These are physical illnesses that occur in individuals whom God chooses for a specific purpose and who undergo these illnesses precisely because of their mission. They may, in some cases, later heal from them without remedy. This is found in the lives of many mystics such as Padre Pio, or Mother Marie Yvonne Aimée who passed away with all her bones broken by Satan.

Since 1989, during my priesthood, I have documented several cases in Benin, some of which are still ongoing. I permit myself, based on testimonies from Reverend Father Gilbert DAGNON, to classify mystical illnesses into four forms:

A- Delegated Form

1°) Refusal of a Mission.

a°) Case of Jeanne: first testimony received from Father Gilbert DAGNON

Jeanne was sent to a girl who had undergone an abortion. Jeanne hesitates and refuses. Faced with her hesitation and refusal, Jeanne immediately experiences paralysis of the lower limbs. She is brought to Father Gilbert DAGNON who detects the cause. He then reasons with Jeanne to carry out the mission. She finally accepts. And as soon as she fulfills it, an immediate healing is witnessed.

b°) Another case: Second testimony received from Father Gilbert DAGNON.

This concerns a person who had abandoned an image of the Holy Face in their storeroom, covered in dust. A mysterious voice said to this person: “As long as you do not recover and clean the image of my Holy Face that you have buried in your storeroom, you will suffer from atrocious eye ailments.” This person, assisted by family members, searched for the image of the Holy Face. As soon as it was found, the person’s immediate healing was observed.

It should be noted: these messages from the Lord are not signs of threat but a sign of God’s compassion towards a soul he wants to lead on the path of perfect life. Therefore, one should not suddenly believe in these interior locutions, but proceed with true discernment with the help of a knowledgeable priest on these matters. We must therefore be very careful in how we treat objects of piety, especially after their blessing by a priest. I am referring to medals, images, statues of the Virgin Mary, of Our Lord and of the Saints as well as rosaries, scapulars…

After the blessing by the priest, the bishop, or the Pope, these objects are no longer simple objects. They are religious objects that deserve respect because, endowed with blessings, they are not divine, but they cannot be treated as ordinary things either.

C) The case of Hermione

One day, when I was still the parish priest in Golo-Yekon (1995 – 2000), a young girl of about 18 left Cotonou to come and see me, carrying an image of Jesus scourged in glass, and said to me: “A mysterious voice asked me to give you this image of Jesus scourged. I cannot and do not want to give it to you. This is an image I cherish deeply. Only God knows at what price I obtained it. Therefore, I am giving it to you but to retrieve it after only a few hours.

Upon returning, I took it back with me, as I did not intend to part with it. I replied that she was free to do whatever she wanted with her image. So, when she returned around 11 a.m., she had taken back her image, and I closed the door of my office. Around 5 p.m., a lady came knocking on the door of my office, saying: “Father, we have noticed something.”

• Who are you?
• “We are the vendors in front of the church.”
• What is it?

“For some time now, we have been observing the young girl who left your office around 11 a.m. Until 5 p.m., she stood in front of the church staring at the tabernacle.” I went to the scene and questioned the young girl.

• What are you doing here since you left me? She replied to me:
• “He told me that if I do not return to give you back his scourged image, I will not move from here”…

This text is an excerpt from the book “Exorcism: The Molecule That Upends Science” written by Father Pamphile FANOU.

We invite you to read the following article “Psychological or Psychiatric Illnesses and Witchcraft“.