Dear Joseph:

From my experience Fr. Ripperger and his website are good sources of information. We use some material from his website in our training classes, especially the text he promotes on psychology.

Fr. Ripperger is correct in what he says about smoking. Smoking, in-and-of-itself, is not a sin under normal circumstances. Yes, smoking negatively effects health, but that is not sinful by itself. If doing things that are unhealthy were sins, we are all going to hell. Stress is far more unhealthy than smoking and may account for, or significant contribute to as much as 70% of all illness in the United States, including cancer. Thus, if we do things, like work to much, or allow ourselves to continually be under high levels of stress, we are more like to become ill than if we had a more balanced lifestyle. Thus, should stress be considered a sin? Maybe, in come circumstances.

If a person chooses not to smoke, if a person's conscience tells him it is wrong for him to smoke, or will be a sin if he smokes, then he should not smoke. If such a person tries to impose his personal conscience on others then that can be a sin as others are not bound by our conscience.

For example, for me, my conscience tells me that gambling is wrong, even bingo. This is my personal opinion, my personal conscience. Thus, since my conscience tells me this, if I were to play bingo, it would be sin, for me and me alone, not for others. If I judged others as sinning for playing bingo, then I sin, because my personal conscience is not binding on others, and technically, bingo, or even Las Vegas gambling is not a sin technically (unless one is gambling away their mortgage or rent money, and grocery money, etc.).

On the films, the Father is not saying to stop watching films where a character does something ungodly, he is saying to stop watching films that inspire you or tempt you to sin. I deal with this all the time in our support group for sexual addiction, and with our counselees in deliverance counseling. 

For the sex addict, if watching a film, a TV show, reading a certain type a book, playing a game, or driving through a red light district is a trigger that leads to sexual sin, then avoid those triggers.

For someone who is demonized, they need to avoid movies, books, games, TV shows, or anything else of an occultic, ghostly, or demonic theme as these can cause triggers to demonic harassment.

A recovering alcoholic ought to avoid bars or parties where alcohol is served as this can be a trigger for him to start drinking again. 

This advice comes from Jesus who said:

(Matthew 5:29-30)  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 

It is better to do without those things that lead one to sin, than to risk sin.

If the films you watch do not lead you to sin, or cause a near occasion to sin, then there is no problem in terms of this particular aspect that Father is talking about. There can be other issues, however, as to why a Christian should not watch this film or that film.

On imprisonment of demons, I agree with the exorcist. Demons can leave at anytime, or at least anytime that Satan, their General, allows them to leave, or when cast out against their wills in an exorcism or deliverance.

God never forces anyone to do anything. He does not cause illness nor does he cause someone to be demonized. Illness and affliction are material evils, demonization is of course an actual evil. God does does not perpetrate material evil or actual evil.

God, however, can use material evil (such as illness, tragedy, etc) and actual evil to facilitate good. In fact Gods promises he will do that if we let him. He makes this promise in Romans 8:28, "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."

God says here that he works good out of everything, that means the good and the bad, he works it all together for the good.

As for the website on mystics, we must remember that those who follow private revelations also tend to improperly treat the visions and messages as if they are infallible. They are not. Even those visions and such that are formally recognized by the Church, (which few have that status) are not required for belief by the Faithful, and should never, never, be treated as definitive on any subject.

This includes experiences deliverance counselors like myself and of exorcists. We have opinions about things based on our experiences and we my not always interpret our experiences correctly. All experiences and opinions must be vetted by what we know to be true theologically, and, of course, by the Church's official evaluations when such evaluations are given.

I would suggest that a demon is not "imprisoned", but allowed to remain in a person when the possessed person volunteers to be a victim soul. No one is forced by God to be a victim soul. In fact, it is not possible to be a victim soul without the person's consent. 

The website in question is quoting from "Mary Crushes the Serpent -30 Years of Experiences As An Exorcist Told In His Own Words", a Sequel to "Begone Satan". It should be noted that the priest involved in that exorcism here in Iowa, in Earling, a town a few hours from where I live, interpreted and reported a few things during that exorcism that are debatable. 

In any event, we know for certain that God forces nothing upon us. But, he will use what is, to facilitate goodness, including allowing someone to choose to remain possessed and live as a victim soul for the sake of others. Whether or not the possessing demon(s) are "imprisoned" when this happens is debatable, as the exorcist you talked to mentioned.

I heartily agree, Viva El Papa Francisco.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary