episode_0042
by fnovelpiaAnd the Lord said to Satan, Follow me; only do not stir up these men.
Satan answered the Lord and said, “Why should they believe in you without reason?
The Lord said to Satan, ‘If you do not stir them up, but I save them from evil, they will believe in me.
Then Satan answered the Lord, “It is true that all who believe will soon perish, because they exchanged faith for sin.
Then the Lord said, “Have you considered those who tested me in the wilderness? There is none on earth like them, upright and blameless, who turn away from evil.
Then Satan and his angels opposed the Lord.
– Genesis 2:7-12.
* * * * *
“Yes. Then… . Okay. Please do it.”
General Damien hung up the phone. I waited a little anxiously for him to open his mouth.
“They said they’d send me an exorcism permit soon.”
The cathedral of the archdiocese was not far away, so if it was sent now, it would arrive at the academy within two days at the latest.
“That’s right… !”
I clenched my fists without realizing it. I felt relieved because things seemed to be going more smoothly than I thought. The fact that Dean Damian and the parish priest were unexpectedly close was a big factor.
Actually, Director Damien’s expression wasn’t very good.
“Why does this only happen when I’m the president? I need to get out of here right away. It can’t be helped.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Dean Damien sank into the sofa, his head in his hands. He had only been talking to the parish priest for a few minutes, but his face looked unusually wrinkled.
“Oh my… . By the way, there’s a demon in the academy… . That’s troublesome news. Of all the others, why are the priests from the Holy Land possessed by demons? It’s so absurd… .”
“… Don’t be like that. Aren’t you the ones who have been exposed to your fingers the longest? ”
“Well, that’s true too… . Huh?”
President Damien blinked his big eyes. I nodded silently.
“I heard it from Father Peter.”
“… I hid this for nothing. I should have just told you from the beginning.”
“The records of exorcisms were originally kept strictly secret, right? I understand.”
“Ugh… How much do you know?”
I glanced at Sophia, then shrugged at Dean Damien.
“I don’t know the subtitle of Sophia. Please give me a brief description.”
“Yeah. Hmm… .”
The explanation of General Damien began. As his explanation became longer, it was impressive to see Deacon Sophia’s eyes grow wider and wider.
“Jo, the story of the first priest, Giovanni… . It wasn’t a rumor?!”
“Haha… . Well, there were so many witnesses at the time. It was impossible to stop the rumors from spreading.”
“That’s… .”
“But the important thing is… . Rumors are just rumors. Because the most important thing remains.”
Yes. The most important thing is that the head priest, Giovanni, was possessed by an evil spirit… .
“Father Giovanni accepted the devil himself.”
“… What?”
The eyes of Dean Damian and Deacon Sophia turned to me. I looked at Dean Damian with a blank expression.
“That’s… . What on earth do you mean?”
“Hmm? Didn’t you already hear that from Father Peter?”
I couldn’t help but contort my face grotesquely. I tried to recall my conversation with Father Peter.
– Father Giovanni was possessed. He asked for help from the Holy See to confront the demon hiding inside him, and a group of exorcists were secretly dispatched from the Vatican.
That story was a lie?
When I asked about it, this time it was General Damien who tilted his head and expressed his doubts.
“Uhhh… . I know it a little differently. The first head priest of the Chaldea Imperial Academy, head priest Giovanni, took in a demon himself… .”
“… … .”
“Professor Antonelli? Are you okay?”
A cold sweat ran down. Wait, if that’s the case…
Seriously, who’s telling the truth?
The Holy Nation clearly dispatched an exorcist group. This is a commonly shared story, so it is almost certain that it is true.
However, the problem is the detailed records related to the son-in-law of the head priest, Giovanni.
The Academy recorded that the head priest, Father Giovanni, had intentionally become possessed, and in the Holy See materials that Father Peter had mentioned, there was no such mention.
When I told him this, General Damien frowned.
“Perhaps Father Peter did not say it on purpose. It would be a shameful record for a priest to accept the devil himself.”
“That’s….”
That makes sense. That’s why I started to get even more suspicious.
The matter of the devil was a serious matter. It was not information that could be left unsaid to anyone else, nor to the chief priest who was supposed to be working together. This was because it was information that could become an important key during the exorcism.
However, it makes no sense for President Damien to lie. Not only is there no need for him to lie to us, but lying also goes against his belief in protecting the Academy.
There are two possibilities. Either General Damien’s information was wrong, or Father Peter deliberately did not tell the story.
And I was leaning towards the latter.
“…Peter the Priest.”
The whole story surrounding Priest Giovanni.
What do you gain by hiding information like that?
“First of all, I understand. Thank you for the good information.”
“What? More than that, please protect our academy. That’s all I need.”
President Damien held my hand tightly. I couldn’t help but nod at his powerful words.
“Please leave it to me.”
* * * * *
“Chief Priest. What should we do first?”
Deacon Sophia asked innocently. I answered her as I walked towards the dormitory.
