Exorcists are scared by the sharp increase in the number of “possessed by demons”

 The results of a survey conducted among Catholic exorcists showed that they are overwhelmed by the huge number of potentially possessed people turning to them for help, so much so that priests ask the church to help them, reports ab

A disturbing trend emerged during the annual conference of priests who specialize in the practice of exorcism from unfortunate people.

Speaking to researchers at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, the Catholic Church’s educational institute, the 120 exorcists who attended the event expressed serious concern about how they would cope with the sheer volume of cases of possession they currently face. Some of them said that they receive 30 to 50 such messages a day.

In the face of such a monstrous amount of work, the exorcists called on the Catholic Church to provide them with additional resources, in particular, to provide them with the services of psychologists to determine whether a person is really possessed or suffering from a mental illness.

One priest who encountered this problem described how he was forced to bring in such a specialist himself when the young woman’s parents disagreed about what led her to attack a group of monks and hurl insults at them in Latin.

He noted that it was eventually determined that the woman was possessed and she was freed from the demon after an arduous nine-hour exorcism....<<<Read More>>>...

 

Demand for Exorcism Rises in Italy

Demand for priests to perform exorcisms in Italy is on the rise, as an increasing number of Roman Catholics say they've been possessed by demons. Nick Lazaredes explores the resurgence in popularity of the centuries-old ritual of exorcising the devil. The Catholic church doesn't often allow the filming of exorcisms, but Nick is given a rare opportunity to watch as a woman who complained of nightmares and headaches goes through the intense and distressing experience. But some dismiss it as a fraud and say it's just a marketing ploy to put the fear of God into people and get them back into church. So are they suffering from demonic possession or just a delusion? (S.O.T.T)

More Of "The Ridiculous and The Sublime":Better the Devil you know: Catholic Church in U.S. gives lessons in how to perform exorcisms

Dozens of Catholic priests in the U.S. have spent the weekend brushing up on their Devil-banishing skills in a bid to boost the number of clergy qualified to carry out exorcisms. Although the rite - in which the spirit of the Devil is cast out from a possessed victim - is rarely carried out, church leaders have been swamped with requests for exorcisms from worried parishioners. Currently the church has just a handful of priests qualified to investigate thousands of cases. 'Learning the liturgical rite is not difficult,' said Texas archbishop Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who spoke at the event in Baltimore. 'The problem is the discernment that the exorcist needs before he would ever attempt the rite.' The weekend training camp - which was attended by more than 100 bishops and priests - provided lessons in outlining the scriptural basis of evil, instructing clergy on evaluating whether a person is truly possessed, and a review the prayers and rituals that comprise an exorcism. No one knows why more people in the U.S. are seeking the rite. Organisers said one reason could be the growing interest among Americans in exploring general spirituality, as opposed to participating in organised religion, which has led more people to dabble in the occult. Despite strong interest in the training, scepticism about the rite persists within the American church. Event organisers said they were aware of the ridicule that can accompany discussion of the subject. (Daily Mail)

What is 'Exorcism'?

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines exorcism as "the act of driving out, or warding off, demons, or evil spirits, from persons, places, or things, which are believed to be possessed or infested by them, or are liable to become victims or instruments of their malice."

In short, it is a ritual performed by a Catholic priest to expel the devil from a person, place or thing.

There are several types of exorcism in the Roman Catholic Church:

Baptismal exorcism - blessing an infant prior to baptism to cleanse it of evil resulting from original sin

Simple exorcism - blessing a place or thing to rid it of evil influence

Real exorcism - performing the Rite of Exorcism to rid a human being of diabolical possession . A "real exorcism" is what most of us think of when we think of exorcism. In this case, the priest-exorcist is dealing with a human being who is possessed by the devil -- the devil is inhabiting this person's body.

According to the Church, telltale signs of demonic possession include:

Speaking or understanding languages which the person has never learned (different from "speaking in tongues," which is considered a sign of religious ecstasy, not possession)
Knowing (and revealing) things the person has no earthly way of knowing
Physical strength beyond the person's natural physical makeup
A violent aversion to God, the Virgin Mary, the cross and other images of Catholic faith