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An open conflict has erupted in the Church between exorcists who believe that demons can cause many maladies, especially mental ones, and psychologists who all but dismiss exorcism as a product of the Middle Ages, according to a new book by Los Angeles Times reporter Tracy Wilkinson. The volume, entitled The Vatican's Exorcists, marshals a highly secular and often skeptical view of exorcisms at the same time that it presents fascinating facts on priests who administer the rite in places like Rome and those who have suffered from demonic oppression. The conflict -- psychology versus demonology -- has penetrated the...

"[Prior to Vatican II, w]hen holy water [was] blessed, the priest reads several prayers, which included an exorcism of the salt and the water. An exorcism is the banishing of evil spirits......therefore, when any material object is to be devoted to the service of God, the Church often prescribes for it a form of exorcism, to free it from the power of the Evil One....... Exorcism of Salt O salt, creature of God, I exorcise you by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by the God who ordered you to be poured into the water...

A secular book about exorcism says that one thing rankles demons. "The devil doesn't like Latin," writes Tracy Wilkinson in The Vatican's Exorcists. "That is one of the first things I learned from Father Gabriele Amorth, long known as Rome's chief exorcist, even though that has never been his formal title. "Now past the age of eighty, Father Amorth has dedicated the last decades of his life to regaining a measure of respectability for exorcism. Despite his advancing age, he continues to perform the rite several times a week at his office in Rome. "Scores of people seek him out....

The Advocate vs. The Accuser In a few months I will publish a book on exorcism and deliverance by which I hope to educate the Church Militant on the reality of spiritual evil and the truth of the ChurchÂ’s power against it. On this weekend where our Church celebrates Pentecost, the great Feast of the Holy Spirit, I offer an excerpt from this upcoming book to highlight the influence of the Holy Spirit in defending our cause against the accusing spirit of the devil. If we are to fight for the salvation of souls, we must know our enemy and...

Litchfield, Conn., is the kind of place a lot of people might choose to raise a family. Among its other appealing qualities, Litchfield has a microscopically low crime rate, as in other suburban communities across America. 'The Grip of the Devil' But no town can be protected from all things evil. Some time ago in this peaceful community, wife and mother Pat Reading felt as though she were possessed by satanic spirits. In a series of exorcisms, a local bishop tried to free her from what they saw as the grip of the devil. Reading's then-teenage daughter Michelle Reading witnessed...

Romanian priest sentenced for exorcism Mon Feb 19, 10:47 AM ET BUCHAREST, Romania - A Romanian priest who led a dayslong exorcism ritual for a young nun that ended with the woman's death was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison. Four nuns were also sentenced in the case. The dead nun, Maricica Irina Cornici, believed she heard the devil talking to her. She was treated for schizophrenia, but when she relapsed, Daniel Petru Corogeanu — a monk who served as the priest for the secluded Holy Trinity convent in northeast Romania — and the four other nuns tried exorcism....

A Romanian priest has been sentenced to 14 years in prison today after a nun died during an exorcism ritual. Sister Maricica Irina Cornici, 23, who was being treated for schizophrenia, said she believed the devil was talking to her. Daniel Petru Corogeanu, a monk who served as the priest for a secluded Holy Trinity convent in northeast Romania, and four other nuns, chained Cornici to a cross in an attempt at exorcism. She survived several days without food or water, but died of dehydration, exhaustion and suffocation. The court in the northeast city of Vaslui convicted Corogeanu and the...

Los Angeles-A man accused of trying to exorcise the devil from a "Days of Our Lives" star after bursting into his Malibu backyard pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and entering private property without permission. In addition, a judge granted a restrainging order sought by actor Drake Hogestyn against Carl Raymond Cheney of Oregon, who entered his plea Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

1. What is an exorcism?Q: I saw your article about a post-exorcism experience on Spirit Daily. Just what is an exorcism and is it anything like the movies? Exorcisms are rarely similar to what is portrayed in the movies such as The Exorcist or The Exorcism of Emily Rose (see below). There are certainly points of comparison, but Hollywood needs theatrics to dress up or sensationalize an experience of something extraordinary like the supernatural battle against evil. The exaggerations of Hollywood only serve to diminish our sense of the reality of evil and the existence of the devil.... Fundamentally, an...

The Holy See has warned that there will be “serious consequences” for a rebel African archbishop if reports that he is to work with the author of the Da Vinci Code on a new novel about exorcisms are true. Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, the unpredictable African faith healer and exorcist, is reported to have agreed to work with Dan Brown on the project. The agreement was said to have been reached at a meeting in Houston, Texas, attended by representatives of Dan Brown, Sony Pictures, Random House publishing company and Target, an American company which intends to finance the film. Participants...

by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.To believe in exorcism you must first believe in the devil. Exorcism is the act of driving out or warding off evil spirits from persons, places, or things. The means employed for this purpose are especially the solemn and authoritative adjuration of the demons, commanding them in the name of God to leave the person or the object which is under their malevolent influence. Among polytheistic religions the use of protective means against the molestation of evil spirits is an essential part of their worship of the deities. The benevolent gods are invoked for whatever...

