Exorcism "Making a comeback" in Europe

Exorcism "Making a comeback" in Europe

www.washingtonpost.com

Exorcism -- the church rite of expelling evil spirits from tortured souls -- is making a comeback in Catholic regions of Europe. Last July, more than 300 practitioners gathered in the Polish city of Czestochowa for the fourth International Congress of Exorcists.

About 70 priests serve as trained exorcists in Poland, about double the number of five years ago. An estimated 300 exorcists are active in Italy. Foremost among them: the Rev. Gabriele Amorth, 82, who performs exorcisms daily in Rome and is dean of Europe's corps of demon-battling priests.

"People don't pray anymore, they don't go to church, they don't go to confession. The devil has an easy time of it," Amorth said in an interview. "There's a lot more devil worship, people interested in satanic things and seances, and less in Jesus."

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Pope's exorcist squads will wage war on Satan

This follows the popes announcement, just before the new year (see related threads)

If what this priest is saying is true, about people turning away from organised religion, then maybe the church should also be looking at what can be done to reverse the trend.

There is also the danger of the church labelling people "possessed" when they are not - they are displaying behavious which may seem out of character, but for which there is a totally rational explanation.

Will they be shouting "heretic" soon and demanding the return of the inquisition?

www.washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

"People don't pray anymore, they don't go to church, they don't go to confession. The devil has an easy time of it," Amorth said in an interview. "There's a lot more devil worship, people interested in satanic things and seances, and less in Jesus."

I would think that The Devil would be more likely to mess with people who are deeply religious instead of those who aren't. I mean, think about it this way, if you were The Devil, would you focus more of your efforts on the pure or would you waste time with those that are bound for hell anyway?

Of course, all of the above require that you assume for a moment, just for argument's sake, that The Devil is real.

Just thinking out loud.

reply to post by Beachcoma


Yup, I agree - it would also help if the RCC focussed on real issues rather than doing this and saying that people shoud "pray" to end child abuse in the church.

I don't see this as anything more than a gimmic, I'm afraid.