Exorcism Ministry “comes from Scriptures”: South African Theologian Emphasizes Role of Jesus in Fight against Demons

Johannesburg, 04 September, 2025 / 3:10 PM

The ministry of exorcism is founded in the Sacred Scriptures and modelled after the person of Jesus Christ, a member of the Theological Advisory Committee of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has said.

In an interview with the Communication Officer of SACBC, Sheila Pires, on the sidelines of the Conference’s Exorcists’ Annual General Meeting (AGM), Fr. Thulani Joel Skhosana said the ultimate aim for exorcists should be to learn from their Master, Jesus Christ.

“Our knowledge of exorcism and demons comes from the scriptures because it is Jesus who gave the Church the authority and the power to fight against the devil and demons,” Fr. Thulani said in the interview following the August 26 to 29 AGM that the SACBC’s Department of Christian Formation, Liturgy, and Culture organized.

The member of the SACBC Theological Advisory Committee, which is researching Ubungoma (traditional healing) in the three member nations of South Africa, Eswatini, and Botswana, added, “It is important for us to understand from the source and from the Master, who is Christ.”

He elaborated that during the AGM, the focus was on “the issues of demons and possession from the Old Testament period and also during the New Testament, that is, during the time of the Lord Jesus.”

As exorcists, he explained, “We look at the meaning of a demon. What is a demon? We are examining the history and definition of that. Where do they come from? What’s the origin of this world? And also, what is its aim? What is the aim of this world, this satanic world?”

He said that they also examine the source of demons, how it fits into the entire system of theology, and how Christ addressed the issues of demons, having understood their different roles.

“We know that demons can mislead people in terms of doctrines. We know that they can cause sicknesses. We know that they can interfere with the lives of people. And we find all that in Scripture,” he said.

After understanding the nature of demons, Fr. Thulani said, “We are also looking at how Jesus Christ dealt with these issues of demons—how he cast them out and how he interacted with people who were possessed.”

He emphasized, “The ultimate aim is for us to learn from the Master, because we are his representatives, we are his servants.”

As exorcists, Fr. Thulani said they can only act according to what Jesus has defined and within the parameters of what He has done, reiterating that they aim to “learn from the Master and to understand this world better, ultimately, so that we can help the people better.”

In the August 29 interview, the South African Priest underlined the importance of proper formation for exorcists, the pastoral role of prayer and deliverance in parish life, and the Church’s responsibility to respond with compassion to those who seek spiritual help.

“Canon Law requires that anyone involved in exorcism should be prudent. He must also be wise. He must be advanced in age. He must also be somebody who is striving to live a good Christian life,” he said.

The member of Clergy of Polokwane Diocese in South Africa outlined qualifications of exorcists, including some basic understanding of issues of spirituality, especially the mental or psychological world. 

“I must be able to tell, through what I have learned, if a person is having a personality problem, for instance, or is just depressed, or is experiencing a very serious psychiatric issue,” he said.

Fr. Thulani said that it is also advisable that exorcists work together with medical professionals who are more knowledgeable in the area of psychiatry, explaining that what is important as a first step in terms of helping someone with exorcism is a critical examination. 

Examination, he said, “means an interview in which you are trying to establish all the factors, enabling you to form an idea of whether you are dealing with a psychological problem or a satanic problem.”

“In conducive settings, it is even better to have a psychologist or psychiatrist with you, so that they may help. And that is in cases of serious possession. Other things, however, are clearly demonic,” he said. 

Based on his experience as an exorcist, Fr. Thulani said, “When it comes to human beings, distinguishing between psychiatric issues and demonic ones may be a bit difficult. This is where psychologists and psychiatrists are needed. But in some cases, we can tell from the fact that no scientific explanation can be found for what is happening.”

Fr. Thulani advised Catholics seeking to protect themselves against demonic possession to embrace normal practices, including embracing a life of prayer and the Sacrament of Confession.

He described holiness, prayer, and confession as “weapons that every Catholic or Christian can use to defend themselves against the forces of darkness.”

“Christians should not live in fear or begin to see the devil everywhere,” he said, and explained, “The devil exists in certain forces, but he is not omnipotent. He is not omnipresent either. He can only be in one place at a time, and he is not responsible for everything happening on Earth. Some things are the result of our own choices as human beings.”

“We mustn't exaggerate the devil, nor must we live in fear, because we have something in us greater than the devil himself,” Fr. Thulani said in the August 29 interview with Ms. Pires.