A FORMER Jesuit turned university professor has set himself an ambitious project: rehabilitating the devil.Henry Ansgar Kelly says Satan is the most maligned figure in history and has endured 17 centuries of unjustified character assassination."For 1700 years Satan has been the enemy of God, whereas in the Bible he works for God, he's his prime minister or attorney-general, in charge of policing the world," Professor Kelly said."He is one of God's angels, and his job is to test people."The 71-year-old University of California professor has played devil's advocate for four decades, and is the author of many books and scholarly...

Twenty-nine years have passed since that day, June 29 1972. It was the Feast of Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles. It was the Feast of Saint Paul who brought the Gospel of Christ to the extreme corners of the West. On that day, June 29, Feast of the Patron Saints of Rome, Peter’s successor who had taken the name of Paul issued a dramatic warning. Paul VI spoke of God’s enemy supreme, that enemy of man called Satan, enemy of the Church. “The smoke of Satan”, warned Paul VI, “has found its way into the Church through the fissures”....

Twenty-nine years have passed since that day, June 29 1972. It was the Feast of Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles. It was the Feast of Saint Paul who brought the Gospel of Christ to the extreme corners of the West. On that day, June 29, Feast of the Patron Saints of Rome, Peter’s successor who had taken the name of Paul issued a dramatic warning. Paul VI spoke of God’s enemy supreme, that enemy of man called Satan, enemy of the Church. “The smoke of Satan”, warned Paul VI, “has found its way into the Church through the fissures”....

Some questions about the Christian life have easy answers. Others do not. In a nice article from January 17th, 2006, D.C. Toedt at The Questioning Christian addresses the thorny and complex issue of Christianity and mental illness. It is my opinion that the Christian community in general has historically not done a very good job at of understanding and ministering to those with mental illness. Christians have no problems helping those suffering from heart disease and cancer, but often blame mental illness on the patient. How many Christians have been told "If you just prayed more and developed a better attitude" you...

December, 28, 2005Dear Friend,            A warm handshake, the touching of each cheek in turn (in true Italian style), and the words, “We are doing the same mission for our Lord Jesus Christ.”            That moment bridged a gap of centuries. Five hundred years ago I would not have been standing in the Vatican and a priest might have called for my death as a heretic. But this day in December, 2005, was a day of reconciliation and embracing on common ground–the belief in waging spiritual war through exorcism, deliverance, and healing. St. Peter's Basilica. The largest church in the world.            ...

I have been an exorcist for three years, and I know all too well that it always costs something to enter onto the devil’s territory and wrench a soul out of his grip, but I have never experienced a demonic retaliation like the one I am about to recount. The only reason I write this true story is to encourage those who read this to remain vigilant, faithful and confident that Christ and His angels have all-surpassing power over demons. The demons may make us suffer temporarily, but they are no match for the power of Christ’s Love and the...

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 22, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Georges Cottier, while he was still the theologian to the Pontifical Household, wrote an introduction to the book "Presidente degli Esorcisti -- Esperienze e Delucidazioni di Don Gabriele Amorth" (President of the Exorcists -- Experiences and Clarifications of Father Gabriel Amorth). Father Amorth is an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, and founder and honorary president of the International Association of Exorcists. The book has been recently published by Edizioni Carismatici Francescani. Here is a translation of Cardinal Cottier's introduction. * * * The Church must speak about the devil. Though he sinned,...

Dennis Rader’s pastor sought permission to perform a jailhouse exorcism on the BTK killer but authorities wouldn’t allow it, the Rev. Michael Clark told an Overland Park audience Sunday. Clark believes demonic forces drove Rader to murder 10 victims in the Wichita area, he said at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. In response to an audience member’s question, the Lutheran pastor said he spoke at length with the Sedgwick County sheriff about performing the exorcism. The sheriff politely refused to allow it, Clark said. “Dennis was influenced, I believe, by some kind of demonic force and that played a role in...

Italy's leading exorcist said on Thursday there were up to 330 priests practising the Vatican-approved procedures for casting out the Devil all over the country . In the Catholic Church exorcists must be priests and they have to be given a sort of 'licence' to perform the special rites by their local bishop . Father Gabriele Amorth, founder and head of an international association of exorcists, said there were no official figures for Italy but he reckoned the number was between 300 and 330 . While exorcists were busy trying to expel Satan from possessed Italians, Father Amorth implied that...