The Exorcism Cross of St. Benedict of Nursia and St.
Anthony of Padua
First, let us put everything in perspective. It is the Cross of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that
delivered the nail in the coffin of the definitive defeat of Satan and the forces of darkness over
the created world fashioned by God but marred by sin not only humankind but also of the fallen
angels. Therefore, it is the cross the is the sign of the devil’s defeat. And when the sign of the
cross of Christ is refashioned and properly blessed by the Catholic Church invoking God’s holy
name over it, this very sacramental is truly powerful against Satan. As the prayer-blessing of the
cross expresses: “Bless, + O Lord Jesus Christ, this cross by which thou hast snatch the world from
Satan’s grasp and upon which thou hast overcome by thy suffering him, who is the prompter of
sin, who rejoiced in Adam’s deception at the accursed tree of Paradise.” Another formula blessing
also expresses: “Holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, bless + this cross that it be a saving help
to mankind. Let it be a bulwark of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of
souls; and may it be consolation, protection, and a shield against the cruel darts of the enemy.”
The addition of the exorcism prayers attributed to St. Benedict of Nursia (+547 AD) and St.
Anthony of Padua (+1231) give further meaning to the inherent spiritual power of the holy cross.
The Exorcism Prayer of St. Benedict expressed commonly in this manner in a traditional St.
Benedict Medal:
Is now reflected in the version of the cross in this manner:
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Meanwhile, the Exorcism Prayer of St. Anthony of Padua, customarily called St. Anthony’s Brief,
often found in the medallions, holy cards, or scapulars of St. Anthony:
Is reflected in the cross in this manner:
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Often in inscriptions found in religious paintings, icons, and medallions, certain symbols are used
to indicate that a word or phrase is shortened. The purpose is to save on space. In the cross of
St. Anthony, the word ADVERSAE is abridged to ADVERS.E. The (.) between S and E indicates a
truncated character.
This prayer of exorcism also is found inscribed in the Obelisk in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in
Rome.
Fr. Winston Fernandez Cabading OP discovered in 2016 this double-sided exorcism cross in the
monastery store of the Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos in Burgos, Spain. He brought a few
copies of it back to the Philippines. He desired that this beautiful sacramental be copied and
propagated so that the faithful Catholic spiritually benefit from its pious use. Moreover, the
priests and the official exorcists in the diocese can use it in the ministry of spiritual liberation and
exorcism.
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There are now five items bearing this double exorcism cross available in the Philippines. One is
the reliquary exorcism cross made by St. Mary’s Religious Store in Meycauayan, Bulacan (FB
Ricardo Santos Smrs). This reliquary exorcism cross has for its center a glass case to house a relic.
It is primarily for use in the ministry of spiritual liberation and exorcism. However, it can also be
utilized in churches and homes of the faithful who have relics of saints in their pious possession.
It is about 10 inches tall and has a detachable base.
Then there is the (2) handheld cross, (3) medallion, (4) pendant-sized cross, and a (5) single
sanctus bell that has the embossed emblem of St. Benedict and St. Anthony. Mr. Jeb Principe (FB
Jeb Principe) also from Meycauayan, Bulacan manufactures and sells these items. For details, you
can confer on his Facebook “The Exorcism Cross” page.
The exorcists of the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism (AMOE) and the Philippine
Association of Catholic Exorcists (PACE) prefer to use the blessing formula of the Extraordinary
Form of the Roman Rite as provided in the Roman Ritual when blessing this sacramental.
The blessing is generally done in this manner:
(1) Exorcism and Blessing of the St. Benedict Medal and St. Anthony’s Brief using the prayers
proper to the Blessing of the St. Benedict Medal. The Exorcism of the medal is done first
and then the prayer-blessing:
“Almighty God, lavish Dispenser of every good, we Thy suppliants pray that, by the
intercession of St. Benedict, Thou wouldst pour out thy blessing + on these sacred medals
inscribed with letters and symbols appointed by Thee…”
The name of St. Anthony is inserted after that of St. Benedict to read: “by the intercession
of St. Benedict and St. Anthony of Padua…”
(2) Blessing of the Cross using the prayer-blessing formula proper to the blessing of crosses.
(3) Then the cross is sprinkled with holy water.
(4) If the cross is going to be used for the ministry of spiritual liberation and exorcism, after
the above blessing, a particular invocation is made, as found in the “Catholic Handbook
of Prayers for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism for Use of Priests” by Fr. Winston Cabading
OP (UST Publishing House, 2016).
When the reliquary version is blessed, it follows steps #1- #2 plus the blessing of the reliquary.
When the cross reliquary is to be used for the ministry of spiritual liberation and exorcism, then
#4 is likewise observed.
Fr. Winston F. Cabading OP
Exorcist, Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism
Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism (AMOE)
Philippine Association of Catholic Exorcists (PACE)
2020
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