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Le diable est-il un symbole? — Réponses

catholiques
3-4 minutos

Est-ce normal que le supérieur des jésuites ait dit que le diable est un symbole ?

Dans cette affaire, on pourrait presque laisser les jésuites et ignaciens se répondre entre
eux, sans que nous n’intervenions. Car, de fait, le Préposé général de la Compagnie de
Jésus, élu il y a quelques mois, a affirmé récemment que le diable n’était qu’un
symbole. Il s’est immédiatement levé plusieurs voix pour le contredire et rappeler que,
certes, le diable n’est pas un article du Credo. Mais qu’il travaille bien dans ce monde et
que son œuvre est visible à qui sait bien regarder. La Bible, que ce soit l’Ancien
Testament, les Evangiles ou les autres livres du Nouveau Testament, le mentionne à de
nombreuses reprises. Ce que nous disent déjà l’épisode du 3e chapitre de la Genèse,
mais aussi l’Apocalypse à la fin de la Bible, c’est qu’il y a bien une intelligence du mal
extérieure à l’homme.

L’un des premiers à réagir a été le Père Sante Babolin, professeur émérite à l’Université
grégorienne (donc l’université des jésuites) de Rome. Sa réponse se fonde sur son
expérience d’exorciste, mais aussi sur son expertise de professeur de philosophie. En
grec, symbolos signifie ce qui relie, qui met ensemble et diabolos, ce qui divise. Donc,
rien que sur le plan linguistique (le terme exact est « philologique »), dire que le diable
est un symbole est contradictoire.
La grande tradition spirituelle de St Ignace de Loyola, comme déjà évoqué dans l’article
« Discernement des esprits et combat spirituel » (https://www.reponses-
catholiques.fr/discernement-des-esprits-et-combat-spirituel-22/), se base, justement sur
le discernement des esprits qui influencent notre conscience et lui sont extérieurs. Le
mauvais esprit n’est pas notre mauvaise conscience mais ce qui vient d’un autre et qui
influence notre conscience. Dans les fameuses Méditations « Sur le règne », ou sur
« Les deux étendards » des Exercices spirituels, il s’agit bien de suivre l’étendard du
Christ, de le choisir pour Roi, et non l’étendard du démon en rejoignant son camp. Si le
diable n’est qu’un symbole, dans ces deux méditations, le Christ ne devient alors qu’un
symbole aussi. Le Père Général Sosa a-t-il voulu dire que Jésus-Christ n’est qu’un
symbole ? Nous en doutons mais son propos n’est pas en phase avec sa propre tradition
spirituelle.

Certains tenteront peut-être de dire que le « croyable disponible » à l’époque d’Ignace

de Loyola impliquait de croire au démon mais que, les progrès des sciences humaines
aidant, nous n’avons plus à nommer ainsi ce qui ne relève que de notre psychè. Ce n’est
pas l’avis, non seulement des exorcistes, comme déjà mentionné, mais non plus celui
d’un autre jésuite, le Pape François. Dès les premiers jours de son pontificat, il a évoqué
le diable et les dangers qu’il suscite de façon insistante. Nous renvoyons le lecteur à
toutes ces déclarations à ce propos.

Donc que l’on prenne la question sur le plan philologique, théologique, scripturaire,
pastoral, spirituel, il semble bien que le diable agit contre nous – il est « l’ennemi de la
nature humaine » dit St Ignace – et que chacun doit s’employer à s’en remettre au
Christ pour s’en garder.

Le diable est-il un symbole?

3.3 (66.67%) 3 votes

Is the devil a symbol?

August 21, 2017 • Catholic responses • Last ends

Is it normal for the Jesuit superior to say that the devil is a symbol?

In this affair, we could almost let the Jesuits and Ignatians answer each other, without our
intervention. Because, in fact, the General Delegate of the Society of Jesus, elected a few
months ago, recently affirmed that the devil was only a symbol. He immediately raised several
voices to contradict him and recall that, of course, the devil is not an article of the Creed. But
that he works well in this world and that his work is visible to who knows how to look. The
Bible, be it the Old Testament, the Gospels, or other books in the New Testament, mentions it
many times. What the episode from the third chapter of Genesis tells us already, but also the
Revelation at the end of the Bible, is that there is indeed an intelligence of evil external to
man.
One of the first to react was Father Sante Babolin, professor emeritus at the Gregorian
University (therefore the University of the Jesuits) in Rome. His answer is based on his
experience as an exorcist, but also on his expertise as a professor of philosophy. In Greek,
symbolos means that which connects, that brings together and diabolos, that which divides. So
just linguistically (the exact term is "philological"), to say that the devil is a symbol is
contradictory.

The great spiritual tradition of St Ignatius of Loyola, as already mentioned in the article
"Discernment of spirits and spiritual combat" (https://www.reponses-
catholiques.fr/discernement-des-esprits-et-combat-spirituel- 22 /), is based, precisely on the
discernment of the spirits which influence our consciousness and are external to it. The bad
spirit is not our bad conscience but what comes from another and which influences our
conscience. In the famous Meditations "On the reign", or on "The two standards" of the
Spiritual Exercises, it is a question of following the standard of Christ, to choose him for King,
and not the standard of the demon by joining his camp. If the devil is only a symbol, in these
two meditations, Christ then becomes only a symbol too. Did Father General Sosa mean that
Jesus Christ is only a symbol? We doubt it, but his point is not in line with his own spiritual
tradition.

