An exorcist on tattoos. The following is from Fr Z's blog. [The contributor is an exorcist, whom I know and trust. Fr. Z] Our bodies do not belong to us to mar according to our whims. St. Paul never tires of reminding us that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. Just as I ought not carve my initials in the wall of the Holy Sepulcher, so too, ought I not permanently mark my body. My body is not my property since I am not the author of it. Tattoos, in their original usage, are a form of manifestation of allegiance to pagan deities. Paul tells us all that all the gods of the pagans are demons. I have dealt with with people who thought they had innocuous tats on their bodies. When I asked one girl why the “t” in a word was an inverted Cross, she had no answer and was quite angry at the artist. She had no idea. Sometimes tattoo artists have satanists curse the ink so that the bearer have a permanent malefice (demonic fortuna – something akin to an anti-sacramental, a physical object that bears a curse) in their body. Why do they do this? A proclivity to malice, for certain; but also so that they can earn brownie points from Satan for the amount of people they can infect. When I decommission tattoos, I use the formula from the Roman Ritual for “Reconciliation of a Profaned Church”, altering the words where appropriate. I paint over it with exorcised oil, using a Q-tip. Sometimes they scream as if I were skinning them alive. Sometimes it just hurts a bit. Often they feel nothing. I know an ex-nun who got some ink. When I did a mental exorcism of the tattoo (She wasn’t looking at me and didn’t know what I was doing in my mind) she jolted. Upon telling her that she was compromised thanks to the tattoo, she then told me that she had all the nuns in her former convent get ink from the same guy. All of them left the convent within 6 months. I deal with this stuff all the time. Some of the suffering that has resulted from it is quite sad. On the other hand, the worst part of tattoos is that they offend the One Who made our bodies and owns them. https://gloria.tv/post/iDjbgF2JgRvk46RFvxSkaPjEY https://thecentralminnesotacatholic.org/late-exorcists-words-lift-veil-demonic-satan/
If we follow this logic, wouldn't this mean having a priest bless the ink makes the tattoo holy? I believe most tats are bad because they are a bad symbol, but I dunno if demons can really attach themselves to ink. the ink usually ends up in the body (thats why re-touching is so necessary) so...the demonic power invades the person's cells?
coptic christians traditionally get cross tats on purpose in very visible place, so they cant apostatize even if they want to and can become martyrs ( egypt was crushed by muslim invaders, theyre still harassing non-muslims...or different branches of muslims)
A bit of a rabbit hole but Fr Calloway says he’s probably the only Catholic priest with a Grateful Dead tattoo. He got it before his conversion. I’ve never had the slightest desire to get ink but my ears are pierced which is a sort of mutilation I suppose. I can’t wear metal now, since I became sensitised to it (making rosaries!) so I doubt my ears are pierced through any more. Can’t wear medals either but I’ll leave that to Our Lady as she knows I used to wear the Miraculous Medal
Pierced ears are so common now but I remember when I was young my father was adamant. NO. He called it self mutilation back then and even in college I refused to have it done, so strong was his moral authority over me. I loved him too much to go against him.
My parents had no opinions on ear-piercing...so when I was 9, I had mine pierced. At 10, I thought God wanted me to be a nun, so I stopped wearing earrings and let the holes grow closed. By 18, I'd decided my calling was to marriage, and I got them re-pierced, only to stop wearing earrings again a few years later due to my baby always trying to grab them, haha. Once that was no longer an issue, I still never went back to wearing them. I assume the holes have closed again by now! Tattoos are a different thing, I think... Whereas earrings just felt wordly, there was always something about tattoos that made me feel very uncomfortable. Apparently my husband has always felt that way about them too. I also feel that way about piercings that go beyond the one simple ear hole (2, 3 or more piercings on each ear, or other parts of the body). But perhaps I should feel the same about simple ear piercings as well. I guess I see a simple pair of earrings as just trying to look pretty, while multiple piercings are a whole different, "edgier" look.
I can’t leave my house without wearing earrings. For me it’s like wearing shoes. However, piercing a nose, or seeing a male with a pierced earring, or tattoos are in my opinion taboo.
I think simple earrings can complete an outfit but agree with PF and Byron about multiple piercings and piercings in strange places. Tatts are a different matter entirely. The ‘tramp stamp’ is never beautiful but disfiguring. I have a close relative who got inked in her 50s as a delayed rebellion against her parents. Her visible ones are tasteful (believe it or not) but she showed me her back which has a huge dragon snaking down her spine. She’s into new age but with that thing she needs the St Benedict medal - non sit Draco mihi dux…
I had my ears pierced at age 13. After growing up and reading the whole Bible I was so glad I had never gotten a tattoo. The simple statement that God hates them and body piercings is enough for me. Leviticus 19:28 You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.
Yep it’s actually in the Bible. Nothing new under the sun. Allow me to quote it again. Leviticus 19:28 You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.
Yep. As I said in another post my father who was normally a very kind man with us absolutely made clear I was not to get my ears pierced. I really really wanted to--but somehow even later when I was married and living away from my parents I still couldn't do it. I held my father in very high esteem and loved him dearly. I couldn't bear for him to see that I had done it. I often reflect on God's love for us as His children and our love for Him. I think it was very easy for me to understand the Father's love once I reconverted because of the love I had for my own father. Not servile but based on deep respect and a desire not to ever wound him. I think that's how we are meant to love the Father who loved us first. I know I was very very blessed to have a father who modeled that kind of love to me.
What about tattoos of saints, Jesus, crosses and the like? According to Father Amorth: “On the other hand, when we tattoo personalities, saints or affections dear to us, we offend God twice. Consecration, in this hypothesis, has the same value, but the offense to God through ignorance still remains " guilty” but it is greater.”
So, how would y'all approach this? I have a very dear younger sister who has gotten several tattoos. They are of seemingly innocuous things like a jack o lantern because she loves Halloween...a crucifix...a musical staff... and a couple other things. She knows how I personally feel about tattoos, so I've always kind of just playfully shaken my head when she's shown me a new tattoo. But I didn't know this about God saying to never get tattoos and that they could be cursed, etc. It's likely that at some point she'll get a new tattoo (it almost seems like they're addictive!), and I want to warn her with this new info I have. But at the same time, I know it's going to be very upsetting for her to find out her tattoos already on her body might be harming her spiritually. She's pregnant and emotional and I don't want to hurt her. How would y'all go about this?
What does "cuts in your body for the dead" mean? Does that mean all piercings? Or was it something specific...."for the dead"? Sounds like some kind of ritual?
