Discernments of Spirits in the Priestly Ministry

Fr. Titus Kieninger, ORC

Introduction:
Preliminary Reflections

In our day, the priestly ministry is increasingly marked by contact with other religions or with sects; inwardly, however, it is marked by the confrontation with specific religious phenomena. Considering his task as servant of the "Church of the living God," the "pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim 3,15), the discernment of spirits becomes more and more vital for him.

We shall discuss some of the more widespread phenomena of this time in which we live, so that we may come to an ever deeper understanding of the necessity of the discernment of spirits.

1. The lack of love in the bosom of the family leads to emotional and often existential impoverishment (feelings of inferiority), so that the sober exigency of having to believe is very difficult, severe, anonymous, impersonal and cold; this situation longs for personal acceptance and appreciation by God also in the religious sphere.

2. On the one hand, we live in a world of commerce aiming at the adulation of the individual's "ego" with slogans such as: "The customer is king!", "What do you desire and what do you like best?" - and on the other hand, we live in a world in which the individual's achievements determine his justification for existence (profession). Thereby the individual is so moved into the center of one's thinking that he seems to be, as it were, the standard of almost all things.

3. We witness the phenomenon of a complete over-schooling of the intellect, while, in contrast, the will is left almost unformed and untrained.1 In this context we have to consider that in grasping the world man takes it into himself, into his memory and imagination, he moves again into the center of his own self, while in an act of will he would move from himself towards the objective world. In the schooling of the intellect we observe an ever weaker development, a little unfolding and exercising of the spiritual power of knowledge while the sense apprehension of knowledge is primary (feelings). All these factors result in a limited and restricted perception of reality in an individual's personal sphere of experience. Due to these reasons, God - insofar as He is still conceded the possibility of existence - is forced into the world of reason (ratio - rationalism) or even of experience and is only accepted in the measure as He is "experienced" by the individual. This means God in His communication to me is limited by my personal experience or sensitive receptiveness. This implies a failing in "faith" and is diametrically opposed to the "dark faith" of the true saints (cf. Mk 15,34). In the religious domain the following may be observed:

4. In former times, the vocation of the laity used to be paid little attention to on account of the structure of society and a poor education on the part of ordinary people; presently - as it commonly happens with new discoveries, - it is immaturely over-emphasized by some people.

5. The mystical thinking of Oriental religions, which locks man largely up in the prison of his own heart and feelings, penetrates into circles that are religiously receptive and searching.

6. Influences coming from Protestant sects with their "sola" principles create an atmosphere in the realm of religion in which the hierarchical concept and a consequent integration and subordination appear to be foreign (bizarre, i.e. heretical), while the phenomenon of a direct Divine influence upon the individual becomes the mark of truth.

7. The vast neglect of the "pious custom of frequent confession" deprives us finally of a personal direction in spiritual affairs which is so salutary to the soul.2

8. The declining force of faith in God's providential power leads to insecurity and anxiety in the face of an uncertain future, so that there is an ever more anxious craving for messages predicting future events, messages which will either enable the people to make the necessary provisions or - in case they consist of positive contents, messages which promise peace. This universal phenomenon of our century generates a sort of religious devotion that arises from a necessity, and therefore relatively indiscriminately clings to every "light," not asking whether it is reasonable or objectively trustworthy.

1 One is almost inclined to speak of a punishment; however, instead of punishment perhaps "rearing" with the conscious relation to animals would be preferable, due to its similarity when adults no longer wait for the spirit to naturally awaken in a child but antedate the beginning of his "schooling," thus manipulating and intervening in a child's natural phase of playing!

2 (1) For the daily zealous progress on the path of virtue, We would like to strongly recommend the pious custom of frequent confession, which was introduced in the Church not without the impulse of the Holy Spirit. By way of frequent confession, (2) self-knowledge is furthered, (3) Christian humility is deepened, (4) moral weakness is eradicated, (5) spiritual lassitude and tepidity are combated, (6) the conscience is cleansed, (7) the will is strengthened, (8) a salutary spiritual direction is enabled and (9) by virtue of the Sacrament, there will be an increase of grace within us (cf. Pius XII, Mystici Corporis, 86, AAS 35 (1945) 235).

According to St. Matthew, the first Apostles the Lord called were Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men". (Mt 4,18-19).

The Lord entrusts the souls for whom He suffered so bitterly on the Cross to the Apostles and their helpers, the priests! He leaves it up to their commitment and dedication whether the souls will be saved or lost. How often, in the course of the Church's history, priests have asked themselves and keep asking themselves even in our day: Is our task really so great; is it not too great? Is it really a question of eternal salvation and eternal damnation and not merely of a higher or lesser degree of sanctity?

The Lord said to St. Peter, and this applies to all who share in his power through him: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven". (Mt 16,19).

I. The Necessity of the Discernment of Spirits

The key position of the Apostles and disciples of Christ becomes a decisive factor particularly when it is not only a question of mediating the necessary graces for growth, but rather of uncovering dangers, of exposing "Satan himself, who goes disguised as an angel of light" (2 Cor 11,14; cf. Gal 1,8) and of overcoming the wolf who is attacking and scattering the sheep (cf. Jn 10,12).

