33ème Rose — L'excellence du saint rosaire dans les merveilles que dieu a opérées en sa faveur
The Demons' Forced Testimony
During an exorcism, Saint Dominic compels the demons possessing a man to reveal their hatred for the Rosary and their fear of the Blessed Virgin.
101. While Saint Dominic was preaching the holy Rosary near Carcassonne, they brought him an Albigensian heretic possessed by the demon. The saint exorcised him in the presence of a great multitude of people; it is held that more than twelve thousand men were there to hear him. The demons possessing this poor man, forced against their will to answer the saint's questions, said: 1. They numbered fifteen thousand inside this wretched man's body because he had attacked the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. 2. Through the Rosary he preached, he filled all of hell with terror and dread, and he was the man in the world they hated most because of the souls he was taking from them through devotion to the Rosary. 3. They revealed several other details. Saint Dominic placed his rosary around the neck of the possessed man and asked them which of all the saints in heaven they feared most, and who should be most loved and honored by people. At this question, they let out such terrifying cries that most of the listeners were seized with terror and fell to the ground. Then these wicked spirits, trying to avoid answering, wept and wailed in such a pitiful, moving way that several of those present wept out of natural pity. Through the mouth of the possessed man, in a pitiful tone of voice, they said: "Dominic, Dominic, have pity on us; we promise you that we will never harm you. You who have so much pity for sinners and the wretched, have pity on us, wretched as we are. Alas, we suffer so much—why do you take pleasure in increasing our pain? Be content with the pains we already endure. Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!
The Power of the Mother of Wisdom
Saint Dominic invokes the Blessed Virgin to force the demons to speak, leading to a vision of Mary and her command to the spirits.
102. The saint, unmoved by the tender words of those wretched spirits, answered that he would not stop tormenting them until they had answered the question. The demons told him they would answer, but only in secret and in his ear, not in front of everyone. The saint pressed them, ordering them to speak and answer out loud. The devils would not say another word, no matter what command he gave them. He knelt down and made this prayer to the Blessed Virgin: "O most excellent Virgin Mary, by the power of your psalter and rosary, compel these enemies of the human race to answer my question."1 — O most holy Virgin Mary, by the power of the holy Rosary, command these enemies of the human race to answer my question.2 When this prayer had been made, a burning flame came out of the possessed man's ears, nostrils, and mouth—a sight that made everyone tremble, and yet it harmed no one. Then the demons cried out: "Dominic, we beg you, by the Passion of Jesus Christ and by the merits of his holy Mother and of all the saints, let us leave this body without saying a word; for the angels will reveal it to you whenever you want them to." Aren't we liars? Why would you want to believe us? Don't torment us any longer; have pity on us." "You wretched creatures, unworthy of having your prayer answered," said Saint Dominic. Kneeling once more, he prayed to the Blessed Virgin: "O Mater sapientiae dignissima et de cujus salutatione quomodo illa fieri debeat jam edoctus est populus; pro salute populi circumstantis rogo: Coge hosce tuos adversarios, ut plenam et sinceram veritatem palam hic profiteantur" (O most worthy Mother of Wisdom, I pray for this people present here, who have already been taught how to say the Angelic Salutation well: Compel your enemies to confess in public the full and sincere truth on this point).3 No sooner had he finished his prayer than he saw the Blessed Virgin beside him, surrounded by a great multitude of angels. She struck the possessed man with a golden rod she held in her hand, saying to him: "Answer my servant Dominic as he has asked." It should be noted that the people neither heard nor saw the Blessed Virgin; only Saint Dominic did.
The Defeat of the Powers of Darkness
The demons are forced to confess the supreme power of Mary's intercession and the efficacy of the Rosary, resulting in the man's deliverance.
