There
is indeed no medal that possesses such wonderful power and none so highly
esteemed by the holy Church as the Medal of St. Benedict.
Whosoever
wears this medal with devotion, trusting to the life-giving power of the holy
Cross and the merits of the holy Father St. Benedict, may expect the powerful
protection of this great Patriarch in his spiritual and temporal needs. The
medal is one of the oldest and most honored medals used by Catholics and due to
the belief in its power against evil is also known as the “devil-chasing
medal.”
As
early as the 11th century, it may have initially had the form of Saint
Benedict’s cross, and was used by pope Leo IX. The reverse side of the medal
carries the Vade retro satana (“Step back, Satan”) formula, which
has been used by Catholics to ward off evil since the 15th century.
Sometimes
carried as part of the rosary, it is also found individually. In widespread use
after its formal approval by Pope Benedict XIV in the 18th century, the medal
is used by Catholics to ward off spiritual and physical dangers, especially
those related to evil, poison, and temptation.
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