The Lord affirmed that this was part of the priestly mission when He said to the disciples: "I am sending you out like lambs among wolves" (Lk 10,3). St. Paul admonished the clergy in Ephesus: "Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which He bought with His own Blood. I know quite well that when I have gone, fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard!" (Acts 20,28-31).

Let us be instructed by the Word of God even more clearly, which shows us that and how the spirits act on us men, so that we will take the demand for the discernment more seriously.

1. The Working of the Holy Spirit

When sending the Apostles out, the Lord instructed them as follows: "Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils". (Mt 10,8). As a matter of fact, after Pentecost, the Apostles officiated as true disciples of Christ, for "many miracles and signs were worked through the Apostles" (Acts 2,43); Stephen is reported to "work miracles and great signs among the people" (Acts 6,8); "The signs that mark the true Apostle are miracles" (2 Cor 12,12).

St. Paul, when speaking about the working of the Spirit in all sorts of different ways, says that He may give "the gift of preaching with wisdom," "the gift of preaching instruction," "the gift of faith," "the gift of healing," "the power of miracles," "prophecy," and also the "gift of distinguishing between spirits" (cf. 1 Cor 12,8-10; Mk 16,17-18).

In his pentecostal discourse, St. Peter refers to what the Prophet Joel spoke of and which was fulfilled at that moment: "In the days to come - it is the Lord who speaks - I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind. Their sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My slaves, men and women, in those days, I will pour out My Spirit. I will display portents in heaven above and signs on earth below. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great Day of the Lord dawns" (Acts 2,16-20; cf. Mt 24,27-29). In this passage the prophet does not speak so much of portents and signs, but rather of all the varieties of communications by the Holy Spirit.

2. The Working of the Fallen Spirits

When reflecting on "portents and signs," one has to recall time and again the example of the plagues of Egypt. By working miracles, Moses, together with Aaron, proved that they had been sent by God; but time and again they had to experience that: "...With their witchcraft the magicians of Egypt did the same" (Ex 7,11; cf. 7,22; 8,3; 8,14-15; 9,11).

Like the Pharaoh, so too the Jews of the time of Jesus (e.g. Mk 8,11-13; Lk 11,29-30; Jn 2,18) and so too many people in our day say: "Produce some marvel!" (Ex 7,9). God waits and sees for a while before He answers such a request, because He affirms, "Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe" (Jn 20,29). This period of God's waiting and seeing is used by the fallen spirits, who disguise themselves as angels of light, in order to lead men away from the path to God by their deception and to seduce them on the path of ruin. What are these deceptions of "the father of lies"? (Jn 8,44)

St. Paul describes them at great length in his letter to the Thessalonians:

Please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumor or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.

Never let anyone deceive you in this way. It cannot happen until the Great Revolt has taken place and the Rebel, the Lost One, has appeared. This is the Enemy, the one who claims to be so much greater than all that men call "god," so much greater than anything that is worshiped, that he enthrones himself in God's sanctuary and claims that he is God...

But when the Rebel comes, Satan will set to work: there will be all kinds of miracles and a deceptive show of signs and portents, and everything evil that can deceive those who are bound for destruction because they would not grasp the love of the truth which could have saved them. The reason why God is sending a power to delude them and make them believe what is untrue is to condemn all who refused to believe in the truth and chose wickedness instead. (2 Thess 2,2-4; 9-12)

It should be noted that, according to St. Paul, the enemy will not manifest itself as a worldly power but in a totally religious appearance. To this detailed text of St. Paul we can join similar texts of Jesus Himself, of St. Peter and of St. John. It is most striking that all these texts most vehemently caution against "false prophets" (prophecies) and "miracles." The text is quoted at length because of the seeming difficulty of convincing ourselves how strongly Divine Revelation warns us of facts that are so palpable today.

The disciples asked the Lord, Tell us when is this going to happen and what will be the sign of your coming." ... And Jesus answered them:

Take care that no one deceives you; because many will come using My name and saying, "I am the Christ", and they will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; do not be alarmed, for this is something that must happen, but the end will not be yet. For nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famine and earthquakes here and there.

Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many, and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most men will grow cold; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.

So when you see the disastrous abomination of which the prophet Daniel spoke, set up in the Holy Place, then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. ...

For then there will be great distress such as, until now, since the world began, there never has been, nor ever will be again. If anyone says to you then, "Look, here is the Christ" or "He is there", do not believe it; for false christs and false prophets will arise and produce great signs and portents, enough to deceive even the chosen, if that were possible. There; I have forewarned you. (Mt 24,3-7.11-13.15.21-24)

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord treats of the judgment.