103. Then the demons began to cry out, saying: "O our enemy, O our condemner, O our enemy, O our condemner, O our confusion—why have you come down from heaven to torment us so here? Through you who empty hell and, as a powerful advocate, plead for sinners; O surest and safest Way of heaven, we are compelled without delay or pause—though we are unwilling and resisting—to declare the whole truth of the matter. Now we must declare and at the same time make public the very means and method by which we ourselves are confounded—from which come woe and an everlasting curse upon our princes of darkness. So listen, you Christians. This Mother of Christ is most powerful in keeping her servants from plunging headlong into our abyss of hell. She is the one who, like the sun, scatters and weakens the darkness of all our schemes and cunning, uncovers all our deceptions, and reduces all our temptations to nothing. And forced as we are, we confess that no one who perseveres devotedly in her holy worship and devout service is damned with us. A single sigh of hers, offered by her and through her to the most holy Trinity, surpasses and exceeds the prayers of all the saints, along with their devout and holy vows and longings; we fear her more than all the saints of paradise, and we cannot gain any ground against her faithful servants.4 Know this as well: a great many Christians who call on her at the hour of death are saved despite our claims; and if that little Mary hadn't stood in our way and held back our efforts, we would have wiped out the whole Church long ago, for we would have very often made every state and order in the Church fall away from the faith.56 Indeed, speaking even more plainly and fully because we are forced by power and necessity, we tell you this: no one who perseveres in the practice of her Rosary, or of her psalter, undergoes the eternal torments of hell.7 For she obtains for her devout servants true contrition, so that they confess their sins and receive pardon for them from God. 104. That is to say in French: "O our enemy, O our ruin, O our shame, why have you come expressly from heaven to torment us so severely?8 Must we, against our will, O advocate of sinners who draw them out of hell, O surest path to paradise, be forced to tell the whole truth? Must we confess before the whole world what will be the cause of our shame and our ruin? Woe to us, woe to our princes of darkness. So listen, Christians. This Mother of Jesus Christ is all-powerful in keeping her servants from falling into hell; she is the one who, like a sun, scatters the darkness of our schemes and tricks; she is the one who uncovers our plots, breaks our snares, and makes all our temptations useless and ineffective.9 We are forced to admit that none of those who persevere in her service are damned with us. A single sigh of hers, offered to the Holy Trinity, surpasses all the prayers, vows, and desires of all the saints. We fear her more than all the blessed together, and we can do nothing against her faithful servants. Even many Christians who call on her at death, and who by our ordinary laws ought to be damned, are saved by her intercession. Ah! If this little Mary—that's what their rage made them call her—had not opposed our designs and our efforts, we would long ago have overthrown and destroyed the Church and made all her orders fall into error and unbelief.10 We further declare, under the violence being done to us, that none of those who persevere in saying the Rosary is damned; for she obtains for her devout servants true contrition for their sins, by which they receive pardon and indulgence."11 Then Saint Dominic had the whole people recite the Rosary, very slowly and devoutly, and at every Ave Maria that the saint and the people recited—an astonishing thing—a great multitude of demons came out of that wretched man's body in the form of burning coals. When the demons had all come out and the heretic was completely delivered, the Blessed Virgin, though invisibly, gave her blessing to the whole crowd, who felt from it a joy they could deeply sense.12
Fruits of the Miracle
The miraculous deliverance leads to the conversion of many heretics and their entry into the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary.
This miracle was the reason a great many heretics converted and joined the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary.
Read the original Latin
101. Saint Dominique prêchant près de Carcassonne le saint Rosaire, on lui amena un hérétique albigeois possédé par le démon. Le saint l'exorcisa en présence d'une grande multitude de peuple; on tient qu'il y avait plus de douze mille hommes à l'entendre. Les démons, qui possédaient ce pauvre misérable, étant obligés de répondre malgré eux aux interrogations que le saint leur faisait, dirent:
1. Qu'ils étaient quinze mille dans le corps de ce misérable, parce qu'il avait attaqué les quinze mystères du Rosaire;
2. Que, par le Rosaire qu'il prêchait, il mettait la terreur et l'épouvante dans tout l'enfer, et qu'il était l'homme du monde qu'ils haïssaient davantage à cause des âmes qu'il leur enlevait par la dévotion du Rosaire;
3. Ils révélèrent plusieurs autres particularités. Saint Dominique, ayant jeté son rosaire au cou du possédé, leur demanda qui, de tous les saints du ciel, ils craignaient davantage et devait être plus aimé et honoré des hommes. A cette interrogation, ils firent des cris si épouvantables que la plupart des auditeurs, saisis d'effroi, tombèrent par terre. Ensuite, ces malins esprits, pour ne pas répondre, pleurèrent et se lamentèrent d'une manière si pitoyable, si touchante, que plusieurs des assistants en pleurèrent eux-mêmes, par une pitié naturelle. Ils disaient par la bouche du possédé d'un ton de voix lamentable: «Dominique, Dominique, aie pitié de nous, nous te promettons que nous ne te nuirons jamais. Toi qui as tant pitié des pécheurs et misérables, aie pitié de nous, misérables. Hélas, nous souffrons tant, pourquoi prends-tu plaisir à augmenter nos peines?
Contente-toi des peines que nous endurons. Miséricorde! miséricorde! miséricorde!»
