Feel Possessed? Exorcists have a hotline! Really!

Okay, if this doesn't fit the forum, what can? I couldn't believe the headline but there it is. Like modern day Ghost Busters with rosary. Okay, it's hard to type this and keep it straight through the laughter. It's not a joke though. This is presented at the source as a serious news article!

The Catholic Church has established an exorcist hotline in Milan, its biggest diocese, to cope with demand. Monsignor Angelo Mascheroni, the diocese’s chief exorcist since 1995, said the curia had also appointed twice as many exorcists to cope with a doubling in the number of requests for help over 15 years.

A booming business it seems!

The Monsignor said he knew of one exorcist who had been seeing up to 120 people a day. “But with so little time per client he was only able to offer a quick blessing. That’s not enough,” he said. ”There should be two to four appointments a day, no more, otherwise it’s too much.”

Is this a solemn religious rite and ceremony for clearing a possessed person of evil? (Which, by the way, I do believe is very real and happens, albeit rarely) or is this the religious version of prescribing antibiotics for the common cold because the patient demanded some? 120 in a day?? Really?! What was it? a line around the block? I mean.. I'm trying to picture this in my mind and it's not working for a real world scene. We're talking exorcism in the traditional and true meaning as they present it.

Father Amorth also took a dim view of fantasy novels and yoga. Practising the latter, he once warned, was “satanic; it leads to evil just like reading Harry Potter”.

Source

Okay, when Harry Potter is linked to demonic possession I believe we've gotten out where the buses don't run anymore and things are just a little funny all around.

There is having an open mind and then there is a mind so open the brain just falls right out and goes splat. Which is this? It's definitely on that edge somewhere, IMO. Any thoughts from others?

Its amazing how people would much rather have faith in mortal men who say that they can remove evil spirits, when faith in the Spirit of Christ is guaranteed to banish the evil spirit with a simple prayer.

There is so little Christian faith in todays world.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Is this a solemn religious rite and ceremony for clearing a possessed person of evil? (Which, by the way, I do believe is very real and happens, albeit rarely) or is this the religious version of prescribing antibiotics for the common cold because the patient demanded some? 120 in a day?? Really?! What was it? a line around the block? I mean..

I'm trying to picture this in my mind and it's not working for a real world scene. We're talking exorcism in the traditional and true meaning as they present it.

Maybe we're not talking about exorcism in the tradition meaning, as they also say this:

“Usually the parents call [because they are] concerned about a child who won’t go to school or who’s taking drugs or rebelling. In reality it’s not a demon, but when they’re 18 years old young people don’t want to be told what to do.”

And:

The Monsignor said that all those who sought help were welcomed. But he added: “The real diabolical phenomena, at least in my experience, are very rare.” He said that “mental phenomena, mental and psychiatric disorders” were often to blame for unusual behaviour.

Okay, when Harry Potter is linked to demonic possession I believe we've gotten out where the buses don't run anymore and things are just a little funny all around.

Yes, but to him, apparently, everything was a case of demonic possession.

PS: I have a copy of an official Catholic Church exorcisms book, and from what's in there there's no way someone can perform 120 exorcisms in one day.

reply to post by ArMaP

That's what threw me on this. 120 a day?? I can only imagine the process they are now using this term to describe and the process traditionally thought of are two radically different things. Still, how many definitions can a word like that have in the Catholic lexicon? I guess it's just dramatically watered down and bordering of what sounds like snake oil peddling in this case. I just ran the numbers for the fun of it and figuring 24 hour days, that 5 per hour.

I guess the Linda Blair types better be snappy and succinct in their ranting and raving.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


From what I could see on my copy of the exorcisms book, even the shortest exorcism must take something like some 5 or 10 minutes, as the priest must prepare some things (he should be wearing "official" clothes, may prepare some blessed water, with or without salt, etc.), say a kind of introduction, then perform the exorcism, then some final words.

The book also says that, if it doesn't work at first, the exorcism may be repeated or even done in several occasions.