It is not those who say to me, "Lord, Lord", who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Mt 7,21)

Two observations are important in this context. Besides the word of St. Paul: "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord' unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12,3) it is certainly true: If people honor Jesus only with lip-service or in order to be esteemed by others for their piety (cf. Mt 15,8 and 6,5), then they are not yet "under the influence of the Holy Spirit." And this applies not only to prayer and extraordinary works , which can also be performed by sorcerers or by the father of lies himself, as we have already seen (cf. St. Thomas Aq., Summa Theologica, I,114,4). To discern, the Lord asks first for the moral state of the person instead of special graces or piety! Even more surprisingly, He adds:

When the day comes many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, work many miracles in Your name?' Then I shall tell them to their faces: "I have never known you; away from Me, you evil men!" (Mt 7,22-23)

St. Luke transmits us a very interesting similar passage,

Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able ... you begin ... to knock at the door saying ... 'We ate and drank in your presence' ... But He will say, "I tell you, I do not know where you come from, depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity." (Lk 13,24-28; cf. Mk 8,13)

This is, so far, the orientation which we receive from Our Lord in the Gospel. After speaking of prophecies coming from the Holy Spirit, St. Peter goes on to caution against "false prophets in the history of the people":

As there were false prophets in the past history of our people, so you too will have your false teachers, who will insinuate their own disruptive views and disown the Master who purchased their freedom. They will destroy themselves very quickly; but there will be many who copy their shameful behavior and the Way of Truth will be brought into disrepute on their account. (2 Pet 2,1-2)

Even St. John, who was so ardently inflamed by love and asked for almost nothing but love, sees himself compelled to warn against the false prophets and to call for the discernment of spirits:

It is not every spirit, my dear people, that you can trust; test them, to see if they come from God, there are many false prophets, now, in the world. (1 Jn 4,1)

In the Book of Revelation, with its view of the Last Times, he becomes more specific:

I saw that one of the beast's head seemed to have had a fatal wound but that this deadly injury had healed and after that the whole world had marvelled and followed the beast. They prostrated themselves in front of the dragon because he had given the beast his authority; and they prostrated themselves in front of the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against?"

This is the perfect reversal of St. Michael's battle cry at the trial of the angels, as he called out: "WHO IS LIKE GOD!" (cf. Ps 71,19; 86,8; Is 44,7; Jer 10,6); it continues:

How could anybody defeat him? For forty-two months the beast was allowed to mouth its boasts and blasphemies against God, against His name, His heavenly Tent and all those who are sheltered there. It was allowed to make war against the saints and conquer them, and given power over every race, people, language and nation; and all people of the world will worship it, that is, everybody whose name has not been written down since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the sacrificial Lamb. ...

Then I saw a second beast; it emerged from the ground, like a lamb, but made a noise like a dragon. ... It made the world and all its people worship the first beast, which had had the fatal wound and had been healed. And it worked great miracles, even to calling down fire from heaven on to the earth while the people watched. Through the miracles which it was allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, it was able to win over the people of the world and persuade them to put up a statue in honor of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and still lived. It was allowed to breathe life into this statue, so that the statue of the beast was able to speak, and to have anyone who refused to worship the statue of the beast put to death. (Rev 13,3-8.11-15)

After the sixth angel poured out his bowl of wrath, St. John:

saw issuing from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet, three foul spirits like frogs; for they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (Rev 16,13-14)

Finally, the Apostle gives us an account of how these false 'miraculous' prophets ended:

Then I saw the beast, with all the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to fight the rider and his army. But the beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had worked miracles on the beast's behalf and by them had deceived all who had been branded with the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue. These two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. (Rev 19,19-20)

This implies that we have to be vigilant and discerning. It is in this light of revelation that the Church judges today about her 'ultimate trial' when she teaches in the New Catechism:

The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the 'mystery of iniquity' in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh (cf. 2 Thess 2,4-12). (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Nr. 675; cf. Nr. 676-677).

Although we must steadfastly hope and trust in the working of the Holy Spirit, yet, did we ever reflect on the intensity and similarity with which the fallen spirits operate in order to draw us away from the influence of the Holy Spirit? We always have to see both realities. We must not look at only one side without taking into consideration the other side, too. This implies that we have to be vigilant and discerning.

3. The Task of the Priest

The Second Vatican Council acknowledges charisms, which, fitting for the needs of the Church, are therefore given by God at a certain time:

Whether these charisms be very remarkable or more simple and widely used, they are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, since they are fitting and useful for the needs of the Church. (Vatican II, On the Church, Nr. 12)

But the Council advises the faithful to be careful and reserved towards charisms, recalling the universal teaching of the Church: "Extraordinary gifts are not rashly to be desired" (ibid.); it also advises pastors to be careful and reserved: "nor is it from them that the fruits of apostolic labors are to be presumptuously expected" (ibid.).

The final judgment, however, pertains to the leaders of the Church:

Those who have charge over the Church should judge the genuineness and proper use of these gifts, through their office not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good. (cf. 1Thess 5,12 and 19-21) (ibid.)

The complete text of St. Paul is as follows:

Never try to suppress the Spirit or treat the gift of prophecy with contempt; think before you do anything - hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil. (1 Thess 5,20-21)

The Lord wants the priests to be "Good Shepherds" like Him and not hirelings; good shepherds who would rather lay down their lives for the sheep than to abandon them in case of danger (cf. Jn 10; 1 Pet 5,2; Lk 11,52; 12,37; Hos 4,4-6; Mt 24,42-43; Vatican II, On the Church, 30; On the Priestly Life, 9; John Paul II., Pastores dabo vobis, 17 and 26).

