U.S. Exorcists quadrupled over past 10 years
Over the course of the past ten years, throughout the United States, the number of official priests who can perform exorcisms has more than quadrupled from 12 to 50, according to an article that was published by the Telegraph.
The article points out that over the past ten years there has been a huge increase in demand for both exorcisms and priests that are capable of carrying out the somewhat ancient Christian practice.
The Telegraph interviews two of the leading priests most actively involved in the practice, Father Gary Thomas and Father Vincent Lampert respectively.
Father Thomas’ training in Rome was chronicled in Matt Baglio’s book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, as noted b the Telegraph, while Father Lampert’s work was depicted on ‘Paranormal Witness.’
Rachel Ray of the Telegraph writes: “In lengthy interviews with The Telegraph, the two exorcists discuss how the increase in drug and pornography addiction, failure of the mental healthcare system and a rise in popularity of “pagan activities”, such as using a Ouija board to summon the dead, are among the factors contributing to the huge increase in demand for the Rite.”
According to Father Lampert of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, more people are increasingly requesting for assistance with performing exorcisms.
“We’re gaining all sorts of knowledge,” Lampert says during the interview with the Telegraph. Adding, “but there’s still that emptiness within us that is being filled with addictive behavior such as drugs and pornography.”
“There’s a line in the Old Testament that says when one grows in knowledge one also grows in despair. The decline in faith goes hand in hand with the rise in evil,” Father Lampert says.
Father Thomas also notes in the article that demand for his services has drastically increased over the past decade throughout the United States.
“I am a full-time pastor and this is a very intense ministry. Almost every free night that I have is taken up with exorcisms,” Father Thomas says, as quoted by the Telegraph.
“I could conduct one or two exorcisms a week for demonic attachment (as opposed to full possession),” Father Thomas says. “People could be quite functional but once they get into a sacred arena, such as a church, or participate in some element of parish, they’ll begin to manifest or they’ll begin to get sick or they’ll begin to show other kinds of signs that something is amiss. And it’s my role and my team’s to discern what it is. Is it something psychological?”
(Written & Edited by Bart Charles Begley)
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