Lenten Campaign 2025
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This May, a remarkable academic initiative will once again gather experts, clergy, and laypeople from around the world in Rome, to study one of the Catholic Church’s most misunderstood ministries: exorcism and the prayer of liberation.
Hosted for the 19th year by the Sacerdos Institute at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (APRA) and the GRIS (Group for Research and Socio-Religious Information), the course offers a unique, interdisciplinary look at spiritual oppression and the Church’s response.
What sets this course apart is not just its longevity, but its rigorous academic structure. Participants -- including those from other Christian denominations -- will engage with theology, psychology, law enforcement, and digital ethics. The goal is clear: to form a more compassionate, educated, and responsible approach to helping individuals in spiritual distress.
Professor Edward McNamara LC, director of the Sacerdos Institute, emphasizes the urgency of such training in today’s world:
“It is increasingly important to guarantee adequate formation in this area, which is still often subject to narrow views.”
More laity
He notes a growing interest from laypeople, and this year’s program reflects that development.
One of the most anticipated voices in this year's course is Professor Mary Healy, a respected theologian and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. She will speak on the authority of all baptized Christians in spiritual warfare.
“The ministry of exorcism has always been one of the most important ways the Church cares for those oppressed by Satan,” she says. “The Church has rediscovered a complementary truth as old as the Gospel: all the baptized in Christ, clergy and laity, are given authority over the enemy in the name of Christ.”
This shift in focus is deeply rooted in Scripture and in the Church’s understanding of baptism, which marks each believer with the authority to renounce evil. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that “by Baptism, all sins are forgiven … making the baptized a new creature, an adopted son of God” (CCC 1263–1265).
Other notable speakers include Father Antonio Ritaccio, an exorcist from the Diocese of Westminster, who will address how bishops and priests can accompany laypeople in this ministry. Major Giuseppe Delfinis of the Italian Carabinieri will explore digital risks — particularly how social media can expose vulnerable individuals to harmful spiritual influences. Deacon Thomas LaBelle, a U.S. police officer and auxiliary to an exorcist in the Diocese of Buffalo, will share strategies for de-escalation in high-stress situations.
Sessions will be held in Italian, with real-time translation into English and Spanish.
Though its subject matter may evoke fear or fascination, the course’s real focus is restoration: helping those who suffer reclaim the freedom and dignity that is theirs in Christ. Through thoughtful study and collaboration, the Church continues to develop a pastoral approach rooted in truth, prudence, and compassion.