The Possibility of the Discernment of Spirits

In order to come to a discernment of spirits in concrete cases, first of all those persons who are involved in the judgment have to be examined closely. Those involved are:

1) the person who is to judge, and

2) the person or matter to be judged; and finally,

3) it is the good, God and His Revelation as well as the objective welfare of souls, that has to be tested and discerned.

a) The priest must be free from his own ego!

Self-denial must come easy to him. Consequently, he will be able to practice renunciation, spontaneous readiness to serve and help, as well as order and discipline. He must be a man of self-control, who is unequivocal and sincere without any tendency whatsoever to yield to compromises.

Both in the general and the individual pastoral work he will not pursue his own interests, but act in complete submission to the Will of God, and in obedience to the holy Church. Such a priest's only concern in the liturgy will be the honor and glory of God. For this reason, he will celebrate the liturgy only in accordance with the will of the Church and act in union and agreement with the local clergy.

Thanks to his unselfishness, it is unthinkable that he would approach the souls he has to test with personal questions. If this prerequisite is not manifest in the priest, then his judgment has to be held strongly in distrust; for experience shows that those superiors who take certain liberties or wish to secure them for themselves, usually also grant them to their subordinates without rendering an account of it.

b) The priest must desire to seek only the glory of God!

He endeavors to be faithful to the truth, which he strives to acquire by way of assiduous studying and contemplative prayer; he further seeks to stimulate an ever growing zeal in the love for God in his whole sphere of influence and activity. In this way he will become silent, listening and fervent in prayer.

c) The priest is open to God's working in and by individual souls!

He seeks the truth and the will of God in everything that he encounters in souls and in everything that happens to him by way of them.

His purity and living contact with God render him sensitive to that which comes from God and to that which comes from the evil one, to the knowledge of the heart and the power of discernment, which arises from the decision in one's conscience.

His absolute allegiance to God and the Church causes him - like the Church and the Saints - to be reserved to everything extraordinary. He will not show any kind of admiration to the recipients of a charism, since this could already be interpreted by them as an approval and could be for them only a temptation to vainglory. He will search for as many convergent reasons as possible, knowing that the more he finds and the more they complement one another, pointing in the same direction, the more corroborated his judgment will be. He will first point out to those souls that in God's eyes a life of virtue is more important than all special graces, that delusions are easily possible, that even the very recipients of such graces have to distrust them, since, according to all the teachers of the spiritual life, nothing is more pleasing to the father of lies than a soul that seeks special graces or revelations (cf. St. John of the Cross, Ascent to Mount Carmel, II,10; St. Theresa of Avila, Interior Castle, VI,3).

But still, he will treat these souls with kindness and thus, gain deeper trust to be able to discern the matter more closely and thereby arrive at a more mature judgment and acquire a greater degree of authority in their direction.3

3 Royo Marin, OP, in his Theology of Christian Perfection (BAC, Madrid 1968, Nr. 709) describes the prerequisites of the person who examines as follows: 1. prayer (theoretical knowledge is not enough); 2. study (of Sacred Scripture, Fathers of the Church, theologians, spiritual authors); 3. personal experience (is absolutely necessary, since it is a practical science, cf. Lk 6,39); 4. removal of impediments such as a spirit of vainglory (those people who decide on their own; for God grants His light only to the humble), attachment to the souls he guides (prevents objectivity); furthermore, he should never ground his judgment in natural but supernatural reasons; and he should never judge rashly.

2. The Person to be Judged

Precisely on account of his desire for the greater glory of God, the priest is required to show sobriety and clarity and not too much kindness in dealing with these souls. Only the steadfast trust in the grandeur of blind faith, the trust that the priest can help a soul more efficaciously by leading it along the sober path of the cross than along the path of extraordinary graces will give him the courage for such a consistent love of God in the severe treatment of souls, souls that seem to be receiving special graces from God, that are perhaps more ardently loved by God than he himself and are possibly farther advanced in sanctity than he himself. Nevertheless, he should not fall on his knees with false humility before someone towards whom he should stand up to in the name of Christ.

St. John of the Cross teaches that "one act done in charity is more precious in God's sight than all the visions and communications possible - and how many who have not received these experiences are incomparably more advanced than others who have had many" (Ascent to Mount Carmel, II, 22.9).

It is correct that God can communicate Himself to whomever He wishes (cf. the prophecy of the high priest Caiaphas, Jn 11,49-51; cf. also Jn 3,8). Ordinarily, though, grace builds upon nature, and God presupposes a certain moral conduct before communicating Himself to a soul in a special fashion. That is why there are general criteria for the priest, according to which he can verify at least signs of the working of God - though he can certainly not prove it.

