Black magic /Occult QUESTION from Hilda Alphonso October 1, 2000 My brother has suddenly lost interst in every thing his job his health. And someone suggest this could be black magic. As a catholic the church forbids such theory. What is your answer. There are people I have heard who remove these spells. Can we approach these people.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, O.L.S.M. on December 17, 2000 Dear Mrs. Alphonso:
The Church does not forbid a diagnosis that black magic is the cause of your brother's problem, it forbids the USE of black magic.
However, when you say can we approach these people who remove spells, if these people are witches, occultist, voodoo doctors, and the sort, then NO you are not to approach them.
As a Catholic you may only approach a medical doctor, a psychiatrist, a psychologist or counselor or other mental health professional, a deliverance counselor who is Catholic and knows what he is doing, a priest, a deacon, a bishop; and none of these people ought to be using new age techniques.
If a person is possessed they must go to the bishop who will then have the person examined by doctors and mental health professionals and if possession is diagnosed will then authorize a priest to perform an exorcism. A formal exorcism can only be performed by a priest with permission of the bishop.
But all this is premature. You have given NO information at all to suggest that anything demonic or occultic is involved with your brother.
From your brief description it is likely that your brother is suffering from clinical depression.
To find out if that is the case, or if something else is happening, your brother needs to make an appointment with his doctor.
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