Hippolytus of Rome – Traditio Apostolica (c. 215): the first liturgical document on baptismal exorcisms (Sources Chrétiennes 11 bis)

The Traditio Apostolica of Hippolytus of Rome (around 215 A.D.) is the oldest Catholic liturgical document that systematically describes the exorcisms in the rite of baptism. The text is found in the critical edition Sources Chrétiennes 11 bis (1968), with the French text and Greek/Coptic/Latin references. It is the fundamental source for understanding the origin of exorcism in the Christian liturgy.

Historical context

Hippolytus of Rome was a Roman presbyter and a contemporary of the Popes Victor I, Zephyrinus and Callistus I. The Traditio Apostolica, which was written in Greek, was lost in the original but has been preserved in Coptic, Ethiopic, Arabic, Latin and Syriac translations. It was critically reconstructed by Dom Connolly (1916) and Botte (1963). It is the oldest witness to the pre-baptismal exorcism.

Text – chap. 20-21: catechesis and pre-baptismal exorcisms

French (SC 11 bis): “Si quelqu’un est possédé du démon, qu’on ne lui laisse pas entendre la parole de l’enseignement jusqu’à ce qu’il soit purifié.”

English: “If anyone is possessed by the demon, let him not be allowed to hear the word of the teaching until he is purified.”

Text – chap. 20 §3: examination of the catechumens

English: “When they draw near to the waters of baptism, let the catechumens be examined. And let the bishop lay hands on them with exorcism. Every morning, during Lent, let an exorcism be administered to them. Those who are ready for baptism receive from the bishop the final solemn exorcism on the eve, Holy Saturday.”

The detailed rite of the baptismal exorcism

The Traditio Apostolica describes the rite in seven phases:

1. Initial screening: the possessed are identified before the catechumenate
2. Catechumenate (3 years): sporadic exorcisms during the formation
3. Election to baptism: after a final screening
4. Lent: daily exorcisms
5. Easter Vigil (Saturday night): final solemn exorcism by the bishop
6. Renunciation of the Devil “Renuntio tibi, Satana” before the immersion
7. Trinitarian profession of faith + three immersions in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Latin text – the formula of the renunciation of the devil

“Renuntio tibi, Satana, et omni servitio tuo et omnibus operibus tuis.”

English: “I renounce you, Satan, and all your service and all your works.”

This formula of renunciation of the Devil was preserved in almost all the subsequent baptismal liturgies:

• Byzantine liturgy: “Apotassomai soi, Satana” (the same formula in Greek)
• Coptic liturgy: taken up literally
• Syriac liturgy: preserved
• Current Roman Rite: “Renunciation of the Devil, of all his seductions and of all his works”

The theological meaning of the baptismal exorcism

The Traditio Apostolica establishes the theological foundation of the exorcism in baptism:

1. Pre-baptismal state: man finds himself under the dominion of the “prince of this world” through original sin
2. Necessity of the renunciation: before incorporation into Christ, liberation from the Evil One is necessary
3. Action of the Church: it is the bishop (or a delegated priest) who acts “in the name of Christ” in order to liberate
4. Progressive character: the exorcism is not a single act but a process (3 years of catechumenate)
5. Culmination at Easter: the victory of Christ over the Evil One is celebrated at the Easter Vigil

Other exorcisms in the Traditio Apostolica

Besides the baptismal exorcisms, the work describes:

• Chap. 36: Morning acclamation and expulsion of the Devil during prayer
• Chap. 41: The Sign of the Cross as a permanent exorcism of the faithful
• Chap. 13-14: Blessing of the water and of the oils with an exorcistic formula

Continuity in the later tradition

The Traditio Apostolica directly influenced:

• Apostolic Constitutions (4th c.): the Syrian compilation in which Hippolytus is quoted
• Rituale Romanum of 1614: chapter XII on exorcisms takes up the Hippolytan scheme
• Paul VI’s reform (Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum 1972): restores the gradual catechumenate with exorcisms
• De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam (1999), explicitly cites Hippolytus

Historical significance

The Traditio Apostolica shows that exorcism was an integral part of the Christian ministry from apostolic times. It is not a “medieval practice” nor a “superstition” introduced late: it is part of the original core of the baptismal liturgy, derived directly from Christ’s mandate “expulsio daemonum” (Mt 10:8; Mk 16:17).

Further reading

Roman Rite of Exorcism 1999 | CIC can. 1172 | Leo XIII Exorcismus 1890 | CDF Christian Faith and Demonology | Patristic Angelology

See also: Patristic Mariology: The Fathers of the Church and Mary (2nd-8th Centuries)