Yet, last month, the Archdiocese of Manila publicly inaugurated the St. Michael Center of Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism, the latest project of the archdiocese's exorcism ministry.
During the inauguration, the archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jose Advincula, corrected the narrow misperceptions surrounding exorcism. He explained how the center's mission and work will support the Church's wider vocation.
His homily began by recognizing the reality of spiritual struggle and proclaiming the truth that Christ has already overcome evil through his perfect sacrifice on the cross:
It is a public proclamation that the Church continues to take the reality of spiritual struggle seriously, and that She stands with a sure and unshakeable confidence and hope in the victory of Christ over all forms of evil.
Turning to the image of the dragon in the book of Revelation, the cardinal said that this metaphor refers not only to dramatic diabolical encounters but also for the subtler, ordinary ways in which darkness seeps into our world. He explained that the dragon “reveals that history is not neutral ground. There is a real spiritual conflict that runs through the world, through the human heart, through cultures, through institutions.”
3 Types of bondage we all experience
The cardinal then outlined three dimensions of bondage we all experience. He paralleled these three dimensions with the three archangels, making his homily memorable and powerful all at once.
The first kind of bondage includes injustice, exploitation, and corruption, reminiscent of the Philippines corruption scandals from last year.
He spoke of how this dimension is not only institutional but also has a spiritual aspect. St. Michael’s courage inspires the Church to fight against this type of evil with fearless moral conviction:
In such situations, the ministry of Michael calls the Church to courageous defense. To defend the Church from evil is not only to resist demonic forces in a ritual sense; it is also to stand firmly against injustice, exploitation, and moral compromise.
Second, physical illness and poverty. Against these, the cardinal pointed to the Archangel Raphael – his name means “God heals” -- as the reminder that spiritual liberation needs to include compassion and solidarity:
Many of our brothers and sisters are trapped not only by spiritual anguish but by economic deprivation, chronic illness, and social marginalization. Poverty can suffocate hope. Sickness can isolate the human person. The ministry of liberation must therefore be integrated with works of mercy and concrete solidarity.
Third, the cardinal addressed “the crisis of truth.” He held up the Archangel Gabriel as a model for the Church. Gabriel's role as messenger and speaker of God’s Word and Truth highlights the importance of resisting trends of misinformation and using communication to sow division instead of unity:
Gabriel is the messenger of truth. He announces what God truly says. He does not invent but proclaims the word of the Lord. In an era often described as the age of fake news, liberation must include the purification of speech and communication … Spiritual liberation today requires forming communities that value truth, that verify before sharing, that refuse to weaponize information, that resists the temptation to use words to hurt.
His reflections make it easy to appreciate how the St. Michael Center serves the broader vocation of the Church: it is not only a place for exorcism but a sanctuary for liberation and healing of every kind. The cardinal's homily is a catechesis about how the fight against evil is in the hands of every baptized Christian. We fight this battle by listening to our consciences, caring for those who suffer, remaining faithful to the truth, and most importantly, by praying without ceasing.
The cardinal concluded his reflections by entrusting the center to the Blessed Mother, the woman who crushes the serpent’s head, and by inviting the faithful to pray that this place really does become a sanctuary of healing and liberation for the whole Archdiocese.