By Paul Suski –
The etymology of the term tattoo is derived from the Tahitian word “tatau” which means “to mark or strike the skin”. It was Captain James Cook and Joseph Banks who introduced it into the English language. Banks’ description is brief but appalling: “It was done with a large instrument about 2 inches long containing about 30 teeth,” he wrote in his journal. “Every stroke…drew blood.”
Read: Part I: Spiritual Threat Tattoos
Anton Szandor LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan took a stance on this subject – “Tattooing and piercing are basically forbidden by the Bible in the book of Leviticus, and most of the world is ruled by Biblical religious beliefs—even Africa now. I want to encourage anything that’s a statement against Christianity, because over the last 500 years Christian missionaries systematically destroyed virtually all of the world’s diverse cultures, making the world a much less interesting place.” (Modern Primitives: An Investigation of Contemporary Adornment and Ritual by V. Vale)
Fakir Musafar, an American performance artist claimed ”A lot of people have said that the purpose of the tattoo is to do something for the person, to help them realize the individual magic latent within them.” While Andrea Juno, the author of Modern Primitives, noted about tattoos’ having trans-formative properties: “I’ve heard people report a change in their lives after a tattoo.” Even though tattoos are not so explicitly linked to the occult, they are more than a mere decoration.
Catholics should still be more concerned about what exorcists say:
Fr. Antoni Zieliński, an exorcist, remembers a young woman who after her conversion began to attend Mass; however she suffered anxiety because of a tattoo. “It interferes with prayer and receiving the sacraments”- she complained. Besides, she had failed her driving test 10 times. As soon as she removed the tattoo the anxiety disappeared and she passed the test.
Fr. Peter Glas, tells of his many experiences in his ministry as an exorcist doing battle with Satan “In my experience, people who had tattoos had to endure terrible suffering. […] Many say that they have tattooed only a humble butterfly on their back, and literally just in two week’s time, they were under some enormous pressure into getting the second one, the third and so on. […] In my opinion tattoo inks must be demonically processed. […] When I was praying over a tattoo, the face of that person horribly contorted as if it hurt him.” Hence, any new spiritual problems surrounding tattoos are bound to set alarm bells ringing.
Fr. Winston Fernandez Cabading OP, exorcists says : “not all tattoos are demonic this must be clear, the intention of the artist and the wearer are to be considered”[…] “so a tattoo even if it depicts holy figures may be considered occult because the artist can be an occult practitioner”, added the Dominican.
“I think personally if you’re Catholic and you want a tattoo, it just boils down to prudence,” says 18-year-old Cassidy Constantin. Yet, it all sounds decidedly risky to me. “Refrain from every kind of evil.”(Tes 5:22)
Fr. Sławomir Kostrzewa warns “We often forget that we live in a multidimensional world, and through signs and symbols we can open the door to the action of evil spirits. […] It is the peculiar mode of a pact, usually unwittingly made with a spiritual reality that has nothing to do with God. […] (Addressing to a priest) You, as a minister of Christ’s Church, by showing a holy tattoo, give your acquiescence to other people who not necessarily want to have holy ones.”
The danger of idolatry is not only a temptation from biblical times; it is present in the world today. Many people choose a magic symbol or just a flower claiming that it will bring him good luck which directly contradicts the 1st Commandment: “You shall not have other gods beside me.” (Exodus 20:3)
One of the largest tribal groups that inhabitant the western Sahel region (from Senegal to Chad) are the Fulani of whom one of the most heavily tattooed are the Wodaabe. Powdered tree bark, seeds, and leaves are believed to ward off evil words, enemies, or even attract women. Their tattoos reflect this magic because many symbols are associated with fertility.
There are approximately 11,000 officially recognized Catholic saints, among whom there can be found so many renown doctors, theologians, and mystics; nevertheless, the notion of having a tattoo did not even cross their minds since intuitively, they sensed that it would be against a plan ascribed to the wisdom of God. United with God, imitating Saint Paul, they could say: “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;….” (Gal 2:20). Saint Josephine Bakita was a former slave from Sudan who had been tattooed by one of her owners.
Tattoos are not simply ink and color that you etch into your skin. Generally people choose these type of ornaments, not knowing at all, that they might undergo a kind of initiation or a kind of “baptism”, ushering them into an unfriendly spiritual reality. You never know if tattoo ink at the stage of manufacturing was not by a chance consecrated to demons.
One is to be reminded that the human body is a gift from God, therefore it is meant to be treated with care, not maltreated or disfigured. (CCC 2297) Is then our skin a sort of canvas upon which we can etch and carve permanent drawings? Rather not. I might also retort that tattoos can indeed lead to a number of health risks.
Finally, it is worthwhile to recall these powerful words of Blessed Cardinal Wyszyński, written in 1954, during his imprisonment: “Christ spoke about whitewashed tombs. It is so amazing how modern man seeks to cover up one’s dirt: after all a whitewashed wall does not cease to be dirty inside. Could this be why people paint their faces because they have noticed tombs’ rot? Could this be why they make more and more use of scented water because they are aware of something exuding from within them? Could this be why they dress smartly, because inside they are poor? Do they want to sell old goods in new packaging? Ancient Egyptians dyed their mummies knowing that there was no life in them. Is that history repeating itself here?”
In this October reflection on one of the perils that beset the spiritual life of Christians I wanted to convey insights into the egregious practice of tattooing. Did I succeed?- the readership will make the proper judgment.
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.” (1 Cor 10:21)
Paul Suski is based in Poland. He has a BA in English language teaching, MA in Political Science, three adolescent children and wears a Carmelite scapular.