08/29/2026
An exorcist had a case that would not break. The ritual was said, the prayers were prayed, and the demon stayed. So they made it speak, and what it finally admitted changes how you think about confession forever.
Fr. Ripperger explains the legal mechanics first, because the enemy is a legalist:
"WHEN THE PRIEST GIVES ABSOLUTION, THE LEGAL BINDING FORCE OF THE SIN OVER THE INDIVIDUAL IS ABSOLVED."
That is not poetry. That is how it works in the room:
"WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE LIBERATED FROM POSSESSION JUST BY GOING TO CONFESSION."
And then the cases that drag on for months, where nothing moves. Eventually the exorcist forces the answer out:
"YOU'LL GET OUT OF THE DEMON: WHAT IS KEEPING YOU HERE? AND THEY'LL SAY: IT'S THIS ONE UNCONFESSED SIN."
One sin. Not the biggest one. The forgotten one.
"THE PERSON'S LIKE: I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT. THEY GO TO CONFESSION, THE PRIEST GIVES ABSOLUTION, BOOM, THEN THEY'RE FREED."
Now think about what that means for the rest of us, who are not possessed and never will be. If one forgotten sin can anchor a demon through months of formal exorcism, then the quiet thing you have carried for years, the one you keep skipping in the confessional because it is old and embarrassing, is not as harmless as it feels.
You do not need a ritual. You need fifteen minutes on a Saturday afternoon.
Pray this tonight, and mean it:
"Lord, bring back to my memory the thing I buried, and give me the courage to say it out loud to You in confession. Amen."
👇 One word if you know exactly which sin came to mind while reading this: KNOWN. And share this with the friend who says confession is outdated, because an exorcist just explained what it actually does.
