes here? Here's the absurd thing. It is the junior deacon who responds to this question on the candidate's behalf because the candidate is not permitted to answer for himself. The junior deacon responds, This one, who has long been in darkness, now seeks to be brought to light and to receive a part in the rights and benefits of this worshipful lodge. Words and rituals have implications. In allowing the junior deacon to make this statement on his behalf, a Christian can candidate innately consents to the view that Christ is not the light of the world, an identity that the Lord himself claims in John chapter 8 verse 12. The candidate's silent compliance is a declaration

done publicly before witnesses and within a ceremony that has every appearance of a religious right that Christ is a liar who has left him in darkness. After permitting this blasphemism, me, the candidate recites the oath that makes him a mason at the level of entered apprentice. I, in the presence of the Almighty God, do hereby and hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will always hail, ever conceal, and never reveal any of the arts, parts, or points of the hidden mysteries of the ancient Freemasonry, which may have been or hereafter shall be at this time or any future period communicated to me. All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same without any

mental reservation or secret evasion of mind, whatever binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea had low watermark. where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours, should I ever knowingly violate any of this my entered apprentice obligation. So help me God, and keep me steadfast than a new performance of the same.

A Christian who takes this oath has directly contradicted his Christian faith. In the gospel, Christ exhorts his followers to avoid elaborate oaths. When a follower of Jesus makes an oath, no more than his word is required. and to place himself under a self-curs as he does in the Masonic Oath, he contradicts the freedom he has received from Christ.

Let your yes be yes and your no-be-no, our Lord affirms, in Matthew 537. Put simply, the, quote, Almighty God, end quote, mentioned in the Masonic Oath, to whom the author binds himself, cannot be the Christian God. Now, is anyone else thinking they must not do a great job of keeping this secret if we have it word for word here? I found it interesting that this oath doesn't define who the Almighty God is explicitly. Some might say, well, it doesn't need to since there is only one. In one way, that is correct.

But in another way, it's also problematic. Of course, Christianity teaches that there is only one God. There is only one all-powerful, uncreated being. possessing a divine nature who created the universe and everything in it. However, Father Martens and other exorcists point out that demons will sometimes identify themselves as Almighty God. They are, of course, lying. But to be fair, lots of people have claimed divinity over the years erroneously. When an oath's terms remain loose and undefined, the one who compose the oath may very well intend its words and concepts to have very different meanings than how you understand them. There are many critics and

former masons who strenuously insist that the identity of this almighty god will later be revealed to be Lucifer at the higher degrees of initiation. In any case, claiming that you really didn't intend the Masonic oath you took to have a religious significance, maybe too little, too late. You took your oath, which has every character of a religious vow or contract in a Masonic temple, within a Masonic ceremony, a ceremony that seems to be at least on the surface, pretty religious. Language. is important. Oliver Wendell Holmes, one of the most influential judges

in American history, once stated, language is the blood of the soul. In its official prayers, the Catholic Church has always been careful to use terms and language that are particular to God. The first audible prayer said by the priest during Mass, for example,

is known as the Collect, because it collects all the prayers of the people present. as individuals, and brings them into one communal prayer. Collex carefully identify the God and Lord who is being addressed. For example, the callact for the Fourth Sunday of Lent reads as follows, O God, who through your word reconcile the human race to yourself in a wonderful way, grant we pray that with prompt devotion and eager faith,

the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come. The prayer is not addressed to any nondescript God, but the God who, quote, reconciles the human race to himself in a wonderful way, end quote. The Collect for Christmas Day reads, O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature, and still more wonderfully restored it, Grant we pray that we may share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Again, the prayer is addressed to the God who wonderfully created the dignity of the human nature

and still more wonderfully restored it. That really narrows things down. It excludes any imposter gods. But then, as if to remove all doubt, every collict and ends with a formulation in which the soul and unique mediatorship of Christ is invoked, and the Trinitarian nature of God is identified. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. The entire assembly adds its assent by responding, amen. Boom. There can be no doubt that we are engaging in a Christian,

act of worship. All other gods read demons are excluded and cut out. Now to play devil's advocate here, not that I would ever want to advocate for that guy, let's examine the Masonic claim that it's not actually a religion. Are exorcists getting all worked up over nothing? One thing I found interesting is that all oaths and meetings are done in a lodge, which upon close examination, share some striking similarities to temples. For example, each lodge contains an altar, where prayers are recited, a moral code is preached, ceremonial vestments are worn, the supreme being is worshipped, feast days are celebrated,

and elaborate burial rights are offered for its members. We should probably concede that under this criteria, one might argue a lot of things are religious. Is a football stadium during a big game religious? I've certainly seen prayers uttered, ceremonial garments adorned, and there does seem to be some rather enthusiastic devotion. I'm only half kidding, though. But seriously, it's a fair question. If Freemasonry is not a religion, why do the rituals and gathering places seem so much like one? Of course, the bigger issue,

according to Father, is actually the cursing. To bind ourselves to a self-curs is not only against the will of Jesus, it is absolutely spiritually dangerous. A Christian should never expose his heart to the point of a sword, or hang a noose around his neck, as the Masonic Oath calls for, let alone curse himself by desiring his throat to be cut, his tongue to be torn out, and his body be buried in the seafloor. Such violent images contradict the very heart of the Christian message. You are not your own, the scriptures declare in 1st Corinthians 6.

You have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. If our Christian faith never demands such an elaborate oath that invokes grotesque and macabre penalties, why in heaven's name should we do so to be part of a mere so-called fraternity? And that, friends, is all the Freemasonry we have time for today. So make sure you tune in for part two next week. and in the meantime, make sure you read all the oaths that you are taking,

especially those user terms of service agreements. You just click yes to all the time. I mean, have you read them? You never know. Thanks for listening, folks. Remember the saying, live-free masonry, die hard. See you next time. To keep in touch with us and get some of our anointed merchandise,

you can visit our website at exorcistfiles.tv. You can also email us absurd and overly specific criticisms, of which I'm sure we'll get a bunch today at Exorcist Files at gmail.com. All cases are recounted by Father Carlos Martins from his personal archives. The role of Adelaide was played by Nanne Snebly, Father Martins by Paul Leach, Dave by Stephen Peters, Allison by Nicole Douglas, and Little Aden by C.C. Martinson. Our Masonic oath readers were Sasha Jordan and Tanner Hall. Don't worry, they had their fingers crossed during it.

It takes a legion of people to make this show possible, so thank you to our sound designer, editors and mixers, Dan Blessinger, Michelle Martinez, music and scoring by James Cavell, and Tom Staley. Script was written by Ryan Bethay and Carlos Martins. This episode also featured script doctoring and assistance from the immensely talented Jonathan Langley, research from John Brundage, and additional research and insights provided by Dr. Candy Brown. Executive producers are Carlos Martins and Ryan Bethay.

We also want to give a huge shout out to Jean Carlo, one of our first and biggest benefactors and someone who really played a huge role in helping make season two happen. John Carlo, you are in fact the man. See you next time, folks.