Codex Iuris Canonici – Canon 1172 (1983): The Canonical Discipline of Exorcism

The Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici, 1983), promulgated by Saint John Paul II, contains canon 1172 with the fundamental juridical regulation of who may perform exorcism. It is the canonical text in force that governs the discipline of the ministry of exorcism in the contemporary Latin Catholic Church.

Latin text of canon 1172

Can. 1172 § 1. Nemo exorcismos in obsessos proferre legitime potest, nisi ab Ordinario loci peculiarem et expressam licentiam obtinuerit.

§ 2. Haec licentia ab Ordinario loci concedatur tantummodo presbytero pietate, scientia, prudentia ac vitae integritate praedito.

English translation of canon 1172

Can. 1172 § 1. No one may legitimately pronounce exorcisms over the possessed unless he has obtained a special and express license from the local Ordinary.

§ 2. This license is to be granted by the local Ordinary only to a priest endowed with piety, knowledge, prudence and integrity of life.

The four requirements for the exorcist

The canon establishes four obligatory qualities for the priest exorcist:

1. Pietas (piety): deep spiritual life, constant prayer, Marian devotion
2. Scientia (knowledge): solid knowledge in theology (sacramental, spiritual, moral, demonology) and in the human sciences (psychology, psychiatry)
3. Prudentia (prudence): the capacity for sober discernment between real demonic action and natural psychophysical phenomena
4. Vitae integritas (integrity of life): a morally blameless life, fidelity to vows, absence of scandals

Who may grant the license

The canon specifies “Ordinarius loci”, the local Ordinary. In the canonical sense, the following are Ordinaries:

• The Diocesan Bishop
• The Vicar General
• The Episcopal Vicar
• The Diocesan Administrator (sede vacante)
• Personal Prelates (Ordinariates)

In practice, it is almost always the Diocesan Bishop who grants the license, after a serious process of discernment.

Solemn exorcism vs. simple exorcism

Canon 1172 refers to solemn or major exorcism over persons presumed to be possessed. There are two modalities of exorcism in the Church:

The exorcisms of baptism

The entire Rite of Baptism (children and adults) includes simple exorcisms, and these are automatically performed in any Catholic baptism. The Rituale Romanum has two pre-baptismal exorcisms:

1. “Exorcismus catechumenorum”: exorcisms repeated during the catechumenate (adult catechumens)
2. “Exorcismus infantium”: a single exorcism before the baptismal water in the case of children

These exorcisms are called “minor” because they are an ordinary part of the rite and do not require a special license.

Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO)

The Code of the Eastern Catholic Churches (1990) has a parallel provision:

Can. 988 § 1 (CCEO): Presbyters have the power to pronounce exorcisms over the possessed, but they need a special and express license from their own hierarch in order to use it licitly.

§ 2: This license is to be granted by the proper hierarch only to presbyters endowed with piety, knowledge, prudence and integrity of life.

Additional pastoral discipline: documents of the Holy See

Letter of the CDF to the bishops (September 29, 1985)

The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent all the bishops a letter recalling the limits of canon 1172:

• The faithful (even professed religious) may not perform solemn exorcisms.
• Even a priest without the express license may not legitimately perform a solemn exorcism.
• The “prayers of deliverance” of the charismatic movements are not equivalent to solemn exorcisms.

Document “Inde ab aliquot annis” (1985)

It reaffirms the same points as the letter of 1985 and establishes canonical sanctions for violations.

Vade-mecum for exorcists (Vatican, 2018-2020)

An internal document intended for exorcists and bishops, with practical criteria of discernment.

The hierarchical structure of the ministry of exorcism

Legacy

Canon 1172 is the juridical basis for:

• The Rite of Exorcism of 1999
• The diocesan practice of appointing an “official exorcist” in writing
• The formation of exorcists in specialized courses (Istituto Sacerdos Rome, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross)
• The International Association of Exorcists (1991, recognized in 2014)

Further reading

Rite of Exorcism 1999 | Leo XIII Exorcismus 1890 | CDF Fede e Demonologia 1975 | Paul VI Confronto col Diavolo 1972