A Retreat for Everyone – The Power of the Devil in the World Today (12/15)

In Part 12 of the retreat, The Power of the Devil in the World Today, Fulton Sheen examines the pervasive influence of the demonic in contemporary society. He argues that the rapid moral and spiritual decline seen worldwide cannot be explained solely by cultural or sociological factors but points to an external, alien force—Satan. Sheen critiques the lack of discourse on the satanic within modern Catholic writings, contrasting it with insights from literature and psychiatry, which often better recognize the destructive patterns of the demonic. Drawing from authors like Dostoevsky and Nietzsche, he highlights prophetic warnings about societal disintegration and the rejection of God, emphasizing that evil thrives when its existence is denied.

Sheen identifies the essence of the demonic as the fragmentation of unity and the rejection of the cross. From a psychiatric perspective, he outlines its manifestations in the breakdown of families, pervasive violence, and the loss of personal integrity, likening these to the possession of the man in the land of the Gerasenes. Biblically, he ties the demonic to contempt for discipline, mortification, and self-denial, showing how Satan tempts humanity with shortcuts to power and pleasure, bypassing the sacrificial path of the cross. Sheen warns of double agents within the Church, whose actions erode its foundation, and stresses the urgency of vigilance against such influences.

In his conclusion, Sheen urges believers to put on the spiritual armor described by St. Paul in Ephesians, equipping themselves with truth, integrity, faith, and prayer to withstand the forces of evil. He emphasizes the need for renewed focus on Christ and the cross, as only through embracing the sacrifice and unity of the faith can the Church effectively confront the growing power of the demonic in the world today.