“Deacon Sophia. But first, I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Deacon Sophia, have you ever personally witnessed or participated in an exorcism?”
“Uh… No. The academy didn’t explain it in detail either?”
Deacon Sophia tilted her head, then smiled brightly.
It is understandable that she would not know, for the principle is not to disclose details about exorcisms. This is because the solemn exorcism is not something that can be entrusted to just anyone.
If you exorcise with knowledge you have acquired in a superficial way, there is nothing closer to disaster than that. I also tried to teach my students only the most basic common sense.
He stared blankly at Deacon Sophia. Her bright smile brightened up the already gloomy atmosphere, but it was not a desirable attitude for a priest about to perform an exorcism.
I said with a faint sigh.
“Exorcism. To be exact, this is called the grand exorcism, and it means expelling the evil spirits that have taken possession of the body of the possessed person.”
“I know that much.”
“Deacon Sophia. Exorcism is not simply shouting at a demon in pain.”
Deacon Sophia’s smile cracked a little. I ignored her and continued speaking.
“This is a very hard job. The demons that hide in the body of the possessed somehow try to get on our nerves, disturb us, and even provoke our sympathy, leading us to give up. Sometimes, they even see through the sins committed by the possessed or the priest performing the exorcism.”
“That, is that really true…?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Deacon Sophia’s expression suddenly became unpleasant. Being naive isn’t good, but being too nervous isn’t good either…
Deacon Sophia, who had been fidgeting for a moment, finally closed her eyes tightly and shouted.
“I want to go to confession now!”
“… What is it? Suddenly.”
“Actually… . When I was serving black tea to the head priest, I took a sip because I was bored… . It was so bitter that I spit it out into the head priest’s cup! I’m sorry! ”
“… … .”
I looked at Deacon Sophia with a bewildered expression. What kind of confession was this?
“… I am fine. Deacon Sophia.”
“Me, really… ?”
“Yes, really.”
Deacon Sophia let out a sigh of relief. I found that even more absurd, but judging by the expression on her face that showed that she was truly relieved, it seemed to be sincere.
“Anyway, to continue the explanation… . We have to fight an endless battle with an extremely wicked beast of all evil.”
The exorcism ceremony can take hours, or even years, if it is prolonged. Of course, the latter is a very serious case.
In the case of the subjects of the exorcism this time, since both are priests, it doesn’t seem like it will take that long.
“Anyway, that’s what the exorcism is. Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
I’m not sure if I really understood it, but I decided to just move on.
“But we have what we need.”
“What is that?”
“Holy water, holy oil, consecrated incense, and salt.”
“Salt?”
Deacon Sophia looked a little dubious. Suddenly salt? It was understandable to be suspicious.
“Salt has been used since ancient times as a means of exorcising evil, and this is no exception for the devil. It exorcises the devil and helps with the health of the body and soul. It is often used to protect the deacon during exorcism ceremonies.”
“Aha. But where can I get that?”
“Substitute Sophia. Salt is also readily available at the Academy cafeteria.”
Salt was one of the easiest things to obtain. However, there was one thing that was problematic.
“Where can I get holy water, holy oil, and consecrated incense?”
“That… The parish priest will send it to you.”
When General Damien spoke to the parish priest, there were a few things I had asked for: holy water, holy oils, and consecrated incense.
“Hmm… . Without overthinking it, if I just sprinkle holy water on it, won’t it run away?”
Deacon Sophia’s question was very wrong, and I immediately corrected her.
“Deacon Sophia. Holy water is consecrated water, nothing more, nothing less.”
There is a common mistake that is widespread in the world, and that is the tendency to treat holy water as almost a fantasy-like elixir.
When a person who has been ordained as a priest consecrates water and adds consecrated salt to it, we simply call it holy water. In other words, it is simply salt water that is offered to the Lord after receiving the priest’s prayer.
It has absolutely no power to defeat or purify the devil on its own. It is only when we invoke the grace of the Lord through sincere prayer to Him that it becomes useful.
“Then, the head priest can also make holy water?”
“That would require permission too, but… . Yes, well… . It is possible.”
Deacon Sophia’s eyes began to sparkle. I coughed and averted my gaze.
“Then, the head priest should make holy water!”
“… That would be possible, but the parish priest would probably send us holy water made from the Samadan River separately.”
Saint Peter was baptized in the waters of the Samadhan River, so it would be perfect for a priest named Peter to use his name. Deacon Sophia nodded after hearing what I said.
“I see… . Oh…! My theological knowledge has increased…! I wish the parish priest would send it to me soon!”
“Yes. In the meantime, we have our own preparations to make.”
As we walked and talked, we soon arrived in front of the faculty dormitory. I looked up at the dormitory and muttered.
“Relics… .”
Father Peter had clearly said that he had come with Father Camilla to exorcise the demons present in the Academy.
If so, then you must have some holy relics that would be helpful in exorcisms.
We continued walking towards the dormitory, which had a more eerie atmosphere than usual.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and it looked like it was going to rain.
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