From The Telegraph:
Surge in Satanism Sparks Rise in Demand For Exorcists, Says Catholic Church
This article starts off really well.
Apparently, the Vatican are holding a six day conference because there has, allegedly, been an upsurge in the need for their exorcists.
I’m all for Vatican trained exorcists – as long as they have training in psychology, counseling etc, I disagree with what the Church are passing off for an explaination as to why this service is needed –
The web has made it easier than ever before to access information on Devil-worshipping and the occult, experts said.
I suppose… but only if you type ‘devil worshipping and the occult’ into the search engine. If you type in ‘Jesus worshipping and christianity’ you dont get too many occult sites popping up – in other words, if your looking for the occult you can find it on the internet. You can also find it in books in libraries for that matter, same as the books you can find on Christianity. In fact on the subject of books, most towns have a Christian Book Shop these days, but I’ve yet to hear of a Satanists Book Shop..
“In just a few minutes you can contact Satanist groups and research occultism. The conference is not about how to become an exorcist. It’s to share information about exorcism, Satanism and sects. It’s to give help to families and priests. There is a particular risk for young people who are in difficulties or who are emotionally fragile,” said Mr Climati.
Actually fella, its easier (and faster) to get to the Vatican website – theres only one Vatican, there are several cults, subcultures and interest groups that could be bundled under the heading ‘Satanist’.
The conference in Rome has brought together more than 60 Catholic clergy as well as doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers and youth workers to discuss how to combat the dangers of Devil-worship. Organisers say the rise of Satanism has been dangerously underestimated in recent years.
“There’s been a revival,” said Gabriele Nanni, a former exorcist and another speaker at the course.
Good, I’m glad that the mental health issue has been addressed here. Maybe they will discover that a hell of a lot of people with mental health issues these days actually come from highly religious backgrounds – after all, theres nothing more frustrating than being constantly told your a sinner for doing things that are human instincts and basic survival prerequisites.
In theory, any priest can perform an exorcism – a rite involving prayers to drive the Devil out of the person said to be possessed, but Vatican officials said three years ago that parish priests should call in professional exorcists if they suspect one of their parishioners needs purging of evil.
An exorcist should be called when “the moral certainty has been reached that the person is possessed”, said Father Nanni, a member of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Note the wording here – any PRIEST can perform an exorcism – I’ve already outlined my views on self proclaimed internet exorcists in Phenomena Magazine
Now, this is the scary bit…
That could be indicated by radical and disturbing changes in the person’s behaviour and voice, or an ability to garble in foreign languages or nonsensical gibberish.
Either the writer of this article is heavily editing here, or the person who said this has no grounding in health issues – there are a hellova lot of psychological and medical conditions which also display symptoms like this, few of which would respond favorably to anyone, no matter how pious or pure their intention, quoting the Roman Ritual at them.
While the number of genuine cases of possession by the Devil remained relatively small…
I suspect thats the understatement of the year…
“we must be on guard because occult and Satanist practices are spreading a great deal, in part with the help of the internet and new technologies that make it easier to access these rituals,” he said.
We must, however, keep in mind that true Satanism is intrinsically linked with Christianity – Satan as a deity was constructed by Christianity to provide the balance of Evil to Good withn the Faith. Satanism in its true sense is regarded as a religion to its followers just like any other belief system. Surely it would be wrong to assume that everyone following a different faith to oneself would be open to the prospect of being possessed by any number of supernatural beings which, in truth we can prove exist any more than any other widely worshipped Deity? On this score, the Church don’t really have that sparkling a record, historically speaking… remember the Witch Hunts? Lets not even go there…
The Vatican’s chief exorcist claimed last year that the Devil lurked in the Vatican, the very heart of the Catholic Church… He claimed that the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries, were proof that the anti-Christ was waging a war against the Holy See. He said Pope Benedict XVI believed “wholeheartedly” in the practice of exorcism.
Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? – Nuff said..
Father Gabriele Amorth (the Vaticans Chief Exorcist) said people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron, scream, dribble and slobber, utter blasphemies and have to be physically restrained.
…and sadly, many people have thought the same and taken matters into their own hands.
Woman Said To Have Killed Daughter During Exorcism Set For Trial
Epilepsy patient killed during ‘Exorcism’
4-year-old Boy Dies During Exorcism
A few more here..
Exorcisms that have ended in death
And lets not forget Anneleise Michel..
Lets hope the Vatican don’t.
The UPIA Files 