Exorcists wanted: apply to Catholic Church

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– Fri Nov 12, 4:55 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Wanted: a few good men to cast out devils.

Overwhelmed with requests for exorcists, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops are holding a special training workshop in Baltimore this weekend to teach clerics the esoteric rite, the Catholic News Service reported.

The church has signed up 56 bishops and 66 priests for the two-day workshop that began on Friday, seeking to boost the small group of just five or six American exorcists that the church currently has on its books.

"There's this small group of priests who say they get requests from all over the continental U.S.," Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, was quoted as saying.

"Actually, each diocese should have its own" exorcist, he added.

Paprocki did not say why there was increased demand for exorcisms, which he noted were rarely performed.

While solemnly regarded by the Catholic Church, exorcism is a staple of Hollywood fright films -- most notably the 1973 film "The Exorcist" -- and regarded by many as superstition that lends a chill frisson to festivals like Halloween.

Catholic Church law stipulates that only properly trained priests can perform the rite -- and then only with the permission of their bishops.

Possible signs of demonic possession include scratching, cutting, biting of the skin; profound displays of strength; and a strong or violent reaction to holy water.

(Writing by Tim Gaynor, Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
source

I found this interesting...particularly at the end where it talks about the "possible" signs of demonic possession, many of which can be explained by mundane causes.  

[Beautiful Propaganda]

I don't think involuntary possession could happen :/ But then again I can never know for sure. Most of the "warning signs" could be a dozen things though.  

[blindfaith^_^]

I was amazed when I saw this in the actual news on tv that an "exorcism seminar" was being held for interested priests. I mean while Catholics still do exorcisms they don't talk about them and they don't encourage them. Part of the was to deal with demonic possession is basically to ignore it so not to give the malevolent force energy.

I think this new approach to admitting not just a need for the ritual but an increased need for the ritual is an interesting and possibly worrying turn of events. It smacks of the "end of days" rhetoric. It also seems like the kind of thing that would rally people against non-catholic faiths and anything fiction or non-fiction that deals with the occult. I dunno the wild hunt does a better job explaining it here than I'm probably doing.

On the other hand I think that exorcisms can be a cathartic positive experience. Whether someone is actually plagued with evil or not, it can be nice to just hit a refresh button. Sometimes creating a ritualized break from a certain behavoir or energy can be helpful. Plus by the time people come to the exorcism level they are committed to change, formalizing that with a trusted religious leader and ritual seems good.

I don't know much about the Catholic ritual beyond what's portrayed in movies and "paranomal hunters" tv shows so it's possible their rituals specifically aren't helpful. I don't know I'm going to have to keep an eye on what's going on in that neck of the woods if I want to draw further conclusions. It could be very interesting though.  

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blindfaith^_^

I dunno the wild hunt does a better job explaining it here than I'm probably doing.

I hadn't actually seen that yet, thanks for the link.

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I don't know I'm going to have to keep an eye on what's going on in that neck of the woods if I want to draw further conclusions. It could be very interesting though.

If some of the reasons that were listed in the blog are true, it could make things difficult for Pagans in general, if the "Church" is going to start taking that kind of stance.

Paprocki said one reason could be the growing interest among Americans in exploring general spirituality, as opposed to participating in organized religion, which has led more people to dabble in the occult.