‘Emergency’ need for exorcists after surge in people dabbling in Satanism and black magic
There is currently a growing ’emergency’ need for exorcists after a recent surge in individuals participating in Satanism and black magic, according to experts within the Catholic Church in Italy and the United States.
Nick Squires of the Telegraph writes: “Speaking in tongues, levitating and vomiting nails may seem far-fetched to most people, but church experts insist there is a need to recruit more priests as exorcists in order to combat sorcery and black magic.”
Valter Cascioli, who is a psychologist and scientific consultant to the International Association of Exorcists, which the Telegraph notes, is endorsed by the Vatican, described a rise and an “emergency” lack of priests capable of fighting the forces of evil.
“The lack of exorcists is a real emergency. There is a pastoral emergency as a result of a significant increase in the number of diabolical possessions that exorcist priests are confronting,” Mr. Cascioli isquoted as saying by the La Stampa newspaper.
Cascioli then goes on to add, “The number of people who take part in occult and satanic practices, which lead to serious physical, psychological and spiritual damages, is constantly rising.”
The article within the Telegraph notes Mr.Cascioli teaches courses in exorcism at the Pontifical University of Regina Apostolorum, which is a Vatican-backed university in Rome.
“The number of exorcists has increased in recent years, but there are still not enough to deal with a dramatic situation that affects, above all, young people who use the internet a lot,” Mr. Cascioli stated.
“There is a broad spread of superstitious practices, and with that a growing number of requests for help from people who are directly or indirectly struck by evil,” Cascioli said, as reported by the Telegraph.
Mr. Cascioli then goes on to say, “It is dangerous to underestimate a phenomenon that is caused by the direct actions of the devil, but also by a decline in faith and values.”
Cascioli then goes on to advocate for an establishment of a permanent training college or university where Catholic priests would be taught how to perform exorcisms saying, “There doesn’t exist a training institution at university level. We need an interdisciplinary approach in which science collaborates with religion, and psychiatrists work with demonologists and exorcists.”
(Written & Edited by Bart Charles Begley)
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