Let us ask ourselves: Can it be believed that God appears to a non-Catholic and divorced, remarried woman? In order to lead her personally to the truth, it is not out of the question. But for God to communicate Himself to the people by way of such a soul, as if He would have chosen her as a teacher, is very doubtful, since by so doing He would firstly justify and approve of her way of living, secondly He would suspend to a certain degree the Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Him as the bearer of salvation, and He would disregard the mission of the Apostles and their successors.

Among the general signs indicating an extraordinary working of God's grace, we can distinguish between natural and supernatural presuppositions.

a) General natural presuppositions and signs

In order to be able to ascertain the influence of God's grace and not have to fear that the cause is of some natural or demonic nature, one has to ask oneself with regard to natural suppositions and signs:

Is the temperament of the seemingly gifted person balanced?
Does the person have common sense? (Is he or she educated, and if so, by whom?)
Is the person morally very sincere?

(Hardly to be taken seriously are nervous, irritated persons or persons prone to hysteria; likewise persons with an excessively vivacious fantasy; feeble-minded and mentally ill persons; individuals that are fasting too long and too much; persons that are not entirely veracious but rather prone to exaggerations or embellishments and for this reason can easily make things up; or people with quite a lively character).

b) General supernatural presuppositions and signs

God linked His grace to outward signs, but for this reason He did not dispense us of faith. On the contrary, all salvation depends on our faith. In order to be able to assume the fact of an exceptional working of grace, one has to ask:

Does the soul already manifest a constancy in the life of virtue, in which it has been tested during a long period already?
Is it marked by genuine and deep humility? (It would be a very bad sign if this corner-stone were missing!)
Does it communicate its graces to its spiritual director, and does it follow his counsel and directives?
To what degree has it been purified by passive trials?
Does it practice heroic virtues and receive the first graces of contemplation?

(Opposed to these positive signs are: a more or less exterior zeal; delight in self-praise and in sharing spiritual joys with others. The desire to attract attention to oneself can be so strong that it already came to pass in the history of the Church that souls pretended to have visions, indeed, wittingly feigned ecstasies and visions).

If the visions imply s u p e r - natural things, such as a special knowledge or exceptional forces, it is not yet certain whether the cause stems from a Divine influence or merely from a demonic one. Here one may take as a guideline the most general criterion for the discernment of spirits given by Our Lord Himself: "By their fruits you shall know them" (Mt 7,16.20).

c) Effects of charismatic gifts

God's working of grace is first and foremost marked by the Cross and suffering, which, however, will sooner or later give way to light and joy (Gen 3). Its effect is of a great depth and leads to the experience of enduring peace, lasting joy and security. The individual is drawn to interiorness, to silence, to an ever greater reverence for God, for everything sacred, for the Holy Church and the confessor. The gifted person longs for an ever deeper union and bond with God, by means of vows, for example. He struggles ever more earnestly and eagerly for the true knowledge of the will of God and its accurate fulfillment: he is ever more drawn by God, understands the Passion of Christ as an appeal to suffer with Him; he avoids the world and its offers (as, for example, self-important publicity, which usually evades obedience). Above all, it will cause man to strive for perfection; all remarkable graces of God go to confirm the fundamental virtues of a life pleasing to God, such as: humility, obedience, patience, and conformity with the will of God. Such a soul will make constant progress in mortification, simplicity, meekness, loving kindness, benevolence, promptitude, obedience, victimhood; as well as in faith, hope and charity! In spirit, it experiences greater clarity; in its heart, greater peace; and in its will, greater strength!

Fr. Royo Marin quotes as signs of a "good spirit" (also see J. Aumann, Spiritual Theology), with reference to the intellect: truth, earnestness and depth; lights of grace (illumination), docility (obedience), discretion (prudence) and humility; with reference to the will: peace, trust in God, flexibility of the will, purity of intention, self-denial, patience in suffering, simplicity, freedom of the spirit, longing for the imitation of Christ, disinterested love.

In concrete terms, when in our day we encounter so many who believe that God wants to speak through them to the world, (1) we can and should first of all make sure that it is not simply the case that these souls - after a bit of meditation - have in their recollection some lights or insights, and immediately baptize all as coming from God and with such a supposition say, "God told me." (cf. Ascent to Mount Carmel, II,29.4-5). (2) On the other hand, given the fact of extraordinary graces, one has to discern whether or not they are meant by the Lord for the soul personally, such that by making them public, the soul would only be losing them and be hurting the Lord's love most deeply. (3) If, however, the Lord really wished to speak to others by way of a soul, then this soul would have to communicate this unreservedly to its confessor. In the process, the soul would have to forget all about it, knowing that it is no longer its concern, but believing that the Lord Himself will take care of the rest. In either case, the soul generally remains in hiddenness - something that God loves, but that the devil hates! - In the first case we see God as the giver of the hidden grace, in the second case the grace itself, and in the third case the receiver of the grace. In all three the devil wants to work precisely in the opposite way to seduce man to sin, to pride.

d) Effects of demonic influences

Since Paradise, the evil one has been attempting to blind man by means of glamour so as not to show immediately in what great ruin he wants to plunge souls. That is why his influences initially generate pleasure, which; however, very soon give way to confusion, mourning, discouragement and despair.