Some may try to say that the "believable available" at the time of Ignatius of Loyola implied
believing in the demon, but that, with the progress of the human sciences helping, we no
longer have to name that which is only relevant. of our psyche. This is not the opinion, not only
of the exorcists, as already mentioned, but also that of another Jesuit, Pope Francis. From the
earliest days of his pontificate, he spoke emphatically of the devil and the dangers it poses. We
refer the reader to all of these statements in this regard.

So if we take the question on the philological, theological, scriptural, pastoral, spiritual level, it
seems that the devil acts against us - he is "the enemy of human nature" says St Ignatius - and
that everyone must strive to rely on Christ to guard against it.

Commentaires

1. Denis

21 août 2017 at 20 h 47 min

Ce nom qualificatif fut donné à Satan parce qu’il est le principal et premier
calomniateur et faux accusateur de Jéhovah, de sa bonne parole et de son saint
nom. Le grec diabolos signifie “ calomniateur ”.
 Le texte original des Écritures grecques chrétiennes où le mot diabolos apparaît,
mais ne concerne pas Satan ; c’est pourquoi il est correctement rendu par
“ calomniateur ”. À titre d’exemples, parlant de Judas, Jésus dit aux 12 : “ L’un
de vous est un calomniateur ” (Jn 6:70) ; dans la congrégation, les femmes ne
devaient pas être calomniatrices (1Tm 3:11 ; Tt 2:3) ; un des signes des
“ derniers jours ” est que “ les hommes seront […] calomniateurs ”. — 2Tm 3:1-
5

Is the devil a symbol?

August 21, 2017 • Catholic responses • Last ends

Is it normal for the Jesuit superior to say that the devil is a symbol?

In this affair, we could almost let the Jesuits and Ignatians answer each other, without our
intervention. Because, in fact, the General Delegate of the Society of Jesus, elected a few
months ago, recently affirmed that the devil was only a symbol. He immediately raised several
voices to contradict him and recall that, of course, the devil is not an article of the Creed. But
that he works well in this world and that his work is visible to who knows how to look. The
Bible, be it the Old Testament, the Gospels, or other books in the New Testament, mentions it
many times. What the episode from the third chapter of Genesis tells us already, but also the
Revelation at the end of the Bible, is that there is indeed an intelligence of evil external to
man.

One of the first to react was Father Sante Babolin, professor emeritus at the Gregorian
University (therefore the University of the Jesuits) in Rome. His answer is based on his
experience as an exorcist, but also on his expertise as a professor of philosophy. In Greek,
symbolos means that which connects, that brings together and diabolos, that which divides. So
just linguistically (the exact term is "philological"), to say that the devil is a symbol is
contradictory.

The great spiritual tradition of St Ignatius of Loyola, as already mentioned in the article
"Discernment of spirits and spiritual combat" (https://www.reponses-
catholiques.fr/discernement-des-esprits-et-combat-spirituel- 22 /), is based, precisely on the
discernment of the spirits which influence our consciousness and are external to it. The bad
spirit is not our bad conscience but what comes from another and which influences our
conscience. In the famous Meditations "On the reign", or on "The two standards" of the
Spiritual Exercises, it is a question of following the standard of Christ, to choose him for King,
and not the standard of the demon by joining his camp. If the devil is only a symbol, in these
two meditations, Christ then becomes only a symbol too. Did Father General Sosa mean that
Jesus Christ is only a symbol? We doubt it, but his point is not in line with his own spiritual
tradition.

Some may try to say that the "believable available" at the time of Ignatius of Loyola implied
believing in the demon, but that, with the progress of the human sciences helping, we no
longer have to name that which is only relevant. of our psyche. This is not the opinion, not only
of the exorcists, as already mentioned, but also that of another Jesuit, Pope Francis. From the
earliest days of his pontificate, he spoke emphatically of the devil and the dangers it poses. We
refer the reader to all of these statements in this regard.

So if we take the question on the philological, theological, scriptural, pastoral, spiritual level, it
seems that the devil acts against us - he is "the enemy of human nature" says St Ignatius - and
that everyone must strive to rely on Christ to guard against it.

Comentario

This qualifying name was given to Satan because he is the main and first slanderer and false
accuser of Jehovah, his good word and his holy name. The Greek diabolos means “slanderer”.

The original text of the Christian Greek Scriptures where the word diabolos appears, but does
not concern Satan; this is why it is correctly rendered as "slanderer". As examples, speaking of
Judas, Jesus said to the 12: "One of you is a slanderer" (Jn 6:70); women in the congregation
were not to be slanderers (1 Tim 3:11; Tim 2: 3); one of the signs of the “last days” is that
“men will be […] slanderers”. - 2Tm 3: 1-5.