The Presence of Evil in the Modern World: A Cry of Warning from the Heart of the Exorcist

“The devil exists. I have seen him act, I have heard him scream, and I have felt his hatred in the souls I have tried to liberate.” With these words, Father Gabriele Amorth, the world’s most famous exorcist, warns us of the spiritual reality that many in modern society prefer to ignore. In a time when evil disguises itself as culture, entertainment, and progress, the devil operates more freely than ever, sowing his influence in every corner of our daily lives. This article is an urgent call to awaken to the real threat of evil and to seek refuge in divine protection, especially in the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

1. Satanic Music: A Symphony of Despair

“The notes of certain music do not only vibrate in the air; they resonate in souls, opening doors that should never have been opened.” Father Amorth warned of the danger of music that glorifies darkness. Black metal bands and other genres have brought the worship of the devil to the forefront, not only with blasphemous lyrics but also with rituals that directly invoke evil forces. “I have seen young people who started listening to this music end up in such deep despair that only an exorcism could free them,” Amorth said with pain in his voice. Music is not just entertainment; it is a vehicle that can lead the soul to God or irreversibly away from Him.

2. Movies and Series that Glorify Evil

“Images have immense power; they can build up the spirit or destroy it.” Amorth did not ignore the cultural impact of movies like The Exorcist, but he warned that the line between warning and glorification is very thin. “The devil is cunning; what is presented as a warning can become an attraction to the forbidden.” Series like Lucifer turn humanity’s enemy into a fascinating and likable character, desensitizing young audiences and normalizing rebellion against God. “Evil is not a game; it is a terrifying reality that should not be treated lightly,” insisted Amorth, urging parents to be guardians of what enters their homes through screens.

3. Santería and Other Occult Practices: Dangers Disguised as Help

“Santería is not just a harmless superstition; it is a trap of the devil, a poison disguised as medicine.” Amorth saw the proliferation of syncretic practices like Santería and voodoo as an open door to evil. “People come to me saying they just wanted to solve a problem; what they find is a much bigger problem.” These practices, which mix Christian elements with pagan rituals, do not invoke saints or angels but disguised demons. “The devil is an imitator, a deceiver. He offers nothing but long-term destruction,” Amorth warned.

4. Ouija Boards and Spiritual Games: Playing with Fire

“There is nothing more dangerous than invoking the unknown; once you open the door, you don’t know who will come in.” The use of Ouija boards and other spiritual games has been responsible for countless cases of possession that ended up in Father Amorth’s hands. “What began as a game among friends ended in screams, uncontrollable rage, and souls trapped by forces they cannot comprehend.” These instruments are doors that, once opened, can hardly be closed without divine help. “There is nothing harmless about invoking spirits. Every invocation is an invitation, and the devil is always willing to accept.”

5. Santa Muerte: Worshiping Darkness

“Death is not a deity; it is a consequence of sin. Whoever worships death, worships defeat.” Amorth could not understand how devotion to Santa Muerte had spread so much in cultures that were once deeply Christian. “Life is sacred, and death is only redeemed in Christ. Worshiping death is surrendering the soul to the enemy who came to steal, kill, and destroy.” For Amorth, Santa Muerte is a perversion of faith, an idolatry that leads to despair and darkness.

6. Atheism and Materialism: Denial of the Sacred

“When man denies God, he does not become free; he enslaves himself.” Amorth saw atheism and materialism as fertile ground for evil. “The devil hides in the denial of the spiritual; when you believe in nothing, you are vulnerable to everything.” The void left by faith is filled with modern idols: money, power, pleasure. “These idols not only do not save; they condemn,” Amorth asserted, insisting that true freedom can only be found in Christ.

7. Drugs and Alcohol: Opening the Mind to Evil

“Drugs not only destroy the body; they open the mind and soul to influences that no one should experience.” In his ministry, Amorth repeatedly saw how addictions were the beginning of a downward spiral into darkness. “The devil takes advantage of weakness, and drugs make the soul defenseless.” Addictions, according to Amorth, are not just diseases; they are breaches in the spiritual armor that protect the soul.

8. Abortion: The Culture of Death

“Abortion is not just a crime against the body; it is a crime against the soul, both of the child and the mother.” Amorth was blunt in his condemnation of abortion, seeing it as one of the gravest acts of the culture of death that dominates the modern world. “The devil hates life because it is a gift from God. Every abortion is a victory for evil.” The spiritual consequences of abortion are deep and lasting, affecting not only those who undergo it but also the entire society that permits it.

9. New Age and Spiritualism: The Deception of False Light

“The devil does not always present himself as darkness; he often disguises himself as light.” Amorth warned against New Age practices that promise peace, well-being, and personal power. “Transcendental meditation, Reiki, and other spiritual practices of the New Age do not lead to God; they lead to oneself, and ultimately, to despair.” These practices, according to Amorth, are dangerous because they mix superficial truths with deep errors, diverting souls from the true source of light, which is Christ.