102. Le saint, sans être touché des paroles tendres de ces esprits malheureux, leur répondit qu'il ne cesserait de les tourmenter jusqu'à ce qu'ils eussent répondu à la question. Les démons lui dirent qu'ils y répondraient, mais en secret et à l'oreille, et non pas devant tout le monde. Le saint incite et leur commande de parler et répondre tout haut. Les diables ne voulurent plus dire mot, quelque commandement qu'il leur fit. Il se mit à genoux et fit cette prière à la Sainte Vierge: «O excellentissima Virgo Maria, per virtutem psalterii et rosarii tui, compelle hos humani generis hostes questioni meae satisfacere. — O très sainte Vierge Marie, par la vertu du saint Rosaire, ordonnez à ces ennemis du genre humain de répondre à ma question.» Cette prière étant faite, voilà qu'une flamme ardente sortit des oreilles, des narines et de la bouche du possédé, qui fit trembler tout le monde, mais cependant qui ne fit de mal à personne.
Alors les diables s'écrièrent: «Dominique, nous te prions, par la passion de Jésus-Christ et par les mérites de sa sainte Mère et de tous les saints, que tu nous permettes de sortir de ce corps sans rien dire; car les anges, quand tu le voudras, te le révèleront. Ne sommes-nous pas des menteurs? Pourquoi veux-tu nous croire? Ne nous tourmente pas davantage, aie pitié de nous.» «Malheureux que vous êtes, indignes d'être exaucés», dit saint Dominique, qui, se mettant encore à genoux, fit sa prière à la Sainte Vierge: «O Mater sapientiae dignissima et de cujus salutatione quomodo illa fieri debeat jam edoctus est populus; pro salute populi circumstantis rogo: Coge hosce tuos adversarios, ut plenam et sinceram veritatem palam hic profiteantur» (O très digne Mère de la Sagesse, je prie pour ce peuple ici présent qui déjà est instruit de la manière de bien dire la Salutation angélique: Forcez vos ennemis à confesser en public la vérité pleine et sincère sur ce point). Il n'eut pas plus tôt fini sa prière, qu'il vit la Sainte Vierge auprès de lui, entourée d'une grande multitude d'anges, qui, avec une verge d'or qu'elle tenait à la main, frappait le démoniaque en lui disant: «Réponds à mon serviteur Dominique, selon sa demande.» Il faut remarquer que le peuple n'entendait ni ne voyait point la Sainte Vierge; il n'y avait que saint Dominique.
103. Alors les démons commencèrent à s'écrier en disant: «O inimica nostra, o nostra damnatrix, o nostra inimica, o nostra damnatrix, o confusio nostra, quare de coelo descendisti, ut nos hic ita torqueres? Per te quae infernum evacuas et pro peccatoribus tanquam potens advocata exoras; o Via coeli certissima et securissima, cogimur sine mora et intermissione ulla, nobis quamvis invitis, et contra nitentibus, totam rei proferre veritatem. Nunc declarandum nobis est simulque publicandum ipsum medium et modus quo ipsimet confundamur, unde vae et maledictio in aeternum nostris tenebrarum principibus. Audite igitur vos, christiani. Haec Christi Mater potentissima est in preservandis suis servis quominus precipites ruant in baratrum nostrum inferni. Illa est quae dissipat et enervat, ut sol, tenebras omnium machinarum et astutiarum nostrarum, detegit omnes fallacias nostras et ad nihilum redigit omnes nostras tentationes. Coactique fatemur neminem nobiscum damnari qui ejus sancto cultui et pio obsequio devotus perseverat.
Unicum ipsius suspirium, ab ipsa et per ipsam sanctissimae Trinitati oblatum, superat et excedit omnium sanctorum preces, atque pium et sanctum eorum votum et desiderium, magisque eum formidamus quam omnes paradisi sanctos; nec contra fideles ejus famulos quidquam praevalere possumus. Notum sit etiam vobis plurimos christianos in hora mortis ipsam invocantes contra nostra jura salvari, et nisi Marietta illa obstitisset nostrosque conatus repressisset, a longo jam tempore totam Ecclesiam exterminassemus, nam saepissime universos Ecclesiae status et ordines a fide deficere fecissemus. Imo planius et plenius vi et necessitate compulsi, adhuc vobis dicimus, nullum in exercitio Rosarii sive psalterii ejus perseverantem aeternos inferni subire cruciatus. Ipsa enim devotis servis suis veram impetrat contritionem qua fit ut peccata sua confiteantur, et eorum indulgentiam a Deo consequantur.»