The devil's influences are generally more or less directly aimed at the glorification of one's "ego." This implies on the one hand that the "exceptional" soul likes to talk about itself and its experiences, its merits and "graces." If it has succeeded in having others approach it with petitions and questions, it will become presumptuous, it will give answers without having honestly "asked" at all. Thus it easily becomes insincere, pretends to know or have what it neither knows nor has. Pride has blinded it. This can also occur where initially God's grace was at work, but due to a lack of direction or a failure in vigilance, the evil one has managed to break in.

At the beginning, only one step away from the simple path to God already suffices for the evil one. By involving a soul in occupations with useless, superfluous, vain and finally inappropriate things, he robs the soul of its plainness and clarity. In the process, insecurity invades the soul, by means of which the evil one can deceive and mislead it. Gradually, the [so-called] "experiences" change; aridity and gloom fill the soul and it is seized by a certain unrest. Practicing charity becomes ever more difficult for the soul; slowly but surely all the traits of the evil one make themselves felt in its character: its conduct is marked by conceit, haughtiness, defiance, indocility, obstinacy, stubbornness, disobedience, vanity, pride, recklessness, hostility, hypocrisy and falsity. Sensuous stimulations are hardly ever missing... In the intellect remains a feeling of dissatisfaction; in the heart, coldness; and in the will, weakness.

This, however, does not mean that the devil does not work covertly, too! He can impel a soul to an extraordinary striving for virtue. Just think of the customs practiced in various youth sects! He can compel to an excess in spiritual or corporal penance. On the other hand, he can also offer sensible spiritual consolations, as well as permanent sensuous sweetness. Even the gift of tears, visions, locutions and ecstasies, which are real occurrences of the mystical life, were already imitated by the devil.

Exorcists speak of three signs in which the presence of the devil may be especially recognized if they are all given:

a) An immediate reaction to religious objects (such as holy water and blessed holy cards), to Holy Names, the Blessed Sacrament and to the exorcism itself.
b) The understanding of foreign languages.
c) Extraordinary powers - Both physical and intellectual such as knowledge of hidden things (e.g. past or future).

Royo Marin and with him Jordan Aumann categorize the signs of the infernal spirit according to their relationship to the intellect and the will. Related to the intellect are: falsity, morbid curiosity (especially about exceptional things), confusion, anxiety and deep depressions, stubbornness, permanent indiscretion and a restless spirit (in performing duties), pride and vanity. Related to the will are: false humility, disillusion and lacking trust, discouragement alternating with presumption and unfounded optimism, disobedience and hard-heartedness, impatience in suffering and acute over-sensitivity and resentments, unbridled passion and a strong leaning to sensuality (ordinarily under the guise of mystical union!), hypocrisy, deception and falsity, exaggerated attachment to outward consolations (especially in the practice of prayer), absence of a deep devotion to Jesus and Mary, and finally a scrupulous clinging to the letter of the law and a fanatical zeal in speeding up matters.

In the pastoral ministry we can concretely encounter these spirits when in alleged mystical communications all too sensuous notes are struck (for example, the exchange of kisses), when alleged mystical locutions are disseminated too rapidly and consequently, without proper investigation into the matter. If the seemingly charismatic person experiences these things, it is, to say the least, exposed to great temptations to pride, and therefore, to delusion. - How can it ever be that a "gifted" soul speaks in a public event of nothing else but its mystical experiences, and into the bargain, offers their reproductions for sale, without losing in the process the fine feeling for God's respectful love! The devil of sensationalism is much too obviously involved in the matter so as not to pass unnoticed. - It can also come to pass that in "proof" of graces received, material "blessings" are brought forward. Admittedly, God always provides for His own, yet it is completely foreign to Him to delude them into a false security by an excessive accumulation of goods. On the other hand, it is the devil's permanent offer to "give everything," if one but falls down and worships him (cf. Mt 4,9). Or how can it be interpreted that, for example, the Fatima seers were cast into jail by the political authorities, whereas in another place of apparition the seers were transported back by the political party itself to the place of apparition after their interrogation? Where does the Cross stand here as the sign of Christ?

"He must increase, while I must decrease" (Jn 3,30). This word of St. John the Baptist is a rule of thumb for any discernment of spirits. The more we seek to glorify God, the more we desire to be overlooked. Hence we can say about a charism:

If God is truly in the center, it is authentic!
If the charism (creature) is in the center, it is not authentic!

The person that examines a charism must be trustworthy in virtue of his official authority and personal qualification. Similarly, Holy Church first of all inquires about the personal (moral) credibility of the allegedly gifted person before scrutinizing the contents of any messages received. The individual priest is well counseled in doing the same and will be protected from spending precious time in the wrong place - an attack frequently launched by the evil one at priests today. For, by examining the messages, the Church already gives expression to a certain credibility. Often, especially when the communications are recorded in writing, one glance already suffices to discern if a closer scrutiny is meaningful at all, and if so, where to begin with it.