10. Moral Relativism: The Great Lie

“When everything is relative, nothing is true, and where there is no truth, evil reigns.” Moral relativism, for Amorth, was one of the greatest spiritual threats of our time. “The devil does not need to convince people to do evil; he only needs to convince them that there is no good.” The moral confusion that prevails in modern society, where sin is normalized or even celebrated, is, according to Amorth, a direct strategy of the devil to destroy souls.

11. Satanic Cults and Occultism: The Direct Path to Hell

“Satanic cults are not a myth or an exaggeration; they are a terrifying reality that grows in the darkness of our modern society,” Amorth warned. These cults, which operate in secrecy, explicitly seek to worship the devil through rituals that include animal sacrifices and the desecration of the Eucharist. “I have exorcised people who, without realizing it, were drawn into these cults by the promise of power, wealth, or simply out of curiosity. What they found was a spiritual prison from which only God could free them,” Amorth said.

Occultism, in its various forms, such as astrology, divination, and magic rituals, are doors that can lead directly to demonic possession. “The devil is always willing to enter where he is invoked, even indirectly. No practice of occultism is harmless,” Amorth insisted.

12. Pornography: The Destruction of Human Dignity

“I have seen how the consumption of pornography leads to a spiral of sin that can culminate in despair and the loss of faith,” said Amorth. “The devil uses pornography to destroy human dignity, turning the human being into an object and stripping him of his nobility as the image of God.” This addiction, which seems harmless to many, is actually an open door to moral and spiritual degradation that can lead to the destruction of family relationships, social isolation, and a deep crisis of faith.

13. The Idolatry of the Body and the Cult of Beauty

“When the body becomes an idol, the soul weakens,” Amorth warned. In a society obsessed with physical appearance and the cult of youth and beauty, Father Amorth saw a significant spiritual danger. “The obsession with physical beauty, the cult of the body, and the pursuit of outward perfection are distractions that lead people away from true beauty, which is holiness.” For Amorth, this idolatry is a subtle way of falling into the devil’s traps, which seek to divert attention from the spiritual to the material and superficial. “I have seen how this obsession leads to vanity, envy, and despair when the body fails, but the beauty of a soul in grace never fades.”

The Immaculate Heart of Mary: Supreme Refuge and Protection

“The devil trembles at the name of Mary. There is no human being purer, more full of grace, and therefore more feared by the forces of evil than the Blessed Virgin.” These words from Father Gabriele Amorth underline the importance of turning to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the spiritual battle we face in the modern world. The devil, who hates everything that reflects the purity and holiness of God, cannot stand the presence of the Virgin, whose humility and obedience to the divine will are a perpetual defeat for him.

“In the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we find a refuge that the devil cannot penetrate. There, the soul is strengthened, purified, and renewed in God’s

“In the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we find a refuge that the devil cannot penetrate. There, the soul is strengthened, purified, and renewed in God’s grace,” said Amorth. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart is not just an act of piety; it is a shield against the temptations and attacks of the evil one. “I have seen how souls who consecrate themselves to Mary receive special protection. The devil cannot bear the purity of Mary’s Heart and flees before her intercession.” In moments of greatest temptation, invoking the Immaculate Heart is a powerful and effective defense.

Conclusion: A Call to Conversion and Vigilance

Father Gabriele Amorth was not only an exorcist; he was a shepherd of souls, a man who dedicated his life to protecting the most vulnerable from the clutches of evil. His message is clear and urgent: “Evil is real. It is not a concept or a metaphor. It is a living and active presence in the world, and its goal is the destruction of man.” But Amorth also leaves us with a message of hope: “God is infinitely more powerful than the devil. There is no darkness that can withstand the light of Christ.”

In a world that is increasingly drifting away from God, Amorth’s call is for constant vigilance, a strong sacramental life, and a deep devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who crushes the head of the serpent. “The victory is Christ’s, but we must fight every day, every moment, to remain in His light.” God wants us to turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary now more than ever, as our secure refuge. In her Heart, which has never been touched by evil, we find the protection we need to resist the snares of the devil. Mary, our Mother, has been given by God as the refuge for souls in these difficult times, and in her Immaculate Heart, we find the strength and grace to remain steadfast in faith.

This article, inspired by the warnings and teachings of Father Gabriele Amorth, stands as a cry of alarm, a call to awaken to the spiritual reality that surrounds us and to take seriously the fight against evil, which is not only an enemy of faith but an enemy of humanity. We cannot afford to be indifferent. It is time to open our eyes and hearts, and to return to God with all our strength, to resist the snares of the devil and protect our souls from his destructive influence, always trusting in the secure refuge of the Christian, the Immaculate Heart of Mary.