A supernatural message: sin and the devil are real

Adam Blai is a peritus, an expert advisor to the Catholic hierarchy, on religious demonology and exorcism and has been involved in exorcism and deliverance ministry as a layman working for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He also is an auxiliary member of the International Association of Exorcists, a Catholic organization co-founded by Fr. Gabriele Amorth, who was the Vatican’s chief exorcist.

Blai has written a pastoral manual on exorcism for priests and has authored three other books on exorcisms and miracles (religiousdemonology.com). He will be a featured speaker at Legatus’ Summit 2023 next February in 
Orlando, FL.

Can you give us a brief overview of the topic you will be speaking on, 
“The Supernatural Church: From Miracles to Exorcisms in the Modern World”?

My talk will be on the supernatural and preternatural aspects of the faith, from eucharistic miracles and the stigmata to possession and exorcisms in the modern world. Miracles and spiritual phenomena played a large role in the ministry of Jesus and were important to the writers of Scripture. Today, we do not teach or preach much on these things as being actually real and part of our lives. The Church has known of, investigated, and addressed these realities for centuries.
 
Are Catholic bishops in the U.S. and Canada beginning to see the importance of exorcism and deliverance ministry in their dioceses and devoting more resources to providing them?

Most are, some are not. It is required to have an exorcist in every diocese, and all the exorcists I know are swamped with genuine cases. Usually there is only one exorcist, and he has other normal responsibilities such as being a pastor. In many cases the exorcist is sent to the Pope Leo XIII Institute in Libertyville, IL, for training, and may go to a conference or two on the topic. We also mentor a number of exorcists from different dioceses here in Pittsburgh. The best way to learn is to be coached in real exorcisms.

Why is it important for the average Catholic to understand temptation and how the devil tries to work in our lives, and the necessity of engaging in spiritual warfare?

It is important because we should all be trying to reach heaven. If we do not take sin seriously and struggle against it, we may die in a state of mortal sin. It is also important as the Church, the popes, and the Bible clearly state these things are real and have serious consequences.
 
We are going to be tempted, and we are capable of opening the door to oppression or possession. Being ignorant of the ways we get into trouble does not remove those dangers. It would be like saying I’m going to pretend that crime does not exist, and that will make me never be a victim of crime.
How has being involved in exorcisms and deliverance ministries affected 
you personally? You’ve experienced things that the vast majority of people never will.

Mainly it reminds me each week that this is all really real. I take sin much more seriously. I also know that God is real and attentive to us all the time. Faith is belief without evidence, but I’ve been given the evidence, so it becomes knowledge. The result is that I’ve committed my life to responding to this reality, to trying to obey God.

What do you hope people will learn from your presentation?

I’m hoping people get a sense that God is real, miracles are real, and sin is real. I’m hoping they learn what to avoid (and tell their families to avoid) to stay safe from demonic problems in our crazy culture.