3. Orientation by the Apostolic Revelation

God sent His Son, the Eternal Word, the Light of all men, to dwell among men and to tell them about the inner life of God (cf. Jn 1,1-18). Jesus Christ speaks the words of God (cf. Jn 3,34) and accomplishes a saving work... The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Tim 6,14 and Tit 2,13) (Vatican II, On Divine Revelation, Nr. 4; cf. On the Church, Nr. 25; Catechism of the Catholic Church, Nr. 66-67). The working of the Holy Spirit in the post-apostolic time is guaranteed to the official Church with such absoluteness (cf. Jn 14,16-15.26; 15,26-27; 16,13-15; 21,15-17; Lk 10,16; 22,32; Mt 28,20; 16,17-19; 18,17-18), that in the person of the successor of Peter she enjoys the privilege of infallibility in exercising her authority (cf. Vatican II, On the Church, Nr. 25).

The Holy Spirit, however, is effective wherever people seek the truth. Therefore, He certainly wishes to speak to the hearts of all men. Yet the contents of His graces can only consist in leading the individual to Christ and to the only Church founded by Him, the Catholic and Apostolic Church (cf. Jn 14,26; 15,26; Vatican II, On Religious Liberty, Nr. 1; On the Church's Missionary Activity, Nr. 13; John Paul II., Redemptoris Missio, chapter III, Nr. 21-30). What the Catechism affirms with regard to the Holy Spirit must be stressed today: "The mission of the Holy Spirit is always conjoined and ordered to that of the Son" (CCC 485). The Holy Spirit may wish to offer the Church charisms by way of individual souls, charisms that are "fitting and useful for the needs of the Church" (Vatican II, On the Church, Nr. 12). Since, at the foundation of the Church by Christ, He already entrusted to her everything essential, everything necessary for the salvation of mankind and the perfection of creation, still, there can be a growth in insight into the words and realities that are being passed on by means of private revelations coming from God. Yet these charisms are never more than an elucidation of what has already been received.

For this reason, the Church appreciates such special graces, as we have seen above, but she also knows that "private Divine communications are relatively insignificant"4 and that she has to judge them in the light of the definitive Revelation, which is recorded and transmitted in Sacred Scripture and Oral Tradition (cf. Vatican II, On Divine Revelation, Nr. 7-10). From this we can deduce the following objective criteria for the discernment of possible charismatic gifts:

4 Thomas Dubay, Fire Within: St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel - on Prayer, San Francisco 1989, page 247; cf. 246-248, 257-263

a) True revelations do not contradict the doctrinal teachings of the Holy Church.

St. Paul, who laid before those in authority his own revelations to make sure that his course of action had not been in vain (cf. Gal 2,2), instructs the Galatians that the iron rule for the discernment of spirits is the correspondence with the traditional teaching:

Even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel other than we have proclaimed, let him be accursed. (Gal 1,8 cf. 2 Thess 2,15)

This is one of the most simple criteria. Thanks to the authentic interpretation of Revelation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by the "living Magisterium of the Church" and the clarity of its expositions, as are presented to the faithful in the dogmas of the faith (above all in the catechisms), the lay people, and the gifted persons themselves can recognize, to a certain degree, whether the grace comes from God or not.

How many alleged revelations are diffused nowadays, in which God's mercy or Mary's motherly care, are represented as being so great and vast as to have even pity on the damned in hell in the end and to bring these into heaven also - an assertion which explicitly contradicts the biblical and traditional teaching of eternal damnation (cf. e.g. Mt 25,41; CCC 1033). In such cases the judgment on the credibility of the person receiving such revelations can still be pending or already have been pronounced in favor of him or her. Notwithstanding, the communication itself - and probably others stemming from the same source as well - has to be declared non authentic.

In several presumed revelations of heaven in our time, the teaching of the only true, Catholic and Apostolic Church is put aside precisely by alluding to the argument of God's infinite mercy. In the process, the attention is focused only on the subjective good will of men, while the objective fact of the true and only Church, instituted by God, is not paid any attention to.

Revelations containing predictions of future events are doctrinally less clear, but still contradict the universal biblical tone (cf. Mt 24,36 and 24,3-4.23-26), raising rather fear than hope (cf. Jn 15,18 - 16,33): The reason the world hates you is that you do not belong to the world. - You will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy. ... Then your hearts will rejoice with a joy no one can take from you. The Father already loves you... Take courage! I have overcome the world!

However, there are also revelations that insist so vehemently on penances and human endeavors that the dogma of the necessity of grace for our salvation (cf. Jn 15,5) could be doubted - if not theoretically, then at least practically. This example leads us to the signs which are not absolute signs for the authenticity or inauthenticity of a charism, but certainly have to be taken into account in considering other signs. We can designate this as the sensus catholicus.

Theologians also hold that God normally does not interfere in theological debates by means of private revelations. If the message contains a doctrinally sound spirituality or a universal interpretation of Scripture, the Church never sees any reason to speak of a Divine revelation, but simply attributes human credibility to these messages. That is why the Church will not require of the faithful to believe in such communications as coming from God.

b) True revelations do not contradict the moral laws or the rules of decorum.