104. C'est-à-dire en français: «O notre ennemie, ô notre ruine, ô notre confusion, pourquoi êtes-vous venue exprès du ciel pour nous tourmenter si fort? Faut-il que, malgré nous, ô avocate des pécheurs qui les retirez des enfers, ô chemin très assuré du paradis, nous soyons obligés de dire toute la vérité? Faut-il que nous confessions devant tout le monde ce qui sera la cause de notre confusion et de notre ruine? Malheur à nous, malheur à nos princes des ténèbres. Écoutez donc, chrétiens. Cette Mère de Jésus-Christ est toute puissante pour empêcher que ses serviteurs ne tombent en enfer; c'est elle qui, comme un soleil, dissipe les ténèbres de nos machines et finesses; c'est elle qui évente nos mines, qui rompt nos pièges et rend toutes nos tentations inutiles et sans effet. Nous sommes contraints d'avouer qu'aucun de ceux qui persévèrent dans son service n'est damné avec nous.
Un seul de ses soupirs, qu'elle offre à la Sainte-Trinité, surpasse toutes les prières, les vœux et les désirs de tous les saints. Nous la craignons plus que tous les bienheureux ensemble et nous ne pouvons rien contre ses fidèles serviteurs. Plusieurs chrétiens mêmes qui l'invoquent à la mort, et qui devraient selon nos lois ordinaires être damnés, sont sauvés par son intercession. Ah! si cette Mariette (c'est ainsi que leur rage la faisait appeler) ne s'était opposée à nos desseins et à nos efforts, nous aurions depuis longtemps renversé et détruit l'Église et fait tomber tous ses ordres dans l'erreur et l'infidélité. Nous protestons de plus, par la violence qu'on nous fait, qu'aucun de ceux qui persévèrent à dire le Rosaire n'est damné; car elle obtient à ses dévots serviteurs une vraie contrition de leurs péchés par laquelle ils en obtiennent le pardon et l'indulgence.» Alors saint Dominique fit réciter le Rosaire à tout le peuple, fort lentement et dévotement, et, à chaque Ave Maria que le saint et le peuple récitaient (chose étonnante), il sortait du corps de ce malheureux une grande multitude de démons, en forme de charbons ardents. Les démons étant tous sortis et l'hérétique fut tout à fait délivré, la Sainte Vierge donna, quoique invisiblement, sa bénédiction à tout le peuple, qui en ressentit une joie très sensible.
Ce miracle fut cause qu'un grand nombre d'hérétiques se convertirent et se mirent de la confrérie du saint Rosaire.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source quotes the prayer in Latin: «O excellentissima Virgo Maria, per virtutem psalterii et rosarii tui, compelle hos humani generis hostes questioni meae satisfacere.» «Psalterium» here is Mary's Psalter (the Rosary). «Satisfacere questioni» is rendered as «answer my question.» The French gloss in the next sentence slightly condenses the petition.
- 2 ↩French gloss of the Latin prayer in s6. Differs slightly: «très sainte» for «excellentissima»; only «saint Rosaire» for «psalterii et rosarii»; «ordonnez» for «compelle»; «répondre» for «satisfacere.»
- 3 ↩French parenthetical gloss of the Latin prayer softens pro salute populi circumstantis (for the salvation/welfare of the people standing around) to «je prie pour ce peuple ici présent»; English follows the French gloss supplied in the source.
- 4 ↩Latin has masculine eum (formidamus eum); sense and context clearly point to Mary (eam). Rendered as 'her'.
- 5 ↩Marietta is a diminutive of Maria; from the demons' mouth it can sound slighting ('that little Mary') while still naming Our Lady.
- 6 ↩contra nostra jura: legal-style 'against our rights/claims' (demonic claim on souls), not civil law.
- 7 ↩Rosarium sive psalterium ejus: the Rosary / Marian psalter (150 Aves), not the biblical Book of Psalms.
- 8 ↩French «confusion» here means public shame/disgrace (being confounded), not mental bewilderment.
- 9 ↩«évente nos mines» is a military metaphor: to uncover or foil a mine before it explodes; rendered as «uncovers our mines».
- 10 ↩Mariette is a contemptuous diminutive of Marie; rendered as "little Mary" to keep the dismissive force without archaic French form.
- 11 ↩contrition kept as the technical term for grace-pierced sorrow for sin; parallel to protected compunction/contrition vocabulary.
- 12 ↩French mixes absolute construction (Les démons étant tous sortis) with finite et l'hérétique fut; rendered as a smooth temporal clause without changing sense.
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