Why the Orthodox Church Keeps Exorcism Private
The Orthodox Church avoids publicizing exorcism cases because the devil seeks attention, and focusing on demonic activity shifts glory away from God and can lead people into fascination with evil. With enough attention on the devil, people become fascinated with how demons work rather than how God saves a soul, leading down a dark path.
The Church treats every day as spiritual warfare beginning at baptism, where the priest reads prayers of exorcism and the person renounces Satan. Daily warfare continues through confession, Holy Communion, prayer, fasting, holy water, and the sign of the cross. When a soul is truly under attack, the priest handles it privately with the bishop's blessing, reading the ancient exorcism prayers of Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom.
The person is restored through confession, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction to reconnect them to Christ. The lives of saints such as Saint Nektarios, Saint Spiridon, and Saint Paisios show this pattern: they helped people under demonic attack, but the focus remains on how God's grace sets the person free, not on what the demons did.
The moral is to keep focus on the good, not the evil, because where Christ is, darkness has no power.
Key moments
- The devil wants attention, and sharing exorcism details while a soul fights for healing shifts focus from God's glory to the demon's actions, giving the devil what he wants.
- With enough attention on the devil, people become fascinated with how demons work rather than how God saves a soul, leading down a dark path.
- The Orthodox Church treats every day as the battle, starting at baptism where the priest reads prayers of exorcism and the person renounces Satan.
- Daily spiritual warfare continues through confession, Holy Communion, prayer, fasting, holy water, and every sign of the cross.
- When a soul is truly under attack, the priest handles it with privacy and reverence as part of healing, with the bishop's blessing reading the ancient exorcism prayers of Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom.
- The person is brought back into the life of the church through confession, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction to reconnect them to Christ and save their soul.
- Saints like Saint Nektarios, Saint Spiridon, and Saint Paisios helped people under demonic attack, but the focus of their stories is on how God's grace set the person free, not on what the demons did.
- The moral is to keep focus on the good, not the evil, because where Christ is, darkness has no power.