We have already treated of the effects of charismatic gifts and demonic influences. What manifests itself in practice, applies here in theory. The evil one does not generally proceed so grossly as to overtly contradict the Ten Commandments.

In the moral sphere one has to concentrate principally on the "law of Christ," which is love and which manifests itself to the world or to sinful humanity as the "folly of the Cross." Are the virtues of the Cross taught in purported revelations, such as humility, obedience, silence and forgiveness, service and the blessing of suffering? Do the locutions or thoughts received make us friends or "enemies of the Cross" (Phil 3,18)?

Here also belongs the value of reverence and modesty; all too human manifestations at apparitions point strongly to a cause from "below," while Divine communications always radiate an atmosphere of holiness. The vocabulary used can be indicative of the source (in this context, though, one has to remember that the individual's character and his social ambience have a strong impact). For example, according to the common position of the Church, it also appears very strange that God should give too minute descriptions of the lives of Jesus and Mary. Likewise, the circumstances of the "reception of grace" must correspond to God's holiness and dignity!

c) What God does not seem to reveal.

Finally, it seems reasonable to assume that God, by way of special communications, does not ask for anything impossible. For this reason, every soul that believes to have received a special commission from God should always turn directly to the ecclesiastical authority, which in most cases is represented first of all by the confessor. In this context it may be noted that every soul always has to ask permission for anything extraordinary. To conceal visions or commissions from the representative of the Church is certainly from Satan.

On the other hand, theology holds that God usually does not effect or reveal to a person that which through human understanding and insight can be done (cf. John of the Cross, Ascent to Mount Carmel, II,22.13). If quite ordinary things are presented as supernatural revelations, then either too high an authority is attributed to the person's own insight, or the individual wants to gain recognition and enforce his opinion.

When graces are recorded or transmitted in writing, it is generally held that for their discernment it is necessary to be alert about the different sources of errors, as they were briefly outlined when the question of the maturity of the chosen soul was posed:

- The difficulty of translating experiences or visions into words, or of possible inaccuracies that may creep in on account of the distance in time between the actual experience and its being committed to writing, or on account of its being written down by others (dictation).

- The influence of the spiritual director or other significant persons involved, which may make itself felt in many ways and which is difficult to eliminate completely.

- There is evidence in history that erroneous scientific views can occur.

- The difficulty of the correct understanding, of the correct interpretation of communications; however, the Church is not easily influenced by these, because on principle, the Church must and wants to base her decisions not on any private but on the Apostolic Revelation.

4. Some Pastoral Directions for the Priest

a) It is the priest's sacred duty to look after the flock entrusted to him, that it may increase in the true knowledge of God and penetrate more deeply into the mysteries of faith. Is it perhaps the lacking clarity and universality of the instructions given, that be the cause that some of the faithful yearn for direct instruction or seek to drink from unpurified sources?

b) The priest must endeavor to offer opportunities for a comprehensive and truly spiritual life; he must offer possibilities to the individual souls fitting for their state of life (for example the opportunity of silent adoration for interior souls), as well as to the congregation as community and family; he must also see to it that the senses of man are fittingly addressed by means of solemn ceremonies, chanting, incense, gestures, church adornments, as well as to the conscious fostering of faith and the mystical character.

c) When administering the sacrament of penance, the priest has the best opportunity to exercise his pastoral ministry to individual souls. The generous readiness to dispense this sacrament shows a true solicitude and concern for the sanctity of souls and the purity of conscience, which is so essential in the spiritual life. The fruitful practice of the sacrament of penance leads the souls closer to God and renders them increasingly immune to the devil's act of seduction and delusion. The readiness to administer this sacrament also shows the souls most convincingly that the priest really wishes to attend to God's working in every single soul and that they can come to him at any time with such concerns. Such a possibility already nips in the bud many difficulties which later might not be able to be resolved any more.

5. Some Practical Directions for Chosen Souls

The Church passes judgment on the authenticity of special charismatic gifts in accordance with the counsels of the New Testament, which are primarily three:

1. They have to be in accord with the doctrine of the Church.

2. Souls led by the Holy Spirit are rejected by the world (while others are acclaimed).

3. They have to listen to the instructions of the ecclesiastical authority and accept them.

St. John of the Cross, in the concrete application of the law of the "Incarnation," presents this as a decisive principle: Especially in this matter of visions or revelations or other supernatural communications ... it is always necessary to manifest the entire communication, even though there is no apparent reason for so doing (to one's spiritual director). (Ascent to Mount Carmel, II, 22.16) Shortly before the Saint says: God definitely does not want us to bestow entire credence upon His supernatural communications, nor be confirmed in their strength and security until they pass through this human channel of the mouth of man. (Ascent to Mount Carmel, II,22.9)

According to St. John of the Cross the following statements are held to be generally true: - Revelations have to be confirmed by the power of the keys of the Church; - a soul that makes progress on the path of dark faith and total detachment, needs guidance, and - such guidance gives her a guarantee of humility, submission, and mortification (cf. Ascent to Mount carmel, II,22.1-18).